Crowdfunding

Apr 28 2021

KingsCrowd, a Ratings and Analytics Firm for Private Securities Market, Releases New Regulation CF Report

KingsCrowd, the online private market’s data-driven ratings and analytics platform, announced on Tuesday (April 27, 2021) the publication and availability of the KingsCrowd Regulation Crowdfunding 2018-2020 Intelligence Report.

The KingsCrowd Regulation Crowdfunding 2018-2020 Intelligence Report reportedly covers more than 150 Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) market statistics, key insights, and analytics. These items are presented in an “easy-to-read” visual format. Readers get an extensive overview of the Reg CF market as of last year, along with a preview of what is set to be a “record-shattering” 2021, according to a release.

In 2020, startups secured over $210 million via equity crowdfunding. This total represents year-over-year growth of about 110% from 2019’s total funding and notably marks the fourth year early-stage firms have been able to acquire investment capital from the public under the JOBS Act’s Regulation Crowdfunding rules.

KingsCrowd Founder and CEO Chris Lustrino, stated:

“The release of this first edition of our Regulation Crowdfunding Intelligence Report couldn’t come at a better time. On March 15, the U.S. Securities and Exchange increased the maximum raise amount under Regulation Crowdfunding rules from $1.07 million to $5 million. This marks a watershed moment for our industry and makes Regulation Crowdfunding a viable alternative to traditional venture capital and. KingsCrowd’s Regulation Crowdfunding 2018-2020 Intelligence Report was written for anyone interested in the Reg CF market and looking to update themselves on this fast-growing space quickly.”

A few takeaways from the report:

For the year 2020, “more than $210 million was invested in Reg CF raise campaigns.”
The average valuation of companies raising funds in 2020 “was $11.35 million, a 24% increase from 2018’s average valuation and up slightly from 2019’s $11.19 million figure.”
Second half 2020 data “shows 291 out of 964 start-up companies raised capital exhibited mixed-gender founding teams while 27% of all entities that raised funds through Reg CF included minority founders.”

KingsCrowd says that it’s at the “intersection between early-stage companies seeking growth capital and startup investors.” By offering “institutional-grade” data and analysis that stakeholders can “trust,” KingsCrowd allows anyone to “invest like a venture capitalist.”

KingsCrowd’s Merlin™ Ratings Platform analyzes over 150 data points to offer key insights, analytics, and ratings “to help investors navigate the startup investing market and vet the best deals worth adding to their investment portfolio.”

In late January 2021, Wefunder, a leading securities crowdfunding platform, highlighted Q4 performance in the Reg CF crowdfunding sector. According to the numbers generated by Kingscrowd, Wefunder dominated this sector of online capital formation.

Now crowdfunding encompasses other exemptions, including Reg A+ and Reg D (506c). Each of these exemptions is unique in its own way (Reg D is only available for accredited investors, for example), and many platforms offer securities under all three exemptions, including Wefunder but the bulk of the platform’s securities offerings are from issuers raising capital under Reg CF.

The numbers show Wefunder topping its nearest competitor under Reg CF by almost $10 million:

Wefunder – $29 million
StartEngine – $19.8 million
Republic – $9.9 million
All others – $12.6 million

As covered in March 2020, KingsCrowd closed on a $1 million crowdfunding round on the NetCapital marketplace. NetCapital lists private securities under both Reg CF and Reg D. The KingsCrowd offering leveraged both exemptions in a side-by-side offering. KingsCrowd said it raised $902,952 under Reg CF and $97,048.80 under Reg D 506 (c). 555,556 units were sold. Kingscrowd is a ValueSetters, Inc. (OTC:VSTR) portfolio company.

You may download a copy of the KingsCrowd’s Regulation Crowdfunding 2018-2020 Intelligence Report here.

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Apr 22 2021

A Day in the Life of Entrepreneur Mariana Feged, Founder and CEO of L’Autre Sac

Running your own business is no easy feat. It takes a healthy dose of passion, discipline, and commitment. Ever wondered what a day in the life of a small business owner and founder is like? We’re here to give you a glimpse!

