Individuals investing through a crowdfunding platform should be looking for a place where they can access deals and invest alongside – and on the same terms as – respected venture capital firms, says Dan Bennett, OurCrowd Australia and Asia managing director. Crowdfunding platforms should also be responsible for vetting businesses, based on quality factors such as experience and previous success of founders, he adds.

OurCrowd, which began in Jerusalem, Israel, in 2013 and has since started branches in California and New York in the United States and more recently in Australia, has so far raised $300 million among a base of 1200 individuals investing in 100 companies globally, according to Bennett.