Applying as an investor
Snikus's Investor badge is a real trust signal, not a checkbox — every application is reviewed by a person, and founders need to know they're actually talking to a real investor when someone with that badge engages with their startup.
How to apply
Go to Apply as Investor from your account menu. You'll choose one of two applicant types, and the form changes slightly depending on which you pick:
- Individual investor — you'll need a LinkedIn (or public professional profile) URL, plus a separate public link that independently corroborates your investing activity: a Crunchbase or AngelList profile, a portfolio company's "backed by" page, or a press mention. A LinkedIn URL alone isn't enough, since anyone can write anything on their own profile — the second link has to be independently checkable.
- Firm / fund representative — you'll enter your firm's name and verify a work email at your firm's own domain (not Gmail/Yahoo/Outlook) with a 6-digit code sent to that address. This is what actually proves the firm claim.
Either way, you'll also list a few companies or areas you've backed (or your focus area if you're just starting out), and can optionally add your typical check size.
The Investor Guidelines
Before submitting, you'll read and agree to a short set of guidelines covering the basics: be genuinely yourself (no borrowed identities or fabricated portfolios), expect a real manual review that may take time, use the badge to actually evaluate startups rather than to spam or scrape contacts, keep feedback constructive even when critical, and know that any fabricated proof found later gets your Investor status revoked immediately.
What happens after you submit
Your account works exactly like any personal profile while the application is pending — nothing is restricted, you just don't have the badge yet. You'll be notified the moment a decision is made. If rejected, you're welcome to reapply once you can address whatever was missing; the rejection reason is shown on your application status.
The Watchlist
Once approved, a Watchlist becomes available — a dedicated page listing every startup you follow, sorted by their live ranking score. Adding a startup to it is simple: just follow it from its own startup page, the same follow button any user has access to. There's no separate "add to watchlist" action — following a startup as an approved investor is what puts it there.
The Watchlist is meant to be your working list of startups you're actively tracking, not a one-time bookmark — since it's sorted by score, it also doubles as a quick read on which of the startups you're watching is currently performing best.
Frequently asked
Can I browse startups before being approved as an investor?
Yes — Explore and Rankings are open to every account regardless of investor status. The Investor badge and Watchlist are what require approval, not basic browsing.
How long does review take?
There's no fixed turnaround time since every application gets a real manual look, not an automated approval — you'll be notified as soon as a decision is made either way.