This week in honor of Earth Day, we’re shining the spotlight on Barcelona-based entrepreneur Mariana Feged, founder and CEO of emerging sustainable fashion brand, L’Autre Sac. Recently, she launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring her vision of the ROSA Bag to life. This stylish, versatile bag may feel and look like leather, but each vegan bag is actually made of salvaged, recycled car glass that would’ve otherwise ended up in a landfill. If shrinking your carbon footprint is just as important to you as having a timeless go-to accessory that will last a lifetime, then the ROSA Bag is a must-have staple to add to your wardrobe.

Read on to see how she spends her day as she juggles, leading the team at L’Autre Sac, running her current crowdfunding campaign, and being a mom. Then scroll down for a brief Q&A to get to know her better and get inspired!

5 A.M. In deep sleep.

6 A.M. Thinking about falling out of deep sleep.

7 A.M. My watch lets me know it’s time to wake up. I toss in bed an extra 5 minutes. Then, I jump out of bed, get breakfast ready for my 8 and 5 year old kids. I go get them out of bed, and get them ready for school.

8 A.M. My husband leaves with my kids. I pour myself my first coffee of the day. I have to confess coffee is one of my weak points. I just love the smell, the taste, and the caffeine! Recently, I have begun to take a blend of coffee with mushrooms, which has a lighter effect, but still helps me wake up.

9 A.M. After an energizing shower, I sit down in my home office, and go through my priorities for the day.

10 A.M. I touch base with our logistics team. I make sure all e-commerce orders are on their way, and try to solve any issues we may have. Customer service is very important to us, so I stay on top of these issues, and try to communicate personally with our customers whenever there is an issue.

11 A.M. I am hungry, and wondering how to have a healthy breakfast without pausing work for too long. I normally go for something quick and have it on my desk while I enjoy my second coffee of the day.

12 P.M. My days are normally packed with calls and iteration with my business partner Mila, our marketing manager Ella, the people from our workshop in Spain, and our other suppliers.

1 P.M. At this point of the day, my planning for the day has probably been interrupted several times. I am most likely holding three different conversations at the same time on various digital tools.

2 P.M. I realize I haven’t had lunch, and I grab a quick bite.

3 P.M. I juggle between product, marketing, and technical issues related to our e-commerce; plus, all other aspects of managing a business with a very lean team.

5 P.M. I go pick up my kids at their school bus stop. We come back home and chat for a bit, while they have a snack and tell me about their day.

6 P.M. I prepare dinner. Then, I spend some heartwarming quality time with my little ones, most likely painting superheroes and unicorns.

7 P.M. We all have dinner together.

8 P.M. The kids go to bed, and I am back to work for a couple of hours. I will finish unanswered emails and open conversations, especially with suppliers and clients from the U.S. and Canada, and other time zones.

11 P.M. I call my mother who lives in Colombia. Then I do some stretching for my back and neck. I meditate for a bit with a super cool new app called FitMind. This really helps my mental sanity!

Now that you’ve gotten a glimpse of what her day is like, get more inspiration in our exclusive Q&A with her below!

INDIEGOGO: How did you become an entrepreneur?

MARIANA FEGED: I come from a family of entrepreneurs, and grew up surrounded by people with an entrepreneurial spirit. However, I spent 15 years employed in a multinational, and as I progressed in the corporate world, I felt that the next step in my career should be to build my own business. I was ready for the challenge and was eager to put all my experience and skills to work in a project of my own!

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INDIEGOGO: What makes your Indiegogo project unique?

MARIANA: This is the first time that recycled car glass is used in fashion. Although this material has been used in carpets and other items, our campaign is the first time that this unique material comes to life in a fashion accessory. It is pretty groundbreaking for the world of vegan bags! It’s a real, sustainable alternative to animal leather.

INDIEGOGO: What’s your biggest piece of advice for women who want to start their own business?

MARIANA: It has never been easier to create a business. There are endless tools on hand and the barriers to entry are low. However, it has never been more difficult to stand out and compete, precisely because those barriers are so low. I would advise women entrepreneurs to make sure they have a solid product, a powerful story, a healthy marketing budget, and a lot of patience.

INDIEGOGO: What tools would you recommend to anyone starting their own business, crowdfunding campaign, or project?

