In practice, the publisher said it would have to review all comments and discussion forums to make sure that this is not happening.

BBC: Apple Macs in store

While he's spoken with some of the entrepreneurs whose startups he funded through those platforms, he says he opted to invest in them mostly based on information he found online, including founders' portfolio websites and social-media profiles, coverage of their companies by tech blogs, and comments about their products within the funding sites' discussion forums.

WSJ: Site Unseen: More Angel Investors Look for Startups Via Internet