Broker Channel: Introductions and Commissions
For introducers: put a startup in front of an investor, track what happens to it, and raise a commission when it turns into a deal. The platform records the arrangement - it does not move the money.
What you will learn
- Who the broker channel is for
- Recording an introduction and moving it along
- When a commission can be raised, and who approves it
- Flat versus percentage
- What the platform does and does not do with money
Who this is for#
Parties registered with the Broker investor type. A broker does not run a pipeline or hold a portfolio - their work is putting companies in front of the people who do, and being paid for it.
Good to know
A Broker's other sidebar items are padlocked, and that is the type working as intended rather than a fault. Deals, deal rooms and portfolio belong to investors.
Recording an introduction#
- 1
Identify the investor
You need the investor's party id, which they give you. Press Check - it resolves to their name so you can be sure.
Tip: There is no investor directory to browse, so ask for the id up front when you agree to make an introduction.
- 2
Name the startup
If the company is not on the platform, type its name as free text. It does not need an account for you to record the introduction.
- 3
Say why it is a fit
The notes are what the investor reads. An introduction with no context is easy to ignore, and a commission is harder to argue for later.
Moving an introduction along#
Each introduction has a status, and you move it as reality changes. Only the moves that make sense from the current status are offered.
| Status | Meaning | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced | You have made the introduction. | Engaged, Withdrawn or Expired |
| Engaged | The investor is actually talking to them. | Deal sourced or Withdrawn |
| Deal sourced | It became a deal. Commission can now be raised. | Deal closed or Withdrawn |
| Deal closed | The investment completed. | - |
| Withdrawn | Called off. | - |
| Expired | Went nowhere. | - |
Tip
Keep the status current even when the news is bad. Expired introductions are what let you tell your conversion rate from your hit rate.
Commissions#
A commission can only be raised once an introduction reaches Deal sourced or Deal closed - there is nothing to be paid for before that.
- 1
Raise it against the introduction
Flat is a fixed sum; Percentage is computed against the deal.
- 2
Wait for the investor to approve
It sits as Pending, and the card says it is waiting on them. Approval is theirs, not yours.
- 3
Record the payment when it arrives
Mark paid, with a payout reference - a UTR, an NEFT number, or your own internal reference.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Raised, waiting on the investor. |
| Approved | The investor has agreed to it. |
| Paid | Payment recorded, with a reference. |
| Disputed | One side has raised a problem. |
| Cancelled | Withdrawn. |
The platform does not move money
Marking a commission paid records a payment you have already made or received elsewhere. Nothing is transferred here. The reference field exists so the record can be reconciled against your bank.
Careful
The approval step currently has no dedicated screen on the investor's side. If a commission is sitting Pending, talk to the investor directly rather than assuming they have seen it.
Disputes#
Either side can dispute a commission. It moves to Disputed and stays there until somebody resolves it - the platform holds the record of the disagreement rather than adjudicating it.
- Dispute when the amount or the entitlement is contested.
- Resolve when you have agreed offline what the answer is.
- Cancel when the commission should not have been raised at all.
Common questions#
Because you are a Broker. Those belong to investors. Your channel is introductions and commissions.
Ask them for it. There is no directory to search, which is a real gap - agree the id when you agree the introduction.
Fine. Tick that it is not, and type the name. The introduction is still recorded.
Yes, from Deal sourced. Whether the investor approves it at that point is between you and them.
Unlimited. Brokers have no monthly cap - the limit exists for investors running a pipeline.