MARIANA: As a business owner, the book, “Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine” was very relevant and insightful for me. I would recommend it to any entrepreneur! On a personal level, as I mentioned above, I have found a method for meditating that has helped me a lot to stay focused. The app is called FitMind, and it’s different from all the other apps out there because it is very hands-on and practical. I love it!

INDIEGOGO: What’s your favorite Indiegogo campaign, or a sustainable campaign you’ve recently supported?

MARIANA: There’s a campaign called Soapbottle, which I find pretty amazing. They are soap products that come in bottles made from soap. So they’re totally biodegradable. I think this is an amazing concept, and very useful for our planet!

To support ROSA, check out their Indiegogo campaign page.

To learn more about L’Autre Sac, follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

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Apr 16 2021

Apply Now: Indiegogo Fellowship Program 2021

The Indiegogo Fellowship Program provides entrepreneurs and creators from marginalized and underrepresented groups in the tech and innovation community (i.e. BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs and creators) who have limited resources and support with a 8-week educational program to guide them in running a successful crowdfunding campaign from end to end.

With a series of guided, exclusive coursework, program participants will get mentorship from established crowdfunding professionals, additional office hours with a core member of the Indiegogo team, and be able to connect with a vibrant business community.

We will handpick up to 6 campaigners for this program.

Apply here!

Application deadline: June 21, 2021

Fellows Will Learn:

Pre-launch email + ad strategy
Social media strategy
Branding and positioning your Indiegogo campaign page
Perk and campaign strategy
Post-launch strategy
Shipping and fulfillment strategy

Indiegogo will also provide a virtual environment where participants can access and share resources with each other, get feedback from peers in the program and industry professionals, connect with a new community network, and more.

Evaluation Criteria:

Applicants must be at least 18 years old
Applicants must be available between these dates to take part in the program: mid-July to end of August 2021

Project/Campaign Criteria:

Application Criteria:

Application must clearly articulate why they would be a good fit for this program and how they would benefit from a program like this
Application must demonstrate a clear business plan with goal to launch a crowdfunding campaign, including articulating the product, its current product stage, and provide supporting materials, i.e. pitch deck, photos, and videos
Application must answer all questions on the application form

Review Process:

The Indiegogo team will evaluate applications at its sole discretion. The team to decide is comprised of sales, strategy, and marketing team members, and qualified crowdfunding partners. Participants will be contacted via emails, and announced on the Indiegogo blog and social media.

MEET LAST YEAR’S INAUGURAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM COHORTS

Get inspired with our inaugural Fellowship Program Batch 2020! Get to know them as they share their thoughts on what their experience was like. Could you be next?

Suzan Hernandez, MamaP

MamaP made a splash by developing a line of eco-conscious bamboo toothbrushes, with each particular toothbrush supporting a different cause. Now MamaP is raising funds to develop cleaning brushes with fully compostable heads that can be returned to the earth when used up.

“I’m honored to be part of the inaugural Indiegogo Fellowship Program. The new home care products launching on Indiegogo have always been on my mind – but COVID-19 helped accelerate these plans. The pandemic has brought plastic back into the cleaning ritual and I saw this as an opportunity to solve for the health of the planet and its people with these new products. Having the support and resources from Indiegogo to learn and build the campaign alongside the fellowship program is such an invaluable experience and opportunity. Thank you!” — Suzan Hernandez

Allison Toombs, LASTS

LASTS‘ technology makes any shoe chic and comfortable. Their first shoe, the Last Boot, is an ankle boot crafted from hundreds of real women’s feedback and thousands of data points on fit and construction.

“It was an honor to have my company selected as a participant in the first-ever Indiegogo Fellowship. A crowdfunding campaign is the perfect vehicle to launch my brand’s first product and I plan to use all of the highly tactical strategies I learned in the Fellowship to supercharge my campaign! Also, since crowdfunding is traditionally male-dominated, it’s great to part of a cohort of superstar female campaigners.” — Allison Toombs

Pierina Gandarillas Solari, Pachá PeruvianArt

Pachá Peruvian Art is connecting Peruvian artists to crafters with monthly art boxes. Peru has been deeply impacted by the halt in tourism during the pandemic. With sixteen traditional Peruvian crafts, every box of art helps a Peruvian family that depends on crafts for living. They’ve already sold 300 boxes and want to grow and expand the business.

