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Platform FAQ

Quick answers to the most common questions about how PersoniFi works — for both investors and people raising capital.

About the Platform​

What is PersoniFi?​

PersoniFi enables you to invest in a person — not just their business. Our model unlocks opportunity by enabling ambitious individuals to raise money like a company does, so founders, athletes, and creators can access early capital without requiring revenue, an unrealistic growth model, or even a business entity.

Think of it like this: you use GoFundMe to donate to someone, AngelList to invest in a startup — now you go to PersoniFi to invest in a person you believe in.

How is this different from typical investing?​

Traditional investing is based on a business's performance. PersoniFi investing is based on a person's potential. You're betting on the next Steve Jobs, the next Serena Williams, or the next MrBeast — and you get exposure to their future companies, earnings, or royalties.

How is this different from angel investing or a loan?​

An angel investment is one-shot: all upside potential but high risk. A loan has no upside but must be repaid no matter what. PersoniFi sits in the middle, filling the gap.

All of our deals have upside, and most also offer downside protection. For example, if you invest in an early founder and their first company fails, the person either returns to the workforce and shares a portion of that salary with you until your investment is returned — or they start another company (60% of founders do), and you get equity in those too.

How does PersoniFi increase capital access?​

All investments are uniquely structured to offer upside while reducing risk. Why? To enable earlier investment, when it would otherwise be too risky. That's how we increase access to early capital and unlock earlier opportunity.

Investing on the Platform​

How do investors use PersoniFi?​

The platform facilitates both private and public deals:

  • Invest in someone you know — join their private family and friends round hosted on the platform. PersoniFi reduces risk, makes it an easier ask, protects the investment and relationship, and automates the process.
  • Angels — invest in public, pre-vetted deals. Get differentiated deal flow and connect with people and ideas you're passionate about.
  • Syndicates and angel groups — use our software to invest in your existing private deal flow. PersoniFi prevents capital loss, increases ROI, and allows for more diversification and impact. Instead of declining a startup deal because it's too early or pre-revenue, you can add downside protection or a deal-sweetener.

How does PersoniFi pre-vet deals?​

Anyone can raise from people they know (private deals) with no vetting required. But when someone applies to make their deal visible to the broader investor base, PersoniFi's investor team evaluates the individual and opportunity using a scoring algorithm.

Vetting includes:

  • Personality test and reference checks (to gauge entrepreneurial aptitude)
  • Career and earning history (via tax returns, W2s, and credit checks)
  • Earning potential, projecting investment return scenarios

This generates a personalized score and optimal deal terms.

What are common profiles of individuals fundraising on PersoniFi?​

  • Entrepreneurs — startup founders from pre-traction through seed stage, side hustle or full-time. Key uses: funds to go full-time, build product, bridge to next milestone, or fill a pre-seed/seed round.
  • Creators — existing talent or audience, part-time or full-time. Key uses: funds to go full-time, directly fund monetization, upskill, buy gear, or build a business.
  • Athletes — college, sub-pro, or olympian with demonstrable talent and future earning potential. Key uses: funds to train, travel and compete, get drafted, or boost personal brand for NIL opportunities.

How many deals can I invest in?​

Unlimited. Investors can invest as little as $500+ per deal.

What's included with each investment?​

PersoniFi manages the entire investment lifecycle:

  • Sourcing, vetting, and diligence
  • Deal structuring and personalized terms
  • Risk-minimized investment protection
  • Contract enforcement and compliance
  • Monitoring and tracking
  • Automated ISA cash distributions
  • Investor reporting dashboards

Deal Structures​

Are these equity or cash-only deals?​

Some deals are equity-only. Others include equity and cash components. All are differentiated from a typical business investment. Deals look different for a founder than for a creator or an athlete — we offer two variations for each career type.

For a quick side-by-side comparison, see Deal Comparison at a Glance. For a full breakdown of every structure, see the Deal Structures Reference.

Are all deal terms fixed?​

No, terms are customizable. Experts will assist in structuring a deal that suits an individual's growth path. That said, we offer a variety of tried-and-true preset deal packages.

What is an income share agreement (ISA)?​

ISAs are like a flexible, income-based loan with built-in incentives and deferrals. Our ISAs include protections that prevent individuals from sharing more than a predetermined maximum amount and from having to share income when they're not earning above a set level.

For detailed ISA term definitions, see the Glossary.

What is a SAFEguard?​

SAFEguard is our flagship investment structure for founders. It combines a SAFE in the company with an ISA with the person. The ISA survives regardless of the business outcome — so if the company fails, the investor still has a path to returns.

For a deeper look, see Top Deal Structures.

Does a PersoniFi investment interfere with other investments?​

No. None of our deal structures interfere with concurrent or future equity funding. If you have a company with a cap table, a SAFEguard only appears as a SAFE (because the ISA is a personal guarantee, not a liability of the company).

How does a PersoniFi investment appear on the cap table?​

It only shows as a SAFE — the ISA is tied to the person and does not go on the cap table. Our investments are VC-friendly and do not interfere with future funding. The same applies to "equity in the founder" deal types (equity in their future ventures) — those don't go on the company's cap table either.

How is a SAFEguard different from a convertible note?​

Unlike convertible notes, the ISA component is a liability of the person, not of the company. The ISA survives even if the business fails.

Where does funding get wired?​

Once you and your investor sign final contracts, funds are wired to your business entity's bank account.

