To help you understand the risks involved when investing in shares on Portfolio Ventures, please read the following risk summary.

Diversification involves spreading your money across multiple investments to reduce risk. However, it will not lessen all types of risk. Diversification is an essential part of investing. Investors should only invest a proportion of their available investment funds via Portfolio Ventures and should balance this with safer, more liquid investments.

The need for diversification when you invest

Investing in shares (also known as equity) on Portfolio Ventures does not involve a regular return on your investment unlike mini-bonds which offer interest paid regularly. Please bear in mind the following particular risks for equity investments:

Risks when investing in equity

The majority of start-up businesses fail or do not scale as planned and therefore investing in these businesses may involve significant risk. It is likely that you may lose all, or part, of your investment. You should only invest an amount that you are willing to lose and should build a diversified portfolio to spread risk and increase the chance of an overall return on your investment capital. If a business you invest in fails, neither the company – nor Portfolio Ventures – will pay you back your investment.

Loss of investment

Liquidity is the ease with which you can sell your shares after you have purchased them. Buying shares in businesses pitching through Portfolio Ventures cannot be sold easily and they are unlikely to be listed on a secondary trading market, such as AIM, Plus or the London Stock Exchange. Even successful companies rarely list shares on such an exchange. In addition, if you purchase B Investment Shares, these are non-voting shares and may not be attractive to potential buyers.

Lack of liquidity

Dividends are payments made by a business to its shareholders from the company's profits. Most of the companies pitching for equity on the Portfolio Ventures website are start-ups or early stage companies, and these companies will rarely pay dividends to their investors. This means that you are unlikely to see a return on your investment until you are able to sell your shares. Profits are typically re-invested into the business to fuel growth and build shareholder value. Businesses have no obligation to pay shareholder dividends.

Rarity of dividends

Any investment in shares made through Portfolio Ventures may be subject to dilution in the future. Dilution occurs when a company issues more shares. Dilution affects every existing shareholder who does not buy any of the new shares being issued. As a result an existing shareholder's proportionate shareholding of the company is reduced, or 'diluted'-this has an effect on a number of things, including voting, dividends and value.

Some businesses who pitch for equity investment through Portfolio Ventures offer A-Ordinary Shares, which may include pre-emption rights that protect an investor from dilution. In this situation the business must give shareholders with A-Ordinary Shares the opportunity to buy additional shares during a subsequent fundraising round so that they can maintain or preserve their shareholding. Please check a pitch, and the Articles of the company to see if the shares you are buying will have these pre-emption rights. Most companies do not offer pre-emption rights for B Investment Shares.

Dilution

Companies issuing equity, like all businesses, are vulnerable to financial difficultly and investing in equity may involve significant risk. In the event of an Issuer failing it is likely that you may lose all, or part, of your initial investment and receive no outstanding or future interest payments.

If a business you invest in fails, neither the company you invest in – nor Portfolio Ventures – will pay you back you investment. You should only invest an amount that you are willing to lose and should build a diversified portfolio to spread risk.

Loss of investment and interest payments

Liquidity is the ease with which you can sell your investments after you have purchased them. Equity purchased from businesses pitching through Portfolio Ventures cannot be sold as they are generally non-transferrable and will not be listed on a secondary trading market such as the LSE ORB. Please refer to the individual equity documentation for full details of transferability. Investments in equity through Portfolio Ventures should be viewed as a long term and illiquid investment.

Companies issuing equity through Portfolio Ventures set the terms for redeeming their investor's capital. Investors should be aware that they will not be able to redeem their initial investment under any circumstances other than those set out in the terms and conditions of the documentation of an individual mini-bond, meaning their capital will typically be locked up for 3-5 years and should therefore be viewed as a long term and illiquid investment.

Risk Warning

The need for diversification when you invest

Risks when investing in equity

Loss of investment

Lack of liquidity

Rarity of dividends

Dilution

Loss of investment and interest payments

Lack of liquidity

Restricted redemption rights