“For me, this fellowship is a challenge but I’m excited and committed to overcome it. I’m very very excited to learn and be able to help my Peruvian artisans. Due to the pandemic, Perú has been massively affected by the lack of tourism and with it, the artisans as well. Im confident that I (we) can do more than we are doing now.” — Pierina Gandarillas Solari

Kiyeon Nam, B’zT

B’zT is an award-winning location-based, proximity Bluetooth sensor-embedded smart clothing. The B’zT Smart clothing is the world’s first machine washable tracking apparel designed to prevent missing children and adults.

“The program was awesome. There was no frustrating moment during the Fellowship. I feel much more confident that I can do an Indiegogo campaign after this program.” — Kiyeon Nam

Emily Wu, Thingamagic

Thingamagic is the Instant Pot accessory that lets you cook and steam at the same time. Existing Instant Pot accessories ask you to choose between steaming and cooking. Emily’s Thingamagic allows you to elevate your Instant Pot and make it even more efficient so you don’t have to buy yet another smart cooking device.

“I’ve always wanted to start a crowdfunding campaign for my new gadget ideas but I always felt somewhat intimidated and clueless about how to properly do it. Luckily, I discovered this program by chance when I was browsing on Indiegogo. I am super thrilled to be selected and excited to learn all the tips and tricks for running a campaign!” — Emily Wu

Rana Burr, Mamafrog

MamaFrog is the subscription box that grows with your baby. Mamafrog is curating responsibly sourced baby products designed for every stage of a baby’s development. Each box includes: Something to read, something to wear, something to play with, something to use, and a surprise for mom!

“I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of the first ever cohort of the Indiegogo Fellowship. This is an outstanding opportunity not only to learn directly from the Indiegogo team, but also to get to know other amazing women and to support them in their businesses. I am looking forward to a collaborative learning and growing effort towards building the Indiegogo launch for the Mamafrog Baby Subscription Box!” — Rana Burr

Want to be part of the 2021 Indiegogo Fellowship Program? Apply here!

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Apr 09 2021

Crowdfunding Platform For Alternative Investments Supervest Now Seeking Funds Through SeedInvest Round

Supervest, a U.S. crowdfunding platform specifically for alternative investments, is now seeking funds through its crowdfunding campaign on SeedInvest. The company describes itself as a technology platform created to bridge the gap between brokers, syndicates, and funding companies.

“Supervest is an online, crowd-funding platform that allows accredited investors to tap into the high yield potential of Merchant Cash Advance (MCA). We connect our high-quality community of investors with our stable of funding partners in order to provide working capital to small businesses across the United States. The ability to invest, participate, or syndicate in this area has been traditionally reserved for the merchant cash advance companies and ‘insiders’ of these companies. We have leveraged our experience and knowledge of the industry with the power of our fully integrated platform to give our funding partners the ability to tap into a stream of capital to fund qualified merchants.”

Supervest further revealed that ots proprietary technology allows its investors to target the businesses, credit quality, and terms of the opportunities they wish to participate in.

“Additionally, our funding partners can tap into our data and use our artificial intelligence to help determine how to better price their deals.”

Supervest is offering securities under both Regulation D and Regulation CF through SI Securities, LLC (SI Securities). The company added:

“Investments made under both Regulation D and Regulation CF involve a high degree of risk and those investors who cannot afford to lose their entire investment should not invest. Furthermore, this profile may contain forward-looking statements and information relating to, among other things, the company, its business plan and strategy, and its industry.”

So far, Supervest has raised nearly $150,000 through its SeedInvest round, which is set to close at the end of April.

Have a crowdfunding offering you’d like to share? Submit an offering for consideration using our Submit a Tip form and we may share it on our site!

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Apr 09 2021

And the Award Goes To… Our 2021 Global Fast Track Entrepreneurs

This year marks the five-year anniversary of the Global Fast Track Program in China, and to commemorate the successes of our program members, we held the Indiegogo 2021 GOGO Innovation Summit & Awards in Shenzhen, where we heard from thought leaders in the field and handed out Innovation Awards to the top campaigns of the year. Here’s how the 2021 GOGO Innovation Summit unfolded.

