Archive | March, 2017

Titan Note Earns more than $500k with Four Days to Go via Perks-Based Indiegogo Crowdfunding Campaign

31 Mar

Titan Note’s innovative technology promises to make pen and paper a thing of the past for taking notes in school and office environments

 By Robert Hoskins

Malmo, Sweden – Titan Note, the pocket-sized transcription device, has passed their most recent stretch goal of $500,000. Titan Note is a groundbreaking device that will forever change the way someone take notes. Since the beginning of time, people have taken notes by hand. Titan Note paves the way for the future and it is giant leap forward in a field that has not seen much progress. Titan Note uses cutting edge speech recognition that records audio by multiple microphones. It is equipped with advanced voice biometrics to identify who is speaking. It’s sleek and simple design is portable, water resistant, and now comes in a variety of colors.

Titan Note allows students around the world can now spend their time focusing in class, rather than taking notes that cause distraction

Titan Note allows students around the world can now spend their time focusing in class, rather than taking notes that cause distraction

“Titan Note is a device that millions of people will benefit from. Students around the world can now spend their time focusing in class, rather than taking notes that cause distraction,” Titan Note CEO Erik Jansson said. “We’re very proud to announce new features for Titan Note and continue to perfect the device.”

Titan Note transcribes in real-time, so there is minimal delay between recording and transcription. Titan Note’s application allows users to edit and add information as the transcription is rolling in. The word error rate for Titan Note is roughly the same as human transcription, so there is little need to go into the Titan Note application and edit. Titan Note can decipher between multiple speakers in a large lecture hall or office and is effective up to 70 feet. Titan Note is equipped with noise-canceling microphones combined with noise-canceling algorithms to filter out background noise and improve the accuracy.

On Indiegogo, Titan Note began with a goal of $35,000, which was quickly surpassed over only a couple of days. After fully funding, Titan Note announced a new goal of $150,000 then they were onto another goal of $250,000, which was rapidly reached. After that exciting jump, Titan Note was onto their next goal of $500,000. By reaching this stretch goal, the campaign has unlocked two new colors, genius green and success yellow.

Titan Note’s technology has incorporated extra features to make note-taking more fun. Titan Note is also endowed with a Bluetooth speaker that is able to play music through the Titan Note Application. The application will be available for free on Android and iOS. In addition, the device doubles as a power bank for any USB compatible charger. To ensure Titan Note is never left behind, it is equipped with an anti-lost system that will alert the user via the Titan Note app.

Titan Note created their first hardware prototype almost a year ago and are working hard to add more languages into the device’s translation capabilities. The team at Titan Note is thrilled to announce their new stretch goal of $1,000,000. They will be updating the device with new features and colors and will be introducing Savvy Silver and Focus Blue as two new color options. Two new features will include being able to upload old recordings to the app for transcription and getting timestamps to see how long each person has been talking.

Titan Note is currently being sold for $80 on Indiegogo. To learn more about Titan Note or to pre-order, visit bit.ly/TitanNoteIGG.

When Titan Note CEO, Erik Jansson, was in college and university, many complained that it was hard to listen and take notes at the same time. It was then he realized that there had to be a better way. It was then he got to work developing a more advanced and accurate method of taking notes. Jansson has a goal to save people time, headache and missed information with the introduction of Titan Note.

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Robert Hoskins, a seasoned Front Page PR veteran provides more than twenty-eight years of external communications, media relations, digital social media and SEO skills to Front Page PR’s crowdfunding PR and media relations service portfolio.
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR


Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.
On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.
Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.
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Crowdfund.Co Expands into Acquisition Financing with Crowdfunded Debt Offerings

30 Mar

Deal Capital Partners assists company and real estate owners in sourcing capital through Regulation D 506(c), Regulation D 506(b) and Regulation A+ offerings

 By Robert Hoskins

Seattle, Washington – Crowdfund.co, an equity crowdfunding website focused on middle market business finance for everything from real estate to technology, announces the launch of a newly-designed website and logo. In addition to the firm’s website changes, the firm also announces the expansion of service offerings that include debt crowdfunding for things like acquisition financing and recapitalization of privately-held businesses.

