SEC Issues Three-Year Research Study on Title III, Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) Fundraising Campaigns

Leading Crowdfunding Industry Analyst Firm, Crowdfund Capital Advisors, States Now is the Time to Update the Regulation to Further Enable Capital Formation

Washington, DC – Recently the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a staff report on Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF), also known as Title III Crowdfunding. The Commission, in the adopting rules, stated that the “staff will undertake to study and submit a research report to the Commission no later than three years following the effective date of Regulation Crowdfunding on the impact of the regulation on capital formation and investor protection.” The report finds the size of market, while modest in comparison to the broader financial markets, is evolving and doing so without any material risk to investors. Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA) data and analysis were cited in 7 references throughout the report.

“The industry is evolving systematically and responsibly,” says CCA Principal Sherwood Neiss. “With the appropriate adjustments to the regulation we can further enable capital formation without risk to investors. The time is now for the SEC to act.”

Sherwood Neiss, Crowdfunding Capital Advisors, testifies at the SEC The CCA data and references used by the SEC were attributed to analysis by CCA and published in VentureBeat as well as Crowdfund Insider. The data comes from CCA’s CCLEAR Database. CCLEAR is the leading Regulation Crowdfunding database that collects, cleans, aggregates and reports on all companies seeking funds via Regulation Crowdfunding as well as those doing parallel 506(c) offerings. A 506(c) offering is an online accredited investor offering. A parallel offering allows an issuer to run two offerings side-by-side and group the accredited investors in one pool and the Reg CF investors in another. This type of offering is popular for issuers that seek to raise in excess of the $1.07M cap in Regulation Crowdfunding. Issuers that seek to raise funds via Reg CF must file a Form C (a form filed by a company (issuer) with the SEC before starting to raise capital and discloses financial information for its current and prior fiscal years) as well as a Form C-U (a progress report that an issuer files that discloses total capital raised). Data that the SEC does not collect in either of these disclosures includes information like industry, a breakdown on the cost of the offering, daily change in capital commitments, daily changes in investors and information on a company’s valuation. CCLEAR collects all this missing data which allows for more detailed analysis of the market including which industries are most popular with the crowd, which regions of the country have the lowest/highest overall valuations, what industries the crowd is most interested in supporting, etc. An entire section of the report titled “Cost to issuers of undertaking a crowdfunding offering” came directly from research CCA did with issuers successful with Regulation Crowdfunding. A key finding from our research, which was highlighted in the report, was that “the total cost of creating a campaign page, issuer disclosures, film, and video, and hiring a marketing firm, a lawyer, and an accountant amounts to approximately 5.3% of the amount raised.” This average was based on feedback from 81 issuers. “This amount is substantially less than what a typical issuer would incur in a Regulation D offering,” says CCA principal Sherwood Neiss “and is a key reason why more companies should be looking at Reg CF as an attractive pathway to raising funds.” The report provides a detailed look at how Regulation Crowdfunding has performed through December, 2018. (For people interested in data through today’s date, you can find it on CCLEAR’s Daily Dashboard – see below for the latest data).

“Unlike opponents who said regulated crowdfunding would open the floodgates to fraud, we have yet to see fraud materialize,” says Neiss. “This is because there are easier ways to defraud investors than to come up with an idea for a business, incorporate it under federal laws, convince a funding portal to list you, spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars trying to bring your friends, family and followers to the campaign page, and then hitting 100% of your funding target or the commitments get returned. Add on top of this the hundreds of discerning eyes picking apart a campaign in the comments section. These types of ‘built-in investor protections don’t exist in other parts of the private capital markets.” Multiple recommendations were included in the report on how to improve Regulation Crowdfunding. The SEC cited a US treasury Report entitled “A Financial System That Creates Economic Opportunities.” The Report recommends: Allowing single-purpose crowdfunding vehicles advised by a registered investment adviser; Waiving certain crowdfunding offering limits for accredited investors; Amending certain crowdfunding investment limits by other investors; Modifying the Exchange Act’s Section 12(g) exemption; And increasing the limit on how much can be raised through crowdfunding from $1M to $5M. CCA’s principals were interviewed and cited in the Treasury report. The Fed’s recommendations were a summary of CCA’s more detailed recommendations as requested. “The industry is evolving systematically and responsibly,” ended Neiss. “With the appropriate adjustments to the regulation we can further enable capital formation without risk to investors. The time is now for the SEC to act.” # # #

Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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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 PR” 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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India’s Leading Crowdfunding Platform Has Announced the Launch of a New Initiative Called the ‘Doctors for Good’ Program

ImpactGuru.com’s volunteer doctors impact thousands of lives with their practice by examining patients and conducting clinical evaluations

By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR

Mumbai, India – ImpactGuru.com, India’s leading crowdfunding platform has announced the launch of a new initiative called the, ‘Doctors For Good’ program on National Doctors’ Day. As a part of this program, Impact Guru will honor the role of doctors in our community, whose daily efforts save the lives of millions of people struggling with illnesses, diseases and injuries.

ImpactGuru.com, India’s leading crowdfunding platform has announced the launch of a new initiative called the, ‘Doctors for Good’ Program

The initiative coined by ImpactGuru.com will educate doctors regarding the benefits of crowdfunding for patients who require funds to treat serious illnesses, diseases or injuries like cancer, organ failure, etc. Surgeries coupled with post-surgical care and treatments, have resulted in many families incurring costs of over tens of lakhs of rupees. Patients and their families have traditionally resorted to taking loans or borrowed the funds required at high interest rates from private lenders or family. With the introduction of crowdfunding platforms, many families have been able to successfully raise sufficient funds for such medical treatments.

With this initiative, ImpactGuru.com invites doctors, hospitals, and clinicians as they conduct training sessions in the form of webinars or workshops. These workshops will educate them about how crowdfunding can help patients access and afford quality and reliable medical services from trusted practitioners. The ‘Doctors For Good’ program, will also help provide quick financial assistance to anyone with a medical cause. This program aims to help thousands of lesser privileged patients, access proper and quality treatment without being burdened by the expenses through the enrolled doctors.

Additionally, the doctors that volunteer for this program will also help verify cases and medical reports, as they impact thousands of lives with their practice by examining patients and cases by conducting clinical evaluations. They will impart medical advice to campaigners raising funds through ImpactGuru.com, while sharing their expert opinions on various medical topics via the platform’s website and other communication channels.

Speaking about the program, Piyush Jain, Co-Founder and chief executive officer of ImpactGuru.com said, “Over the past six months we have seen a surge in medical fundraisers. In the last two months itself, we were able to raise around 75 lakhs for many patients on our platform. Most campaigners are not aware of their potential to raise funds to help treat their family members and friends. They approach us with low expectations and are left overwhelmed by the massive response they receive. Through this initiative, we want to multiply the impact by involving more doctors to help us reach more patients and save more lives. We understand running a fundraiser while taking care of an ill family member is not easy, which is why we have a fully equipped team that provides 24×7 support to each campaigner, and we wish to render these services for those in need.”

Dr. Sasmita Panda – Medical officer Shri HN Reliance Hospital said, “I’ve had many patients come to me looking for advice on how to arrange for funds to get the treatment done immediately. In most cases, the surgery has to take place immediately, but is delayed only because of lack of funds. There are times when the patient’s life is lost while waiting for funds. I’ve recommended crowdfunding to many, who have managed to raise 50% to 100% of funds in a week and gotten the required treatment. I think in the time of a rising number of cancer cases, crowdfunding can be a life-saver. It is a great alternative to the hassle faced, after approaching insurance companies or banks.”

Impact Guru offers a complete crowdfunding solution that combines social or donation crowdfunding, rewards crowdfunding for medical or personal causes, nonprofits, and social enterprises for all their fundraising needs – be it small or large. The company was incubated at Harvard Innovation Lab’s Venture Initiation Program in USA in 2014. Impact Guru has offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and San Francisco.

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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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 PR” to see why Mr. Hoskins runs one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding PR, social media and marketing agencies that has amassed a huge social media following and is dedicated to supporting a wide variety of donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.

Amabrush’s Innovative Ten-Second Toothbrush is Cleaning Up on Its Dental Health Crowdfunding Campaign; Raising €910,113 So Far from over 7,919 Kickstarter Backers

 Amabrush is the world’s first, fully automatic toothbrush that brushes all your teeth at once, fully automatic, and finishes in just ten seconds

By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR

San Francisco, California – Amabrush is the world’s first, fully automatic toothbrush and is cleaning up with its current Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign goal having raised €910,000 from 7,900 backers. This patent-pending dental device brushes all your teeth at once, fully automatic, and finishes in just ten seconds. All you have to do is press a single button, wait ten seconds, and you’ll have perfectly clean teeth! You never have to brush your teeth again!