Dramatic campaign successes in 2020

Over the past year, we’ve seen incredible successes coming out of China from our Global Fast Track Program entrepreneurs. China-based campaigners of all types have used Indiegogo, — China’s number one crowdfunding platform — to kick off their product journey and launch on the global stage.

Global Fast Track Program campaigns have raised over $300 million (2 billion RMB) since the program’s inception, and 40 companies have gone on to raise at least $1 million (6.5 million RMB) for their products. The program also saw 40% year-over-year growth in China in 2020, a formidable achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of Asia’s biggest brands have been behind these launches, introducing products, building communities, and getting feedback from backers in the global market. These brands include:

Midea, one of China’s largest home appliance companies, which launched their first crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo and raised over $1.5 million, opening their global market and a building global community
Huami Amazfit, a leading tech brand from the Xiaomi Ecosystem, which launched their first two crowdfunding products on Indiegogo in 2020 (here and here), successfully kicking off their new health and fitness product line
Segway-Ninebot, famous for their scooters, has launched several products on Indiegogo and successfully IPO’ed in 2020

The 2021 GOGO Innovation Summit

Representatives from Midea, Segway-Ninebot, Padmat, and CIGA discuss what it takes to bring high-quality and innovative products to an international audience.

The event was the first of its kind since the launch of the Global Fast Track Program in 2016 and included panelists and speaking opportunities from some of China’s leading voices in crowdfunding and cross-border product launches.

Jean Li, China Hardware Lead at Indiegogo, kicked things off, sharing success stories from entrepreneurs who have successfully gained support from backers and have built a global community by launching their products on Indiegogo.

The Indiegogo China Team is here to help China’s top innovative products launch in global markets.

E-commerce experts from Google, Amazon, and Tuya, also shared trends that have emerged during the pandemic in the realms of product development, customer behavior, and e-commerce opportunities. A second panel took the stage as well, where representatives from Midea, Segway-Ninebot, Padmat, and CIGA discussed what it takes to bring high-quality and innovative products to an international audience.

The summit wrapped up with a speech from Global OneClick, a top crowdfunding agency that specializes in the Chinese market, to share how crowdfunding can help build brands in the global market.

The 2021 Innovation Awards

This year’s recipients show off their 2021 Innovation Awards.

To honor outstanding campaigns in the China Fast Track Program over the last year, we also handed out our annual Innovation Awards. We evaluated all campaigns in the China Fast Track Program, and the following came out on top:

Best campaign of the year: Midea U-Shaped AC
- Midea is the top home appliance company in China. They launched their new U-Shaped AC unit on Indiegogo, raising over $1.5 million in just a few weeks. The Midea U-Shaped AC unique is a radically new type of window air conditioner. Unlike traditional units, the U-shaped design blocks noise and allows users to open and close their windows around the unit itself.

Best New Campaign: Bluetti AC200
- First-time crowdfunders Bluetti launched their AC200 solar power station on Indiegogo last year, and raised $6.7 million from backers all around the world. Bluetti’s mission to create a stable, clean, and quiet power set them apart from the competition.

Most Valuable Brand: GPD
- GPD has launched at least one product on Indiegogo every year since 2016, to date bringing over 10 campaigns to market. The company focuses on handheld game consoles and has built outstanding relationships with the Indiegogo backer community. Their most recent campaign, the GPD WIN3, raised over $3 million.

Community Favorite Award: Amazfit X
- We asked our community to pick their favorite campaign in the China Fast Track Program and Amazift X, the world’s first fully curved smart watch, is this year’s crowd pleaser!

Best Crowdfunding Service Award: Global OneClick
- Global OneClick has helped many campaigns in the China Fast Track Program achieve their crowdfunding goals. Many of the campaigns they’ve assisted went on to raise over $1 million, and for that, they receive the honor of the Best Crowdfunding Service Award.

Other awardees included:

Interested in learning more about the Global Fast Track Program? We’re here to help China’s top innovative products launch in global markets. Read more here to see if your project is the right fit.

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