Deal Capital Partners assists company and real estate owners in sourcing capital through Regulation D 506(c), Regulation D 506(b) and Regulation A+ offerings

Deal Capital Partners assists company and real estate owners in sourcing capital through Regulation D 506(c), Regulation D 506(b) and Regulation A+ offerings

“We believe there are forms of crowdfunding, including debt crowdfunding, that are not being fully utilized,” says Carl Christensen, VP of Strategy. “The use of crowdfunding for private company debt is just one area where we feel businesses owners can take advantage of some of the new and expanded regulation for sourcing capital from accredited investors,” he says.

The firm is focused on real estate and privately-held businesses where gaps exist in the funding marketplace. While there are many sources for senior, subordinated and mezzanine debt options, there are very few that are sourced through crowdfunding. Crowdfund.co intends to expand its offering into more options that include debt financing for privately-held businesses.

Debt crowdfunding works as a mechanism for financing things that fall in the gap area of small business finance. Currently gaps still exist between Small Business Administration (SBA) loans and other traditional, small bank loans and the larger debt offerings for upper middle-market companies. “We intend on structuring deals so investors benefit by higher returns on their money and companies are better able to source the funding they need for growth and expansion capital,” says Christensen.

Crowdfund.co is a website owned and operated by Deal Capital Partners, LLC–a middle market capital advisory firm. The company works with entrepreneurs to assist in the process of raising growth equity with an eye toward a successful company exit. As a full service capital advisory firm, Deal Capital Partners assists company and real estate owners in sourcing capital through Regulation D 506(c), Regulation D 506(b) and Regulation A+ offerings.

# # #

Robert Hoskins, a seasoned Front Page PR veteran provides more than twenty-five years of external communications, media relations, digital social media and SEO skills to Front Page PR’s crowdfunding PR and media relations service portfolio.
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR


Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.
On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.
Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

US$1.7 Trillion In ‘Dry Powder’ Available for Global Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding Investment Opportunities in 2017, CBRE Survey Finds

24 Mar

North America is Preferred Region for Global Real Estate Investors | London, Los Angeles and Sydney Most Popular Regional City Targets

By Robert Hoskins

Los Angeles, California – Stronger economic growth, the availability of debt capital, and a more positive outlook from investors is expected to drive global capital flows in 2017, with $1.7 trillion of ‘dry powder’ available to deploy in real estate this year, according to the CBRE Global Investor Intentions Survey 2017.

US$1.7 Trillion In Dry Powder Available for Global Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding Investments in 2017, CBRE Survey Finds

US$1.7 Trillion In Dry Powder Available for Global Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding Investments in 2017, CBRE Survey Finds

The CBRE 2017 global survey reveals that investors have ample capital and a strong motivation to invest in real estate because of its relatively high income yield. North America is the preferred region for investors, with London, Los Angeles and Sydney the most popular cities in each of the major regions. Office is the most popular asset sector, with logistics up strongly in 2017 and a very close second.

The survey results reveal that the sum total of planned capital expenditure in real estate by investors is $1.7 trillion. The majority of investors indicate that their buying activity will increase or remain the same compared to 2016. Those investors planning to spend more (40%) outweigh those planning to spend less (16%) by a margin, indicating a continuing positive attitude to real estate as an asset class.

Despite a volatile global political environment and key European elections set to take place in France and Germany, investors are relatively unconcerned about global or local politics. Investors’ main concerns are: an undefined ‘global economic shock’ (22%) and ‘faster than expected rises in interest rates’ (21 percent). The latter concern is felt much more strongly this year and is the biggest change from 2016.

“This time last year, investors were reeling from the volatility in world stock markets, now they are seeing equities reach record highs and economic sentiment is positive. Although there is uncertainty about the direction that economic policy will take, there is also a growing anticipation that changes will unlock growth. While there are some clouds on the horizon–emerging market debt looks problematic as does Greece’s financial situation–economic momentum, alongside the yield advantages of property as an asset class, should ensure another year of substantial capital flows into global real estate,” said Chris Ludeman, Global President, Capital Markets, CBRE.

In last year’s survey, investors had shifted decisively in favor of core assets and away from secondary and value-added risk classes. That trend has partially reversed in 2017 with a fall in demand for core assets and an increased interest in core-plus and opportunistic assets. Nearly half of investors (48%) cite the high price of real estate as the main obstacle to deploying capital. This increased interest in core-plus and opportunistic reflects that issue, but it also shows that investors are slightly more ‘risk on’ than they were last year.

