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Sowefund operates an equity crowdfunding platform designed to connect individual investors with French technology and impact companies. The platform provides curated access to investment opportunities, emphasizing a rigorous selection process that targets high-potential ventures. It aims to democratize private equity investment by allowing individuals to co-invest alongside professional funds and business angels, offering a diversified portfolio aligned with the French innovation ecosystem.
The company was co-founded in 2014 by Benjamin Wattinne and Georges Viglietti. Their core insight stemmed from recognizing a gap in accessible investment avenues for the general public, particularly within the nascent yet dynamic French startup landscape. They sought to create a structured environment where individual capital could directly support promising enterprises while offering investors opportunities typically reserved for institutional players.
Sowefund caters to individuals seeking to deploy capital into the non-listed sector, often leveraging tax incentive schemes associated with such investments in France. Its vision is to foster a vibrant innovation economy by channeling private investment into French tech and impact champions, enabling the growth of emerging businesses while offering accessible, professionally vetted investment opportunities to a broader investor base.
Key people at Sowefund.
Sowefund was founded in 2014 by Jean-Philippe Leflot (Head of Marketing & Co-Founder) and Georges Viglietti (Co-founder & President) and Benjamin Wattinne (Co-founder & COO).
Sowefund is France's pioneering equity crowdfunding platform, launched in 2014, enabling retail investors to co-invest alongside professional investors like business angels, family offices, and VC funds in vetted startups.[1][2][4] Its mission centers on democratizing access to high-potential startup investments, with a philosophy emphasizing co-investment for added due diligence—retail investors join deals already validated by institutions—while providing regulatory compliance via PSFP status for EU-wide operations.[2][4] Key sectors span deeptech, biotech, greentech, adtech, edtech, healthtech, fintech, and more, targeting pre-seed to Series B stages with ticket sizes from €500k to €5M and 5-7 year horizons.[1] Sowefund has facilitated over €120M raised across 114 campaigns, attracting 120,000 investors, and impacts the startup ecosystem by streamlining cap tables via dedicated SPVs, supporting 250+ portfolio companies with 4,000+ employees, and fostering professional-grade retail participation.[1][2]
Sowefund was founded in 2014 by co-founders Benjamin Wattinne and Georges Viglietti, who established it as France's first co-investing equity crowdfunding platform in Paris.[1][4][7] The idea emerged to bridge retail and professional investors, allowing individuals to buy into innovative startups under the same terms as VCs and angels, starting with a focus on French tech and impact ventures.[2][6] Early traction built through rigorous startup selection and professional co-investment, leading to profitability by 2022 with ~20 employees; a pivotal moment came in 2023 when French VC firm Founders Future acquired Sowefund, injecting multimillion-dollar growth capital while keeping operations separate under the founders' leadership.[4] This acquisition followed Sowefund's asset purchase from defunct platform SmartAngels in 2019, expanding its deal flow, and its ECSP certification for European expansion.[2][4][5]
Sowefund rides the democratization of venture capital trend, fueled by retail investor appetite for startup equity amid low traditional returns and EU crowdfunding regulations enabling cross-border access.[2][4] Timing aligns with France's thriving tech ecosystem—home to unicorns and €10B+ annual VC inflows—where platforms like Sowefund lower barriers for non-professionals, channeling €120M+ into innovation sectors like deeptech and greentech amid energy transitions and AI booms.[1] Market forces favoring it include regulatory tailwinds (ECSP status), rising family office/angel activity, and post-2023 VC acquisition amplifying deal flow; it influences the ecosystem by professionalizing crowdfunding, creating diversified retail portfolios, and supporting 4,000+ jobs in growth-stage firms.[1][2][4]
Sowefund is poised for European dominance as the go-to co-investment platform, leveraging Founders Future's multimillion investment to scale teams, tech, and deal volume beyond France.[4] Trends like regulatory shifts allowing fund-of-funds crowdfunding, AI-driven deal vetting, and impact investing will propel growth, potentially doubling funding facilitated amid €100B+ EU VC markets. Its influence may evolve from French pioneer to pan-EU infrastructure, blending retail scale with pro validation—cementing its role as the bridge that turns "everyone a shareholder" from slogan to startup fuel.[1][2][4]
Key people at Sowefund.
Sowefund was founded in 2014 by Jean-Philippe Leflot (Head of Marketing & Co-Founder) and Georges Viglietti (Co-founder & President) and Benjamin Wattinne (Co-founder & COO).
Sowefund has 1 tracked investment across 1 company. The latest tracked deal is $1.8M Other Equity in Campsider in January 2026.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 29, 2026 | Campsider | $1.8M Other Equity | 50 Partners, Founders Future | — |