Amabrush is the world’s first, fully automatic toothbrush that brushes all your teeth at once, fully automatic, and finishes in just ten seconds

With Amabrush’s App for iOS & Android, you are able to connect to your Amabrush unit via Bluetooth at no additional cost and make use of various possibilities. You can set different vibration mode such as gum massage, whitening, burst mode, configure cleaning time, reorder replacement parts and do many things more!

Let’s face it: brushing your teeth is not exactly the sexiest thing on Earth. You have to squeeze, scrub, gargle, spit, rinse and floss every morning and evening, every day of your life. Many of us hate brushing our teeth so much that we avoid doing so whenever possible—even though we know we shouldn’t.
Brushing our teeth at least twice a day maintains good dental health. This is why we invented Amabrush—a device three years in the making with a single goal: to make toothbrushing quicker, automatic, and more efficient so you have more time for the relevant things in your life.

Amabrush is not meant to be better than your regular toothbrush. Wait, what? That’s true! Regular toothbrushes (manual and electric) are tools. And tools are only as good as the person using it! The key thing is that most of us use them wrong, or even worse, are not using them at all.

Brushing teeth is a job where you must be highly concentrated. Toothbrushes should be held like pencils, so that pressure is as light as possible. The bristles should be soft, in order to not damage your gums. And you should just wiggle the toothbrush with subtle vibrations, instead of doing long strokes. Electric toothbrushes are handled differently than manual ones. With them, you shouldn’t stroke at all. These toothbrushes are designed to be held in place, so that the micro vibrations of the bristles can do their job (they wiggle for you).

Amabrush covers all of the recommended methods. The bristles are aligned in a 45° angle against the gum line, and are soft enough in order to rub instead to scratch (like nylon bristles). And the pressure against your teeth is light. Subtle vibrations move the bristles back-and-forth, which allows them to remove plaque and keep your gums undamaged.

Amabrush was designed to make toothbrushing less annoying. Some of us hate toothbrushing so much, that we brush not concentrated enough, not long enough, not good enough, or not at all. And some of us simply can not brush correctly at all, because they are not able to do so. This is our goal. Right toothbrushing for everyone and automatically!

Amabrush’s Antibacterial Material

The flexible mouthpiece has built-in micro-channels that transport the toothpaste to your teeth. The mouthpiece is made of antibacterial silicone that kills 99.99% of all bacteria and features 3D-arranged bristles on both sides to clean your teeth. It’s soft enough to prevent gum damage but strong enough to clean your teeth precisely. It can be cleansed by normal rinsing, as you would do it with regular toothbrushes.

Amabrush’s Brushing Technique

The bristles are directed in a 45° angle against your gingival cuff. This simulates the Bass method, which is recommended by dentists and experts. The bristles are comparable to soft-bristled toothbrushes. This ensures the most comfortable, safest toothbrushing and makes gum-damage impossible. We work closely with dentists and dental universities to address two concerns: clean teeth and no gum damage.

Amabrush’s One-Size-Fits-All

We analyzed over 2,000 different jaws from adult females and males. The small difference between both genders is smoothed out by the flexible material of the mouthpiece. The used material has the characteristic to fit every jaw with no abnormal teeth displacements.

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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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 PR” to see why Mr. Hoskins runs one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding PR, social media and marketing agencies that has amassed a huge social media following and is dedicated to supporting a wide variety of donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.

Brain State Technologies’ New Wearable Headband with Brainwave Correction Technology Achieves Rapid Success via Kickstarter Crowdfunding Campaign

New B2v2 headband helps relax and rebalance brain waves to reduce stress, improve quality of sleep and enhance emotional well-being

By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR

Scottsdale, Arizona – Brain State Technologies, a leading neuro-technology company, introduced the world’s first brain mirroring wellness product via Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to fund production of the new B2v2 wearable brainwave balancing headband. Over 190 backers have already pre-ordered the $195 B2v2, exceeding the original Kickstarter goal by almost 300%.