In the Americas, Los Angeles is the stand-out preference for investors. Dallas/Fort Worth has moved into second place. Washington, D.C. is the biggest mover, entering the top six at fourth position, having not featured last year. Atlanta moves up one place and Seattle is in seventh position, having not made the top tier last year.

Within EMEA, London remains the most attractive city for investors. Berlin has moved up two places to become the second most preferred destination. While there is some concern about European elections, so far this does not seem to have dampened appetite for real estate. The survey shows that, despite the uncertainty over Brexit, investors are increasingly interested in the UK.

In APAC, Sydney is once again the top destination, with Tokyo second by some distance. Australia’s cities remain highly popular with APAC investors because of their liquidity, transparency and positive long-term prospects. Seoul has dropped out of the top six and Hong Kong has moved in.

Office is the preferred sector for investors (26%), with multifamily (21%) and logistics (22%) also highly popular. The preference for retail has dropped sharply from last year (21% to 12%). Americas-based investors have a strong preference for logistics and multifamily; two sectors that have performed extremely well this cycle due to changes in technology and demographics. EMEA and APAC investors have relatively more interest in the offices and retail sectors.

The responses were spread across a range of investor types. The most numerous were fund/asset managers, who accounted for 34% of survey participants. Insurance companies, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds were responsible for 10%. The other most numerous respondents were private property companies (11%), private equity companies (9%), listed property companies (incl. REITS) (8%) and developers (8%).

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2016 revenue).  The company has more than 75,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate investors and occupiers through approximately 450 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide.
CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services.
# # #

Robert Hoskins, a seasoned Front Page PR veteran provides more than twenty-five years of external communications, media relations, digital social media and SEO skills to Front Page PR’s crowdfunding PR and media relations service portfolio.
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR


Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.
On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.
Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

JetPack Aviation Accepting Reg. CF Equity Crowdfunding Investments for Commercial JetPack Aviation Company

24 Mar

Van Nuys, CaliforniaJetPack Aviation announced the sale and delivery of the world’s first commercial jetpack. The company, which designs and manufactures small, turbine powered VTOL jetpacks for military, industrial, and individual customers, is now offering its JB10 duel engine model at the retail price of $250,000. Currently under contract with the US military, JPA is also receiving international government inquiries.

JetPack Aviation Accepting Equity Crowdfunding Investments for Commercial JetPack Company

JetPack Aviation Accepting Equity Crowdfunding Investments for Commercial JetPack Company

David Mayman, JetPack’s CEO said, “We believe this sale is the definitive first step on the road to widely accessible Personal Flight Mobility. Whether we are enabling the extraction of Special Forces soldiers, moving emergency medics from hospital to disaster site, or commuters from home to office – JPA is focused on a wide range of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) transportation solutions. Our JB10 is designed to be a proof-of-concept and we are already working on several other long endurance aircraft including fully electric systems.”

JetPack Aviation made its first public demonstration flight around the Statue of Liberty in 2015 with full FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) authorization. Subsequent public flights were held in London, Monaco, and Los Angeles. JPA is now offering sponsored promotional flights for corporations and events.

Principal Designer, Nelson Tyler, said, “People have dreamed of individual flight for as long as we have looked to the sky. Now, after decades of work and thanks to our extraordinarily talented staff, the dream of personal flight is a solid reality.  And it’s available for sale today.”

# # #

Robert Hoskins, a seasoned Front Page PR veteran provides more than twenty-five years of external communications, media relations, digital social media and SEO skills to Front Page PR’s crowdfunding PR and media relations service portfolio.
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR


Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.
On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.
Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

Financial Poise Announces “Equity Crowdfunding,” a Four-Part Webinar Series, Available On-Demand Now through West LegalEdcenter

23 Mar

Episode #1, entitled Title III, Regulation A+, and State Crowdfunding Regimes will feature Crowdcheck, CFX Markets, Crowdfunding Lawyers.net Riggs Davie in panel discussion moderated by Chris Cahill of Lowis & Gellen

By Robert Hoskins

Chicago, Illinois – The Financial Poise Webinar Series plans to explore the purchase of ownership shares in private companies via equity crowdfunding websites. “Crowdfunding” for this series refers both to investments made in this way by accredited investors – given greater scope by Title II of the 2012 JOBS Act – and those made by non-accredited investors under Title III of the JOBS Act.

