Now that investors can put as little as $250 into startups, examining some of the most significant venture capital investments ever made is worthwhile. 

Investing in startups willy-nilly probably won't get you far. Thoroughly researching a startup — including its leadership and the market — before deciding which emerging companies to support is a different ballgame. That's how you can minimize the luck factor and potentially make the losses irrelevant in the long run. 

Another great way to do that is to spread out your investments. You only need one winner, so acquiring shares of multiple startups seems like the safest way to go. Adding them to your portfolio is as easy as booking a vacation rental. Through equity crowdfunding platforms, you can quickly gain exposure to companies that have decided to avoid venture capital (VC) firms. 

When Benchmark made its historic investment, you couldn't legally invest in a startup without a hedge fund, a venture capital firm or another type of institution. But today, you can do so with as little as $250. Here are three you can partially own by the end of the day: