We’re entering a new era of capital formation—one where your customers don’t just buy your product; they buy into your company through investment crowdfunding.
In this article, I’ll unpack the rise of investomers—customers who become investors—and why community-led capital is no longer a fringe trend, but a fundamental shift in how early-stage businesses raise money, build loyalty, and scale.
What Is an Investomer?
An investomer is more than just a backer.
They’re a hybrid of investor and customer—someone who believes in your business so deeply, they put their money behind it, not out of charity, but conviction.
As I explore in my book, INVESTOMERS: How Customers Turned Investors Are Reshaping Early-Stage Finance, this is a new kind of stakeholder—part brand champion, part financial participant.
“When customers invest, they don’t just provide capital; they fuel your growth through word-of-mouth, brand loyalty, and evangelism.” — INVESTOMERS
The Old Model: VC-First
Traditional venture capital has played a crucial role in startup growth, but it comes with clear barriers:
- Selective and exclusive
- Time-consuming and complex
- High dilution and reduced control
- Limited community engagement
The New Model: Investment Crowdfunding and Community-First Capital
With Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF), the rules have changed—and the crowd now has a seat at the table through investment crowdfunding.
Raising from customers means:
- You fund faster
- You own your story
- You build a loyal community
- You reduce reliance on gatekeepers
According to data from CCLEAR.ai, nearly $3 billion has been invested via investment crowdfunding under Reg CF. Thousands of businesses are now tapping into their most passionate stakeholders—their customers—for capital.
From Grateful Parent to Investomer
In INVESTOMERS, I share the story of FLAVORx—a company I co-founded that helps children take their medicine by making it taste better.
After helping one family, a mother called and said: “My kid finally took their medicine! How can I invest in your company?”
That moment became the spark for a movement. A realization that your best investors might already be in your customer base.
Investomer Impact: What the Investment Crowdfunding Data Shows
The 2025 Investment Crowdfunding Annual Report and CCLEAR data confirm the trend:
- Reg CF-funded companies show faster raise velocity
- Community-funded campaigns outperform in loyalty metrics
- Follow-on rounds often include repeat investomers
- Investomer campaigns tend to close with stronger brand equity
These are not just investors. They’re multipliers.
How to Build with Investomers Through Investment Crowdfunding
If you’re thinking of raising capital through investment crowdfunding, here’s how to begin building your investomer movement:
Start Early – Use “testing-the-waters” (TTW) tools to ask your customers if they’d invest.
Tell a Mission-Driven Story – Values matter more than valuation.
Enable Referrals – Reward early backers for bringing others in. (Be transparent that you aren’t being paid to promote).
Engage Post-Raise – Keep them close with updates, perks, and transparency.
This isn’t about one transaction. It’s about building a tribe.
Final Thought
Community capital through investment crowdfunding is no longer experimental—it’s strategic.
Founders who embrace investomers don’t just raise money. They build movements. They scale loyalty. They share ownership.
“The future of finance is not just transactional; it’s about building engaged communities that support businesses they believe in.” — INVESTOMERS
Learn More
If this resonates with you:
📖 Read INVESTOMERS on Amazon 📊 Explore the data behind the movement at www.cclear.ai
About the Author
Sherwood Neiss is a principal at Crowdfund Capital Advisors and author of INVESTOMERS. He helped draft the crowdfunding legislation in the JOBS Act and leads the development of CCLEAR.ai, the most comprehensive dataset on Regulation Crowdfunding in the U.S.