Financial Poise Announces Equity Crowdfunding, a Four-Part Webinar Series, Available On-Demand Now through West LegalEdcenter

Financial Poise Announces Four-Part Webinar Series, Click Now => Available On-Demand

Episodes in the series address the modes of angel investing in a company during its early stages, the opportunities and perils of crowdfunding real estate investments, the money-raising entity’s perspective, and a close look at crowdfunding options under federal and state law.

The first episode of the Equity Crowdfunding series, Title III, Regulation A+, and State Crowdfunding Regimes, features Moderator Chris Cahill of Lowis & Gellen. He is joined by Jordan Fishfeld of CFX Markets, Andrew Stephenson of Crowdcheck, Amy Wan of CrowdfundingLawyers.net and Alex Davie of Riggs Davie.

“Crowdfunding” is an elastic term, covering general solicitation of accredited investors as well as equity investments in private companies available to all investors (Title III). Private companies within certain size limits may be able sell shares to all investors under Regulation A+. State crowdfunding laws may complicate the picture or afford more opportunities, or both. Panel discussions will look at a range of “crowdfunding” topics.

Each episode will be engaging, sometimes humorous, and filled with conversations designed to entertain as it teaches and will be of value even to seasoned crowdfunding professionals. And, each episode in the series is designed to be viewed independently of the other episodes, so that participants will enhance their knowledge of this area whether they attend one, some, or all of the episodes.

Future episodes of the series will include webinars discussing angel investing, real estate investing, and raising money for a start-up through equity crowdfunding. Each Financial Poise Webinar episode is delivered in plain English understandable to business owners and executives without much background in these areas.

# # #

Robert Hoskins, a seasoned Front Page PR veteran provides more than twenty-five years of external communications, media relations, digital social media and SEO skills to Front Page PR’s crowdfunding PR and media relations service portfolio.
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR


Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.
On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.
Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

Mortar Capital Launches New Mortar Growth Fund that Targets Regional New York-Based Crowdfunded Residential Real Estate Investment Opportunities for Accredited Investors

23 Mar

Mortar anticipates the equity crowdfunding fund will acquire 3 to 4 assets over the next 12 to 18 months, and estimates annual total returns for the Mortar Growth Fund I to be 18% to 24%+ over the hold period

By Robert Hoskins

New York, NY – Mortar Capital Management, LLC, a New York-based real estate development firm has launched its Mortar Growth Fund on RealCrowd.com, an equity crowdfunding platform for the residential and commercial real estate industry. Mortar is raising equity — the fund beginning at $100,000 for each accredited investor — offering IRA and 1031 exchange options as well.

Previously, Mortar had directed its offerings to past investors and their extended networks. Promoting the Mortar Growth Fund through RealCrowd allows a more widespread group of investors the opportunity to invest in New York City development.

Mortar anticipates the fund will acquire 3 to 4 assets over the next 12 to 18 months, and estimates annual total returns for the Mortar Growth Fund I to be 18% to 24%+ over the hold period.

Mortar Capital Launches New Mortar Growth Fund that Targets Regional New York-Based Crowdfunded Residential Real Estate Investment Opportunities for Accredited Investors

New Mortar Growth Fund that Targets Regional New York-Based Crowdfunded Residential Real Estate Investment Opportunities for Accredited Investors

View the Mortar Growth Fund I Listing Here

“Working with RealCrowd helps us introduce New York City investment exposure to investors outside of the region,” says Anthony Morena, principal of Mortar Capital Management.

Mortar Growth Fund invests in New York City residential real estate through both ground-up development and property rehabilitation. By leveraging years of development experience with on-the-ground market insight, Mortar Growth Fund capitalizes on underserved and growing residential markets in NYC.

Mortar Capital Management LLC represents a premier real estate development and investment management team with over 30 years of collective experience and expertise in construction, real estate development, investments and management.

Over the last 15 years, Mortar’s team has worked on various successfully completed real estate projects in the New York City area. Mortar’s team represents the skill sets of developers, architects, deal originators, construction managers and private investors with projects that have generated returns on both a rental and sales basis.