New B2v2 headband helps relax and rebalance brain waves to reduce stress, improve quality of sleep and enhance emotional well-being

Utilizing Brain State’s proprietary software, the B2v2 converts an individual’s unique brainwaves from both frontal poles and temporal lobes into corresponding music-like tones, recognizing out-of-balance brainwaves measured in real time. The wearable headband relaxes the brain by rebalancing brainwaves for stress relief and improved sleep, resulting in increased energy, more focused performance and significant enhancement of a client’s overall emotional well-being.

The new B2v2 technology is designed to help over 60 million Americans suffering from sleep deprivation and high stress levels. More than 122,000 users have been helped through Brainwave Optimization® since its introduction in 2004.

According to Lee Gerdes, Brain State CEO “Stress affects emotions, behavior, thinking ability and physical health. B2v2 helps the brain reset itself reducing the negative effects of stress. B2v2 supports the brain to move back to a naturally balanced performance pattern by reflecting each individual’s unique brain waves. It’s unlike any other technology ever developed.”

Gerdes added, “No two brains are alike. After using the B-2 over time, a user’s brain actually becomes more resilient to maintaining improvements, even when not using the device, which simply helps the body’s most important organ to self-correct and balance its circadian rhythms. The B-2 is non-invasive and users don’t have to sleep with it on.”

Thousands of current loyal users of the B-2 headband will receive a $200 discount for their B-2 headband only upgrade during the Kickstarter campaign.

The company plans to significantly surpass their initial funding goal before its conclusion on July 27. The B2v2 is available now on Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/632221988/technology-to-help-you-sleep

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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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 runs one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding PR, social media and marketing agencies that has amassed a huge social media following and is dedicated to supporting a wide variety of donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.

 

Life Science Equity Crowdfunding Site, Capital Cell, Makes Short List for Prestigious UK Business Angels Association’Best International Growth Business’ Award

The UKBAA’s Black-Tie Investment Awards 2017 Dinner will take place on July 6th, at the Dorchester Hotel, London, with over 300 leading innovators and investors assembled to celebrate

By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR

London, United Kingdom – Capital Cell, Europe’s first equity crowdfunding platform specialized in life science, has been shortlisted for the prestigious ‘Best International Growth Business‘ award at the UK Business Angels Association Investment Awards 2017.

Life Science Equity Crowdfunding Site, Capital Cell, Makes Short List for Prestigious UK Business Angels Association Best International Growth Business Award

Capital Cell is Europe’s first equity crowdfunding platform specialized in life science. Capital Cell opens life science investment to everyone by sourcing the most innovative early-stage life science companies, and presenting them on a regulated online investment platform. In recognition of their contribution to the European life science ecosystem, the company has now been shortlisted for the Best International Growth Business award at the UK Business Angels Association Investment Awards 2017.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Capital Cell has been recognized so early on in it’s expansion into the UK,” says Laura Ferguson, UK Director. “The reception to our arrival has been overwhelmingly positive from players throughout the life science ecosystem, including specialized investors such as Angels in MedCity, with whom we are collaborating closely, as well as the NHS innovation, science parks and startup incubators. It’s wonderful to have that traction formally recognized.”

“Capital Cell has proven itself as a platform for early stage investment in a very challenging environment,” Chairman Ian Tomlinson added. “We are extremely excited about scaling up in the UK, which is a global leader not only in life science innovation but also in equity crowdfunding. As an investment area, life science has the potential for both huge social impact and significant financial returns and the companies listed on Capital Cell are all trying to solve a major unmet medical need. By opening up these investment opportunities to more people we hope to be able to help the UK remain at the cutting edge of life science commercialization.”

Capital Cell has been trading in Spain for just over two years, and has successfully closed 14 life science crowdfunding campaigns, including the country’s largest life science crowdfunding campaign of over €1.2M, for a potential therapeutic cure for MS.

Scaling-up from this Spanish platform, Capital Cell UK has just launched at www.capitalcell.co.uk, with a range of companies solving unmet needs from malaria control to female fertility enhancement and autoimmune disease.

The UKBAA black-tie awards dinner will take place on July 6th, at the Dorchester Hotel, London, with 300 leading innovators and investors assembled to celebrate the best of UK business.

# # #

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 runs one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding PR, social media and marketing agencies that has amassed a huge social media following and is dedicated to supporting a wide variety of donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.

