Equity Spark is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Investments carry a high degree of risk and your capital is at risk. This page does not constitute a financial promotion of any specific investment. For eligible investors only. If you are unsure whether this type of investment is right for you, seek independent financial advice.
FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. For eligible investors only. Capital at risk.
PRIVATE MARKET ACCESS · BY ELIGIBILITY ONLY
Equity Spark is a curated, FCA-regulated platform giving eligible UK investors structured access to private markets — the part of the market that sits beyond the public exchanges, and beyond most investors' reach.
Confirm your eligibility in 60 seconds — and receive our free guide, What to Know Before You Invest in Private Companies.
Under 60 seconds · No obligation
MEMBERS' ACCESS
Not open to everyone.
Access is limited to investors who meet FCA eligibility criteria. That's deliberate — and it's the reason the platform stays what it is.
You confirm your status once. Access is then yours.
Private, off-market opportunities
For sophisticated & high-net-worth investors
Reviewed within a regulated framework
Investments of this type carry a high degree of risk. Your capital is at risk and returns are not guaranteed. These investments are illiquid and are intended only for eligible investors who understand and can bear these risks. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
RISK
The opportunities most investors never get to see.
UNDERSTANDING PRIVATE MARKETS
Why so much happens before a company ever reaches the public market.
Some of the most interesting companies spend years growing privately — raising capital from a small circle of investors long before they list or are acquired. Here's how that world works, and why access to it has always been limited.
A market held privately
Private companies raise capital directly from investors rather than through a public exchange. Their shares aren't listed, aren't quoted daily, and aren't openly advertised — so most people never encounter them.
Access has been restricted
Historically these opportunities reached institutional funds and well-connected networks. Not because others weren't interested — but because there was no straightforward, regulated route in.
Why investors seek them out
Investors are drawn to private markets for diversification and the chance to participate earlier in a company's journey — while accepting materially higher risk, longer time horizons and illiquidity in return.
An honest word on risk. Private-market investing is high risk. Companies at this stage can and do fail, capital can be locked up for years, and you may lose the full amount you invest. It suits experienced investors building a considered, diversified position — not anyone seeking certainty or quick access to their money.
Think this world might be for you?
Confirming your eligibility takes under a minute — and there's no obligation.
IS THIS FOR YOU?
Built for a particular kind of investor.
WHAT OUR INVESTORS SAY
In their words
Darren · Investor
I find the EquitySpark platform easy to use and it gives me access to a variety of investment opportunities I would otherwise not know about or be able to invest in
Dominic · Investor
Being with EquitySpark from the day they started I was eager to see what investments they could 'bring to the table' and in fact they haven't disappointed!
Soraya · Investor
EquitySpark is a wonderful opportunity for investors like myself to be a shareholder in companies that most people would never normally be able to access
We'd rather be clear up front. Equity Spark suits some investors well and others not at all — and it's worth knowing which you are before you go any further.
This is for you if...
You qualify as a sophisticated or high-net-worth investor under FCA criteria.
You already look beyond the public markets and understand private, illiquid assets.
You're comfortable holding an investment for several years with no easy exit.
You invest as part of a diversified portfolio and can bear a total loss on any one position.
This isn't for you if...
You're looking for listed shares, funds or an ISA you can buy and sell freely.
You may need quick access to your capital.
You're new to investing or want certainty over the outcome.
You couldn't comfortably absorb the loss of the amount you put in.
Sounds like you?
Not everyone qualifies — and that's the point. Find out in under a minute.
THE PROCESS
Straightforward, and in the right order.
There's a reason we confirm your eligibility before anything else — it's a regulatory requirement, and it's what keeps the platform what it is.
Confirm eligibility
Answer a few short questions to confirm your investor status. Under a minute, no obligation.
1
2
Gain access
Once confirmed, you're able to see what the platform makes available to eligible investors.
3
Review in your own time
You receive full documentation and can take a considered look. No pressure, no commitment.
4
Speak to a person
Have a conversation with a member of the team, at a time that suits you, before you decide anything.
REQUEST ACCESS
One short step to the other side.
We don't publish our opportunities openly. Confirming your investor status is simply how you get through the door — it takes less than a minute.
Free for eligible investors: our guide What to Know Before You Invest in Private Companies — sent as soon as your status is confirmed.
Access is gated for a reason. We only work with genuine sophisticated and high-net-worth investors — which is exactly what makes it worth qualifying for.
No obligation at any stage. Confirming eligibility is not a commitment to invest.
Equity Spark Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 665367). Equity Spark Limited is a limited company, registered in England and Wales (No. 08673809), with registered office at C/O Thompson Taraz Rand Suite 20, New Cambridge House, Bassingbourn Road, Litlington, Cambridgeshire, England, SG8 0SS.
© Equity Spark Limited 2026. All rights reserved.
Investments in unquoted and early-stage companies are high risk and illiquid. You may lose the full amount invested and should not invest more than you can afford to lose. Nothing on this page is a personal recommendation or investment advice. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change.
The opportunities
most investors
never get to see.
PRIVATE MARKET ACCESS · BY ELIGIBILITY ONLY
A SHORT INTRODUCTION
What Equity Spark is — and who it's for.
WHO WE ARE
A platform built for a particular kind of opportunity — and a particular kind of investor.
Equity Spark is an FCA-regulated platform connecting eligible investors with private-market opportunities, with a particular focus on companies emerging from universities, science parks and the innovation economy.
We find
Sourcing opportunities through a network of university and strategic partners.
We assess
Rigorously screening each opportunity for suitability, and for its potential positive impact on people and planet.
We offer
Presenting opportunities to eligible investors clearly and transparently — setting out both the risks and the potential.
We are a small, close-knit platform, and we work closely with our members — a community of everyday sophisticated investors, high-net-worth individuals and institutions who want access to opportunities they would not otherwise encounter.
OUR COLLABORATIONS
The company we keep.
We work alongside respected institutions on research, methodology and best practice — part of building a platform that takes its responsibilities seriously.
Collaboration on impact-focused investment methodologies, drawing on the University of Oxford's research base.
Oxford University Innovation
Working together on rigorous frameworks for assessing private-market opportunities.
London Business School
Exploring best practice in structured, responsible online investing.
The Big Exchange
Collaborations relate to research, methodology and best practice at platform level. They are not endorsements of any specific investment and do not imply any particular outcome.
FREE FOR ELIGIBLE INVESTORS
What to Know Before You Invest in Private Companies
A practical, plain-English guide for anyone considering private-market investment — what to look for, what to question, and how to weigh the risks before you commit a penny.
Yours the moment you're verified.
Confirm your investor status and we'll send the guide straight over.
The questions every investor should ask before backing a private company
What due diligence looks like — and what the warning signs are
How to think about risk, illiquidity and diversification in private markets
How tax-efficient structures such as EIS and SEIS work, in plain terms