RealCrowd is one of the industry’s most active online luxury residential and commercial real estate marketplaces that provides investors with direct access to institutional quality investment opportunities without any fees, increasing both access and returns.

RealCrowd does this by providing institutional real estate companies (sponsors) with the technology that makes it easy for them to partner with a much larger pool of investors, resulting in significantly lower investment minimums and a better diversified portfolio of investments.

The platform enables sponsors to reduce transaction timelines, efficiently reach a network of millions of investors, and automate every aspect of investor and transaction management.

RealCrowd’s team is comprised of real estate industry professionals with over 30 years and $5 billion of combined transactional experience.

# # #

Robert Hoskins, a seasoned Front Page PR veteran provides more than twenty-five years of external communications, media relations, digital social media and SEO skills to Front Page PR’s crowdfunding PR and media relations service portfolio.
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR


Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.
On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.
Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

Park Place Communities Tapping Residential Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding to Finance Affordable Homes

22 Mar

The Company purchases existing mobile homes, renovates them and then resells them to qualified buyers using five-year amortized mortgages

By Robert Hoskins

Jacksonville, FloridaPark Place Communities (PPC) is raising up to $1 million in capital from accredited investors under SEC. Reg. D with as little as $1,000 to finance new large-scale affordable home projects.  The residential real estate company purchases existing mobile homes with funds raised through crowdfunding, renovates them and then sells them to qualified buyers using five-year amortized mortgages. The first round of financing will be used to renovate more than 125 units.

Park Place Communities Tapping Commercial Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding to Finance Affordable Homes

Park Place Communities Tapping Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding to Finance Affordable Homes

“The home buyer makes monthly payments for five years at 12-percent interest,” said Andrew Lanoie, Park Place Communities’ CEO. “This allows home buyers to purchase the mobile home for about the same monthly cost as renting an apartment.”

PPC is currently raising money via IHT Realty’s Real Estate Crowdfunding Portal. The real estate crowdfunding site helps individual sponsors raise capital for their acquisitions and will be assisting PPC’s customers in securing funds as it looks to expand its operations by acquiring an additional 15,000 to 20,000 mobile homes over the next few years.

“There is a huge demand for affordable housing right now and there are not enough parks to fill that void,” Lanoie said. “Right now, there are roughly 50,000 affordable housing parks in the United States.”

As the U.S. population continues to increase, the need for affordable housing will continue to rise. It’s simple supply and demand. In 2013, there were close to 2.3 million births added to the U.S. population, but less than 1 million new homes were constructed.

And with housing costs projected to rise by 5.4 percent from July 2016 to July 2017 — according to a study by CoreLogic Home Price Index — mobile homes are becoming a practical alternative.

“As the wage gap in the United States widens, there has been a shift towards lower paying jobs, which leads to an increase in demand for affordable housing,” Lanoie said.

According to the most recent report by the Social Security Administration, 36 percent of U.S. wage earners make less than $20,000 per year and 50 percent earn less than $30,000 per year.

“With 10,000 Baby Boomers retiring every day, 47 percent of which don’t have any retirement savings,  affordable houses are their last opportunity of home ownership,” said Dan Summers, IHT Realty’s, CEO.

PPC currently owns 13 affordable housing parks in eight states with nearly 1,000 total home pads.

The company is building a $1 million mortgage pool to issue fixed-rate mortgages to buyers. It is offering a debt investment opportunity secured by a first lien, which is also backed by a corporate guarantee with a 10 percent interest rate paid to investors.

“Mobile home parks are one of the most stable and predictable investments during a recession and recovery and contrary to popular belief, mobile homes are not really mobile,” Lanoie said. “It costs over $3,000 for a resident to move their home out of a park, which is the reason 98-percent of mobile homes will remain in the same location.”

IHT Realty Crowdfunding LLC offers investors the opportunity to capitalize on the demand for affordable residential and multifamily real estate properties across Northeast Florida.

# # #

Robert Hoskins, a seasoned Front Page PR veteran provides more than twenty-five years of external communications, media relations, digital social media and SEO skills to Front Page PR’s crowdfunding PR and media relations service portfolio.
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR


Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.
On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.
Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

New Kickstarter Crowdfunding Campaign Transforms Square Lunch Box into a Cool New Compartmentalized Thermos

21 Mar

The new ICONIQ Qore lunch  box combines vacuum insulation with a modular design without the need for refrigeration or reheating

Irvine, California – ICONIQ Bottle has announced the release of their latest project, an all-in-one food container that aims to replace the traditional lunchbox. Full details of the food container, titled the ICONIQ Qore, were revealed on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform, where it is currently available for pre-order.

The new ICONIQ Qore lunch box combines vacuum insulation with a modular design without the need for refrigeration or reheating

The new ICONIQ Qore lunch box combines vacuum insulation with a modular design without the need for refrigeration or reheating

The product of two years of ideation and development, its features include:

  • Double wall stainless steel vacuum insulation to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.
  • Unique stacking food container segments, allowing you to pack multiple dishes together.
  • A stainless steel fold-out spork stored in the base of the container eliminating the need for loose or disposable eating utensils.
  • High-grade stainless steel materials that are re-usable, 100% BPA free, and easy-to-clean.

Also in the works is a stackable insulated water bottle segment that combines with the food container into one portable unit.

“The combination of vacuum insulation with a modular design is the real game changer,” says co-founder Shane Jones. “It opens up tons of new food options, all without the need for refrigeration or reheating. Pack a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup served with a side salad. Or a Greek yogurt served with a chopped fruit medley. The possibilities are endless.”

In building a more sensible, easy-to-use lunchbox ICONIQ hopes to steer consumers away from more traditional takeout or packaged food options, which they claim are often highly processed and unhealthy.

“Most schoolchildren don’t have access to a refrigerator or microwave. The same goes for many professionals working outdoors or on the road,” says lead designer Richard Chritz. “The ICONIQ Qore will allow everyone to enjoy fresh home cooked meals instead of the typical processed or packaged foods found in most packed lunches.”

The ICONIQ Qore Food Container is currently in is the final stages of development and is scheduled for release in June 2017. It will come in multiple colors and variations with prices ranging from $18-$29.

# # #

Robert Hoskins, a seasoned Front Page PR veteran provides more than twenty-five years of external communications, media relations, digital social media and SEO skills to Front Page PR’s crowdfunding PR and media relations service portfolio.
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR


Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.
On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.
Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

SEC Issues Progress Report on United States Title III Equity Crowdfunding Growth Rate

15 Mar

Approximately 163 separate offerings were filed by 156 issuers, seeking a total of approximately $18 million

By Robert Hoskins

Washington, DC – The SEC just released a white paper entitled, U.S. securities-based crowdfunding under Title III of the JOBS Act, which analyzes crowdfunded offerings during the first six months following May 16, 2016 when Title III, Regulation Crowdfunding become official. The SEC’s white paper, which was prepared for Scott Bauguess, the Acting Chief Economist and Acting Director of the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA), noted that the majority equity crowdfunding offerings to date have not utilized Regulation D as much as predicted.

Top 20 Title III Equity Crowdfunding Sites in U.S.

The white paper does go into great detail about five largest Title III crowdfunding portals based on the number of offerings, which accounted for 71% of the offerings launched during 2016.  The five largest Title III crowdfunding sites  also accounted for 64% of the total amount of funds raised. And while more 20 crowdfunding sites were listed, most of the offering activity was limited to 25% of active platforms in the Title III crowdfunding marketplace. And, if you ran the numbers for completed offerings, you would see that the top five largest intermediaries accounted for more than 90% of the market share.

The table below low shows the list of the Top Performing Title III Crowdfunding Portals sorted on the number of initiated offerings and then by the target amounts of the initiated offerings, excluding offerings withdrawn as of December 31, 2016.

Top 20 Title III Equity Crowdfunding Sites Ranked by Number of Offerings

Top 20 Title III Equity Crowdfunding Sites Ranked by Number of Offerings

 

Most Successful Types of Title III Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns

Many people want to know what the types of Title III crowdfunding campaigns were the most successful. Preferred Equity led the pack at 36%, followed bySimple Agreements for Future Equity at 26%, Debt at 20%, Units at 7%, Convertible Notes at 6% and Miscellaneous accounted for the remaining 5%, which included Revenue Sharing and Membership / LLC Interests.

