Crowdcube Launches Growth Series With Bolt Secondary to Unlock Liquidity in Europe’s Top Private Companies

Many of Europe’s leading late-stage consumer companies are staying private for longer – by choice or necessity – limiting opportunities for early investors to realise returns.  In the UK alone, only nine new companies listed in H1 2025, raising £182.8 million – a 64% year-on-year drop.

Crowdcube, Europe’s largest private market investment platform, has responded with the launch of the Crowdcube Growth Series – an initiative designed to help later-stage private businesses unlock liquidity – whether by raising new capital, rewarding early investors through secondaries, or combining both – while also building a loyal shareholder community drawn from their customers.

The Growth Series builds on Crowdcube’s 12-year track record as the platform of choice for early-stage companies some of whom have grown with Crowdcube’s support into some of Europe’s largest and highest profile private companies.

Matt Cooper, Co-CEO of Crowdcube: “Crowdcube has evolved significantly – expanding and maturing our product to meet the changing needs of the market. We’re seeing more demand from later-stage businesses to use supportive and innovative regulation to raise capital from their customers and a broad base of retail and HNW investors, both through primary capital raising and secondary share sales. For often profitable, late-stage companies that don’t need fresh primary capital, secondaries can deliver much-needed liquidity and refresh the shareholder base. They also give founders and employees a way to realise value from their equity ahead of an IPO or acquisition – something that was previously only accessible through institutional channels.”

The first transaction under the Crowdcube Growth Series label is an offer to buy shares in Bolt, the app that’s making cities for people, not cars. Launched in 2013, Europe’s first mobility super-app now operates in over 50 countries, serves 200+ million customers, works with 4.5 million drivers, and generated nearly €2 billion in revenue in 2024. From today, retail investors can purchase shares via Crowdcube. Crowdcube also facilitated a secondary share sale for Bolt in 2022, when over 1,500 investors invested nearly £700,000.

Secondary share sales have already grown rapidly on Crowdcube. Crowdcube has raised over £40m in secondary sales in the last 18 months as companies recognise the benefits, and retail investors embrace the chance to own a stake in late stage private companies. Thanks to its technology and regulatory permissions, Crowdcube can run large-scale liquidity events – even when thousands of sellers are involved – while minimising the time and resources required from management teams. Alternatively, it can work directly with sellers of shares with the appropriate permissions, with no involvement from the company.

“Retail investors aren’t just sources of capital – they’re brand advocates, product champions, and long-term supporters,” added Cooper. “For late-stage companies with large, loyal customer bases, bringing those customers onto the cap table isn’t just good PR – it’s a commercially smart move that builds a more engaged, diverse, and resilient shareholder community.”

Crowdcube has already helped some of Europe’s best-known consumer brands – including Monzo, Revolut, and Qonto – raise more than £1.5bn from retail investors. The 12-year-old platform has positioned itself as a lifetime transaction partner for private companies and the most trusted distributor of private market investments in the UK and EU, supporting them from seed stage through to IPO contenders like Moneybox and Chip.