SharesPost helps you buy shares in the most promising private companies. SharesPost aggregates sellers and organizes their posts into separate bulletin boards for each company. Buyers, with or without the help of a broker or financial advisor, can also post contracts anonymously to purchase shares on their own terms. The SharesPost system provides you with the information, tools, forms, assistance and process to quickly and painlessly acquire shares.

How do I get started?

Do It Yourself: Review the sellers’ posts. If any are acceptable, just click “Agree to Buy” and follow the step-by-step instructions that end with the opening of escrow. You can also click “Post to Buy” and name your own terms. All posts are anonymous. Once your post goes live on the bulletin board, SharesPost notifies all known potential sellers of the company’s stock.

Have the Company Specialist Do It For You: For each of our key companies, we have teamed up with a broker specializing in valuing the company and brokering transactions in its stock. Generally these brokers will have already closed multiple purchases of the company’s shares, have strong relationships with the community of potential sellers and frequently are shareholders themselves. To connect with a Company Specialist, click “Contact” under the Company Specialist’s picture on the company’s bulletin board page.

What does it cost?

Posting to buy on SharesPost or agreeing to other members’ posts on your own is free (although the seller is charged a sales commission). If you elect to have a Company Specialist manage a transaction for you, the Specialist will discuss a sales commission with you that will vary depending on the specifics of your intended purchase. U.S. Bank is available to process any right of first refusal, work with the company to transfer the shares and generally act as the escrow agent. U.S. Bank charges a flat fee of $1,500 to each of buyer and seller.