Escape This
Equity Crowdfunding Case Study
September 2025, $1.39m raised
Escape This successfully raised $1.39 million from 329 investors through its equity crowdfunding campaign with OnMarket. The immersive entertainment company, known for its high-quality escape rooms and adventure experiences, attracted strong investor interest by combining creativity, proven traction, and a strong scalable business model.
The funds will be used to expand venues across Australia, develop new immersive experiences, and explore franchise and licensing opportunities.
About Escape This
Escape This is an innovative entertainment and experience company delivering fully immersive escape rooms and adventure-based attractions. With a focus on high-quality storytelling, cutting-edge design, and community engagement, Escape This has positioned itself as one of Australia’s most exciting players in the experiential leisure sector.
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It's mission is to redefine live entertainment by offering experiences that combine puzzles, theatre, and interactive gameplay, appealing to families, corporate groups, and adventure seekers alike. With strong traction in their existing venues, Escape This is now building a national and international expansion strategy.
"CSF is an intimate partnership. You need good chemistry. We felt that with the OnMarket team."
- Bernie Janes - Founder & CEO
About the Raise
Escape This successfully completed its Crowd-Sourced Funding (CSF) raise via OnMarket, securing $1.39 million from 329 investors.
This was one of OnMarket's largest raises in the entertainment sector, demonstrating strong investor appetite for unique, experience-led businesses.
The raise highlighted the value of community-driven investment, where customers and fans became not only participants but also shareholders in the company’s growth journey.
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Investor demand reflected:
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Excitement around the entertainment & leisure rebound post-COVID, with consumers prioritising experiences.
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Confidence in Escape This’s proven business model and strong economic return.
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Belief in scalability, with multiple new venues in planning and opportunities for franchising/licensing.
Media Features During the Campaign
Why Did Escape This Choose to Raise Funds via Equity Crowdfunding?
​Escape This turned to equity crowdfunding because it aligned with both growth needs and the community-focused ethos:​
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Turning fans into owners: Many of Escape This’s most loyal customers are now also investors.
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Capital for expansion: Funding provides the resources needed to launch new venues and explore franchise/licensing opportunities.​
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Market validation: The success of the raise confirmed that both investors and customers believe in Escape This’s growth potential.​​
The Campaign Journey
​​​​​1. Preparation
Escape This worked closely with OnMarket to refine its investor proposition, presenting a clear growth story focused on venue expansion, revenue scalability, and entertainment market demand.
2. Early Momentum
Securing pre-commitments from cornerstone investors helped the raise achieve strong early traction, with the minimum quickly surpassed.
3. Public Campaign
Through sustained marketing, media outreach, and engagement with a large investor community, the campaign attracted strong nationwide interest. The unique proposition of “owning part of an escape room business” resonated widely, driving participation from both retail and sophisticated investors.
4. Closing
The raise successfully closed at $1.39 million from 329 investors, welcoming hundreds of new shareholders onto the register and cementing Escape This as a community-backed entertainment brand.
Why were you raising capital, and why choose CSF over other funding sources?
We wanted to fund an ambitious expansion in our technology, team, and capacity. The choice was between continuing to grow organically or injecting capital to scale quickly. CSF suited us because it has a defined start, close, and settlement timeline. With Venture Capital and Private Equity, conversations can drag on without certainty, which makes planning hard. With CSF, we could align the production of our escape rooms with clear dates.
Why did you choose OnMarket over other CSF platforms?
I contacted other crowdfunding platforms, but OnMarket was proactive and responsive. CSF is an intimate partnership, you need good chemistry. We felt that with the OnMarket team.
You worked with Social Startup Labs on digital marketing. How important was that?
Incredibly. Two reasons: (1) Their specialist crowdfunding and marketing expertise, and (2) the huge time commitment. Outsourcing the intensive campaign execution freed me up a whole heap of time. It was also fun to work with them.
How important is storytelling in equity crowdfunding?
Critical. Our business brings stories to life, so this is second nature. Investors need a beginning, middle, and believable future. People invest in people, meaning our story gives background to why they should invest.
How did the time and energy commitments compare to your expectations?
Whatever you expect, double or triple it. Preparation makes the live period easier, but it’s still intense, your mind runs overtime and sleep takes a hit. Worth it, though.
You were very proactive with calls during the campaign. How valuable was that?
Hugely valuable. I made a lot of calls, and investors appreciated direct outreach to answer questions or add colour beyond the docs. Not everyone invests, but many more do with that extra touch. It’s energy-intensive, but impactful.
Beyond capital, were there any other benefits to crowdfunding?
More than expected. We’ve seen increased bookings, higher profile, and new partnership opportunities. The halo effect continues post-raise, plus so many interesting conversations.
Do you have any advice for someone looking into crowdfunding?
Go all in. It’s a marathon and a sprint all at once. Clear your calendar and commit fully.
What would you do differently next time?
Even more investor calls. We were well-prepared across PR and digital, but calls were so valuable, I’d find time to do more. If I could clone myself, I would.
How will you communicate with your new shareholders?
we’re working through investor rewards and have a dedicated investor email for questions. Things have moved quickly, but we are aiming to send full quarterly updates, plus interim notes on major milestones.
How did OnMarket help?
The preparation phase was the biggest value. Clear deadlines, weekly check-ins, and accountability. That cadence kept us on track for the IM, video, and everything else, and made the process feel easier than expected.
Finally, is there any advice to founders looking to raise capital through Crowdfunding?
Start early. Don’t wait until cash is low. Prepare your team to operate with less access to you, the raise will consume you. And yes, drink more coffee.