Leader
33Heralded Score, range 4–48
The most visible startup investment platforms, October 2026
Most cited source
3citations
From Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews
Where engines disagree most
1/4engines put it in their top three
Top three on Gemini, not on Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT
Brands
| Rank | Brand | Rank change | Heralded Score All | AI | Search | Score trend | Mentioned | Recommended | By engine | Mentioned by | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | New entry | 33 , range 4–48 | 10#1 | 71#1 | 33
| 17% | 2% | None | First reading | |
| 2 | | New entry | 4 , range 1–39 | 4#2 | 3#10 | 4
| 5% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| 3 | | New entry | 3 , range 1–29 | 4#3 | 1#13 | 3
| 4% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 0= #14 | –
| 1% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 7#6 | –
| 2% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 4#8 | –
| 2% | 1% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 14#5 | –
| 3% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 0= #14 | –
| 0% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 44#2 | –
| 4% | 2% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 0= #14 | –
| 0% | 0% | None | First reading |
“=” marks brands whose score ranges overlap, so the test cannot separate them. Every brand named in at least three answers is ranked. AI and Search give each brand’s score and rank on that side alone. By engine has one dot per engine (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode), darker the more often it names the brand.
Most cited sources
| Rank | Source | Type | Cited in | Engines | Pages cited | Brands its pages mention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Media | 5.0% | 2 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 2 | | Media | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 3 | | Media | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 4 | | Media | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 5 | | Media | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 6 | | Media | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 7 | | Media | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 8 | | Media | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 9 | | Media | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
| 10 | | Media | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
Questions asked
| Question | Language | Most recommended |
|---|---|---|
| What are the best platforms to invest in startups online? | English | |
| Startup investing for individual investors | English | No brand recommended |
| How can a startup raise funding from many investors online? | English | No brand recommended |
| How do I invest small amounts in early-stage startups? | English | No brand recommended |
| Equity crowdfunding vs. angel investing for individual investors | English | No brand recommended |
| Equity crowdfunding vs. venture capital for startup fundraising | English | No brand recommended |
| Alternatives to venture capital for raising a seed round | English | No brand recommended |
| Alternatives to angel networks for investing in startups | English | |
| I'm a founder raising a seed round. Which platform can help me reach investors? | English | No brand recommended |
| I'm an individual investor and want to build a portfolio of startup stakes. | English | No brand recommended |
Each engine's top three
Related leaderboards
Method
Each leaderboard ranks brands on two sides. AI is how ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and Google AI Mode answer the board's buyer questions. Search is Google's top 10 results for the keywords behind those questions. All combines the two, where Search is measured.
For the AI side, each month Heralded asks every engine the same buyer questions, twice each, and reads every answer. An answer counts 0 for a brand it leaves out, 50 for a brand it names and 100 for a brand it recommends, and the Heralded Score is built from those. A brand named in at least three answers gets a score and a place.