Distribution of Title III Equity Crowdfunding Offerings

Distribution of Title III Equity Crowdfunding Offerings

 

Top States for Launching Title III Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns

Another interesting way to look at growing crowdfunding industry is to examine what states launched the most successful Title III Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns.  In the table below you can see that California/Silicon Valley launched the most Title III crowdfunding campaigns, followed closely by Texas/Silicon Hills at 19%, New York at 14%, Massachusetts and Illinois tying at 9%, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, and Pennsylvania bringing up the back to the pack, all with 5%.

Geographic Distribution of Title III Equity Crowdfunding

States with the Most Title III Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns

 

How Many Reg. D and Title IV, Reg. A+ Crowdfunding Offerings Result?

Because many industry experts have stated their concerns that the SEC’s decision to severely restrict the general solicitation guidelines with regards to advertising their crowdfunding deals to the masses of non-accredited investors, the white paper also took a close look at how many Title III Regulation Crowdfunding Campaigns had previously or subsequently conducted an offering under Regulation D or Regulation A.

As shown in the table below, as of January 15, 2017, approximately 15% of offerings initiated during 2016 (excluding withdrawn offerings) were by issuers that have also reported offerings under Regulation D either before or after the initial crowdfunding filing. And, approximately 3% of issuers have issued Regulation A+ filings as of January 15, 2017.

Among crowdfunding issuers, approximately 12.9% of offerings were by issuers that had filed the first Form D notice prior to the first crowdfunding filing and approximately 2.5% of offerings involved issuers that had filed a Form D notice after the first crowdfunding filing. For about 8.6% of offerings, excluding withdrawn crowdfunding offerings, a Form D filing was made within one calendar year before or after the initial crowdfunding filing. Consistent with their young age, the SEC determined that the majority of the crowdfunding issuers were more likely to be new startups rather than “fallen angels.”

Overall, these results suggest that crowdfunding is attracting issuers that have not extensively used other private offering exemptions, such as Regulation D, which is otherwise a very popular private offering exemption among similarly sized issuers as those initially availing themselves of the Crowdfunding market. The initial evidence is points to the fact that Title III, Regulation Crowdfunding is indeed providing a new source of capital for entrepreneurial and small businesses that may not otherwise have had access to capital through alternative capital raising channels.

Form D and Title IV, Reg A+ Equity Crowdfunding Offerings

Form D and Title IV, Reg A+ Equity Crowdfunding Offerings

 

The white paper also made a point of covering the following facts and figures.:

  • There were 163 separate offerings by 156 issuers, seeking a total of approximately $18 million, excluding withdrawn offerings. The median offering amount was $53,000 and the average offering amount was approximately $110,000. However, almost all of the offerings accepted over-subscriptions up to a higher amount (typically close to $1 million) for a total amount of approximately $101 million.
  • As of January 15, 2017, approximately $10 million in proceeds was raised in 33 offerings by issuers filing a Form C-U. The median amount raised in these offerings was $171,000 and the average amount raised was approximately $303,000.
  • For offerings initiated in 2016, were withdrawn by issuers or associated with an intermediary whose FINRA membership was terminated and funding portal registration withdrawn. These offerings sought a total of approximately $2.3 million (approximately $19.5 million if over-subscriptions are included).
  • Most of the offerings solicited in all states.
  • The most popular type of security was equity, followed by “simple agreements for future equity” and debt.
  • The most popular state of incorporation for issuers was Delaware and the most popular principal place of business for issuers was California.
  • The median issuer had under $50,000 in assets, under $5,000 in cash, $10,000 in debt, no revenues, and three employees. Approximately 40% of the issuers reported positive revenue and approximately 9% of the issuers reported a net profit in the most recent fiscal year. Among the issuers that reported non-zero assets in the prior fiscal year, the median growth rate was approximately 15%.
  • 21 intermediaries, including 13 funding portals and 8 broker-dealers, were involved in the offerings. As of December 31, 2016, funding portals have registered with the SEC and FINRA and one funding portal had its FINRA membership terminated and withdrew its SEC registration. The median intermediary percentage fee was 5%, and intermediaries took a financial interest in the issuer in approximately 16% of the offerings.