Which bank account do monthly payments come from?​

For founders on a SAFEguard, payment amounts are based on personal income level. Payments can come from either the personal or company bank account.

What is the tax treatment of a SAFEguard investment?​

  • Open transaction treatment for the SAFEguard
  • 1.0x return of principal is return of capital; ordinary income thereafter
  • Most equity will qualify for QSBS treatment once the SAFE converts to equity shares

Compliance and Monitoring​

How does PersoniFi monitor compliance with investment terms?​

We thoroughly designed each of our proprietary legal structures with highly specialized legal experts so that investments are traceable, transparent, and enforceable.

The process is multi-layered:

  • Monthly self-reporting — individuals report employment status, income level, and upload documentation (paystub or 1099)
  • Third-party data — we cross-reference with third-party sources and the IRS
  • Annual verification — reported income is cross-checked against government tax returns
  • Breach detection — any breaches are promptly detected and escalated if unresolved

What happens if someone stops making payments?​

They are highly incentivized not to breach contract. Defaulting on payments will ultimately go to debt collections and damage their credit.

Can someone defer payments when income is low?​

Some contracts allow deferral when income falls below a set salary floor. We monitor monthly income status to ensure people aren't deferring payments when they shouldn't be. Each year we cross-check reported income levels with government tax returns.

What happens to the ISA repayment obligation in case of fatality?​

It is treated as a default and the investor has rights to claim up to the repayment cap, like any other creditor or claimant against the estate.

Are these legally binding investment contracts?​

Yes. These are legally binding contracts with a compliance system built to ensure adherence over the life of the agreement. Any breach of contract is escalated.

Fundraising on the Platform​

What are my options for raising money?​

  1. Raise privately from people you know — streamline a family and friends round
  2. Apply to feature your deal to PersoniFi's investor base

How do I raise from people in my network?​

You get your own private deal room, which is totally customizable. You automate email invites to people you know — they arrive, learn more, and hopefully invest. PersoniFi streamlines the process from there, including payments, reminders, and reporting over the life of your agreement.

What if I've already asked my family and friends?​

We're building a marketplace to connect you with capital providers. But if you haven't raised from people you know yet, consider that first.

Here's why: it can be hard to ask people to angel invest in your business since they're statistically likely to lose money. PersoniFi deals are different — they're designed so investors are less likely to lose money. By offering a dual return profile, small investors get exposure to upside and downside protection. In other words, this is an opportunity for them, which makes it much easier to ask for support.

Does PersoniFi do crowdfunding (Reg. CF deals)?​

Yes — retail investor pilots are underway and we plan to add this functionality to the platform. Email hannah@inspirr.io for more information about costs and legalities.

If you're a creator or athlete — no. PersoniFi will handle entity formation and contracts for you, saving you approximately $10K in legal costs.

How does PersoniFi help me get investment?​

PersoniFi is a tool designed to make it easier to sell yourself and your dream. We provide the investment structure that enables investors to say yes in situations where they'd otherwise be too constrained by risk. The platform automates post-investment processes too — payments, tracking, monitoring — building trust so investors can confidently invest.

Additionally, PersoniFi provides tips, resources, and optional add-on services to boost your odds. We offer hands-on term consults to help you design a deal that suits your growth path.

When do I have to pay PersoniFi?​

No upfront costs. You only pay PersoniFi if you close a deal, at which point you'll pay a one-time contract fee depending on your deal type. If you raise from people you know (private deal) on a SAFEguard, we only charge $1K.

Accreditation​

What is an accredited investor?​

An accredited investor meets at least one of these criteria:

  • Averages $200K+/year in income, or
  • Has $1M+ in net assets (joint or individually), or
  • Works in the financial industry, or
  • Is a director of the company being invested in

Why does accreditation matter?​

By signing final legal documents, investors agree to the relevant clauses and affirm their accredited status. PersoniFi requires all investors on the platform to validate their accreditation status upon their first login.

Syndicates​

What is the minimum investment per deal?​

Investors can invest as little as $500+ per deal.

What syndicate features does PersoniFi offer?​

  • Vetted opportunities — every applicant is evaluated for viability
  • Earlier, faster small investments — deals designed to incentivize earlier investment when it would otherwise be too risky or too slow
  • Trusted process — PersoniFi manages deal structuring, contract terms, legal and financial work, plus post-investment monitoring, compliance, and reporting
  • Flexible terms — founders can raise using a default preset structure or pick one that best suits their situation

What founder/startup criteria does PersoniFi look for?​

Our approach focuses on the founder rather than just their business:

  • Idea stage to seed stage
  • All industries
  • All traction and revenue levels

What if I'm raising right now?​

Most founders who've been funded on these terms were raising a round at the same time. The investment appears as a SAFE on the cap table, and the equity clawback mechanism reduces dilution — which benefits you and your future investors.

The terms are designed to reduce risk and help founders get earlier, faster funding to achieve critical traction or reach the next milestone to better qualify for VC. For those reasons, VCs and angels have supported this type of investment, and have in fact referred us most of the founders we've worked with.

Past Investments​

Which founders have raised on the SAFEguard?​

The reception has been overwhelmingly positive — over 2,400 applications received, largely from word-of-mouth and VC referrals. A 2021 survey showed that 100% of funded founders would recommend the SAFEguard to a fellow founder.

How did the first investments turn out?​

Our first investment in 2020 was a female founder who has gone on to raise $5.4 million since. The second investment was a female founder who went on to raise $6 million from top VCs.