Can I Post on LinkedIn or Instagram That I'm Raising Money?

It depends on which exemption you are using. Under Rule 506(b), which most friends-and-family and angel rounds use, no: a public post that mentions the offering is general solicitation and can cost you the exemption. Under Rule 506(c) you can post, as long as every investor is a verified accredited investor. Under Regulation Crowdfunding you can post only within strict limits that point people to your funding portal. In every case you can keep posting ordinary news about your business, as long as it does not mention or promote the investment opportunity.

By Joel Arberman, founder of Prepared to Raise · 17 companies taken public, 30+ private placements prepared · Reviewed October 21, 2026

Why this matters

Founders are used to announcing everything. A capital raise is the exception. Securities law treats any communication that offers or promotes your securities to people you do not have a relationship with as "general solicitation." Under Rule 506(b) that is prohibited, and a single public post can knock the whole offering out of the exemption, leaving you with an unregistered offering and investors who may be entitled to their money back.

What you can and cannot post, by exemption

  • Rule 506(b). No posts, ads, mass emails, public webinars or open-event pitches that mention the raise. You can talk about it one to one with people you already know well enough to judge their financial situation. Telling your network "we're raising, DM me" is solicitation.
  • Rule 506(c). Posts and ads are allowed. Everything you say must be accurate and consistent with your offering documents, and only verified accredited investors can invest. Many companies add a short legend: for accredited investors only, offered under Rule 506(c).
  • Regulation Crowdfunding. Before you file Form C you can test the waters with required legends but take no money. Once live, posts that mention the terms must be limited to brief factual notices that direct people to your funding portal page.
  • Regulation A+. Testing the waters is allowed with legends; the offering itself can be marketed broadly once qualified.

What you can always post

Ordinary business news: a product launch, a new location, a customer win, a hire, a press article. Keep it factual and do not mention that you are raising, the terms, or that people should get in touch to invest. If a post is designed to attract investors rather than customers, treat it as solicitation.

Gray areas founders ask about

  • A LinkedIn post that says "we're fundraising" with no terms. Risky under 506(b). Regulators look at whether the communication is designed to condition the market for the offering, not only whether terms appear.
  • A podcast or press interview. Talking about the business is fine. Saying you are raising and inviting listeners to reach out is solicitation.
  • A demo day or pitch event. SEC rules allow limited communications at certain events sponsored by universities, angel groups, incubators and accelerators without it being general solicitation, if you stick to basic information about the raise. Open public events do not qualify.
  • An email to your customer list. Under 506(b), only to people you have a substantive relationship with, one to one. A mass email to a list is solicitation.
  • Building relationships first. Meeting someone, getting to know their financial situation and sophistication, and later discussing the investment can create a pre-existing relationship. Doing it the same week usually does not.

What if I already posted?

Stop and talk to securities counsel before taking any more money. Options often include switching to 506(c), which means only verified accredited investors can participate, or waiting and restructuring. Do not delete the post and carry on as if it did not happen.

Related questions

Can I post in a private Facebook group?

Under 506(b), a group of people you do not have relationships with is still general solicitation, private or not.

Can I put the deck on my website?

Only behind a gate, under 506(c), with accreditation checks. Under 506(b), share materials one to one.

Can an employee or friend post for me?

Anything posted on the company's behalf counts as the company's communication.

Where to start

Choosing the exemption first decides what you are allowed to say. Read 506(b) vs 506(c) for an operating business, or which exemption fits your raise. A Readiness Assessment ($1,500, credited within 60 days) settles it for your situation.

Prepared to Raise is a service of Meraki Partners, LLC. This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice, and not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security. Meraki Partners is not a broker-dealer, funding portal, investment adviser or law firm.