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Robert Hoskins, a seasoned Front Page PR veteran provides more than twenty-five years of external communications, media relations, digital social media and SEO skills to Front Page PR’s crowdfunding PR and media relations service portfolio.
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR


Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.
On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.
Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

RealtyShares Equity Crowdfunding Site Raises $32.9 Million for Midwest Commercial Real Estate Projects in Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin

8 Mar

Buckeye commercial real estate investment opportunities are showing a significant level of activity, with $12.25 million raised for 30 deals in Ohio, concentrating around the Cincinnati and Cleveland metropolitan areas

By Robert Hoskins

Chicago, Illinois – RealtyShares is transforming the real estate investment landscape by connecting borrowers and sponsors to debt and equity capital from accredited and institutional investors, across an array of financing products. For example, the equity crowdfunding site for commercial real estate deals has released new data showing the extent of crowdfunded investments in several Midwest real estate markets.

 Infographic for Commercial Real Estate Crowdfunding

Commercial real estate developers, sponsors and borrowers in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois have raised $32.9 million to date from RealtyShares’ network of investors

To date, commercial real estate developers, sponsors and borrowers in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois have raised $32.9 million to date from RealtyShares’ network of investors, offering a source of financing for real estate projects by leveraging technology to connect potential investors with expertly vetted real estate deals.

“RealtyShares fits into a world in which it is more difficult than in previous decades to secure a loan for development from a bank, and where technology is creating possibilities for people across the country to assess information and connect with one another,” said Gerald Fogelson, Advisor to RealtyShares, CEO of Fogelson Group and an inductee of the Chicago Real Estate Hall of Fame. He recently joined the team bringing decades of real estate knowledge and experience to the emerging tech company.

Thus far 114 deals have been funded in the region through RealtyShares, with an average deal price of $288,000. Deals of up to $1.5 million have been financed in both Columbus, Ohio, and Chicago, Ill. Anchoring RealtyShares’ position in the region, $14 million has been raised for 53 deals in Illinois, with several investors targeting properties in and around Chicago. Buckeyes are also showing a significant level of activity, with $12.25 million raised for 30 deals in Ohio, concentrating around the Cincinnati and Cleveland areas.

“What we’re seeing now is that investors throughout the United States are interested in investing in markets like the Midwest, where small businesses and entrepreneurs are looking beyond their friends and family networks to raise money,” said Fogelson. “RealtyShares makes all that possible.”

Platinum Real Estate Holdings has been one of the leading deal sponsors in the Midwest, with twelve Michigan properties funded through RealtyShares platform totaling $378,000.

“Our business is built on acquiring and flipping low-cost homes in the metropolitan Detroit area on a short time frame,” said Anthony Rea, owner of Platinum. “RealtyShares has enabled us to raise financing quicker and more efficiently than traditional bank loans, which is a major asset in a market with low inventory and high demand from buyers.”

Hamilton Real Estate Capital is also among the Midwest developers that have funded multiple real estate projects through the RealtyShares marketplace. “Working with RealtyShares has given us access to a new group of investors in a straightforward and quick process,” Eli Glanz, Principal at Hamilton confirmed.

The Midwest continues to be a target market, especially in states where the company’s rates are competitive against traditional financing options.

“The Midwest is a very hot market,” said Kelly McDonald, the Vice President of Residential Debt at RealtyShares. “There is substantial inventory and a concentration of older neighborhoods that could use updates. We’re seeing homes that have been owned for 30 years that have a lot of potential.”

To date, the RealtyShares network of investors has funded upwards of $300 million across more than 550 investment opportunities on the platform, funding residential and commercial projects in 35 states.

Private investments are highly illiquid and risky and are not suitable for all investors. Through the RealtyShares website, these investors can browse investment opportunities, perform due diligence, invest online and have 24/7 access to an investor dashboard to watch how their investments are performing.

RealtyShares offers securities through North Capital Private Securities Corporation, member FINRA/SIPC.

For more information on how to become a real estate investor or to seek capital through the RealtyShares marketplace, please visit www.realtyshares.com.

# # #

Robert Hoskins, a seasoned Front Page PR veteran provides more than twenty-five years of external communications, media relations, digital social media and SEO skills to Front Page PR’s crowdfunding PR and media relations service portfolio.
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR


Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.
On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.
Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.
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