When will I get my investment back?

The Common Stock (the "Shares") of [private issuer name] (the "Company") are not publicly-traded. As a result, the shares cannot be easily traded or sold. As an investor in a private company, you typically look to receive a return on your investment under the following  scenarios: The Company gets acquired by another company. The Company goes public (makes an initial public offering). In those instances, you receive your pro-rata share of the distributions that occur, in the case of acquisition, or you can sell your shares on an exchange. These are both considered long-term exits, taking approximately 5-10 years (and often longer) to see the possibility for an exit.  It can sometimes take years to build companies. Sometimes there will not be any return, as a result of business failure.