Kingscrowd

This week on Inside Startup Investing, Chris Lustrino speaks with Hill Road Pictures' Frank Peluso and Bob Vanech about So I'm the Crazy One, an upcoming R-rated comedy built around a creator-driven approach to film financing.

The conversation covers Frank's Hollywood background, Bob's experience in digital media and equity crowdfunding, why creator audiences may help independent films reach market, and how Hill Road is thinking about giving creators and investors a direct stake in the project.

Listen here: https://buff.ly/2158rDD

Hill Road Pictures on the Future of Creator-Driven Film Investing Hill Road Pictures’ Frank Peluso and Bob Vanech discuss So I’m the Crazy One, creator-driven film finance, equity crowdfunding, R-rated comedy, and movie investing.

The most successful crowdfunding platforms are not always the biggest ones.

In this week’s Chart of the Week, Kingscrowd looked at Reg CF and Reg A+ offerings that closed between January 2025 and June 2026 to see which platforms generated the strongest investor demand.

The takeaway: platforms tend to win through either scale or specialization.

Large platforms like StartEngine and DealMaker benefit from big investor networks and strong fundraising engines. Smaller platforms can also perform well when they know exactly who their investors are and bring them opportunities they understand, from real estate and hotels to energy, commodities, film, and local businesses.

Crowdfunding often rewards familiarity. Platform choice matters because it helps define the investor audience a company is trying to reach.

Read the full Chart of the Week by Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau: https://buff.ly/8Z8R3MU

The Most Successful Crowdfunding Platforms Aren't Always the Biggest Ones Kingscrowd analyzes Reg CF and Reg A+ platform performance from January 2025 to June 2026, showing how scale and specialization both drive investor demand.

The biggest crowdfunding platforms are not always the most successful by every measure.

This week’s Kingscrowd newsletter looks at Reg CF and Reg A+ offerings that closed between January 2025 and June 2026 to see which platforms generated the strongest investor demand.

The data points to two winning models:

• Scale: large platforms with broad investor networks
• Specialization: smaller platforms focused on sectors investors already understand

For founders, the platform you choose shapes the investor audience you reach. For investors, platform fit can be part of the diligence process.

Also inside:
🎙️ Harmony Baby Nutrition on the Kingscrowd Podcast
💸 Synergy Global Foods pitch review
🌶️ Eliaz Therapeutics and Musaffa staff picks
📅 Demo Day Q3 2026 pre-registration

Read the full issue: https://newsletter.kingscrowd.com/p/the-most-successful-crowdfunding-platforms-aren-t-always-the-biggest-ones