 

 

 

Myomo Becomes the First Company to List on the New NYSE MKT as Result of Filing Title IV, Reg A+ Mini-IPO Offering with the SEC

With the powered brace, a paralyzed individual can perform activities of daily living including feeding themselves, carrying objects and doing household tasks, and many are able to return to work

By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR

Cambridge, Massachusetts – Myomo, Inc. (NYSE MKT: MYO) announced the launch of its next-generation MyoPro® myoelectric arm orthosis (powered brace), the only lightweight wearable device that can restore function in the paralyzed or weakened arms and hands of individuals who have suffered a stroke, spinal cord or nerve injury, or other neuromuscular disability. With the orthosis, a paralyzed individual can perform activities of daily living including feeding themselves, carrying objects and doing household tasks, and many are able to return to work.

Even if you haven’t moved your hand and arm in years due to a neuromuscular injury or disease, it is possible that the MyoPro myoelectric orthosis may be able to help you use your arm and hand again

The product is currently being shipped to customers nationwide after a successful Title IV, Reg + crowdfunding campaign campaign conducted on Banq’s fundraising platform.

Also Read: Top 100 Equity Crowdfunding Sites in the United States

Following the intentions of the SEC, which enacted the formal rules passed by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act passed under the Obama administration in 2012, Myomo utilized Title IV, Regulation A+, also referred to as a mini Initial Public Offering (IPO), to raise a minimum target of $15 million.

Myomo is the first company to complete a mini-IPO under Reg A+. In accordance with a portion Reg A+ rules, Myomo stated its intent to list its shares on the NYSE MKT exchange soon after the Reg A+ offering closed and will be trading under the symbol “MYO.”

On opening day, NYSE MYO raised approximately $5 million by selling 665,498 shares of its common stock to the public at $7.50 per share. Share price crested on June 19th at $19.31 and is actively trading.

MyoPro 2 extends the capabilities of the previous device with significant enhancements, including interchangeable, extended-life rechargeable batteries for continuous daily use. Additional enhancements include an upgraded user interface, improved sensors and improved harness and finger grasp orthosis for more reliable and comfortable long-term wear.

MyoPro 2 is available in three models to match patient-specific needs:

• Motion E: powered elbow with static rigid wrist support;
• Motion W: powered elbow and a multi-articulating wrist with flexion/extension and supination/pronation; and
• Motion G: powered elbow, a multi-articulating wrist and a powered 3-jaw-chuck grasp.

“MyoPro 2 is the result of collaboration between our users, clinical partners and engineering team to help patients restore their activities of daily living,” said Paul R. Gudonis, Chairman and CEO of Myomo. “Early in our rollout, feedback from patients, physicians and the orthotics and prosthetics community has been very positive. We look forward to addressing the large unmet need in upper limb paralysis as we continue to bring MyoPro 2 to a larger market.”

Myomo, Inc. is a commercial stage medical robotics Company that offers expanded mobility for those suffering from neurological disorders and upper limb paralysis. Based on patented technology developed at MIT and the Company, Myomo develops and markets the MyoPro® product line of lightweight, non-invasive, powered arm braces to restore function in the paralyzed or weakened arms and hands of individuals that have suffered a stroke, spinal cord or nerve injury such as brachial plexus injury, or other neuromuscular disability such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or multiple sclerosis (MS).

It is provided through clinical relationships with VA medical centers, leading rehabilitation hospitals, and Orthotics and Prosthetics (“O&P”) practices. Several hundred have been successfully used by patients. It is the only device that, sensing a patient’s own neurological signals through non-invasive sensors on the arm, can restore their ability to use their arms and hands so that they can return to work, live independently and reduce their cost of care.

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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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 runs one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding PR, social media and marketing agencies that has amassed a huge social media following and is dedicated to supporting a wide variety of donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.

Facebook Rolls Out Crowdfunding Platform for Education, Medical, Pets, Crisis Relief, Personal Loss, Sports and Community Needs

However, with a crowdfunding platform commission fee of  6.9% + 30 cents per credit card transaction fee Facebook’s Fundraiser Service will be considerably more expensive than competitors such as GoFundMe, Indiegogo and Kickstarter

By Robert Hoskins

Menlo Park, California – Facebook is a place where people come together to connect with their communities and support one another in meaningful ways. Today, we are giving people another way to mobilize around causes they care about by expanding personal fundraisers to everyone over 18 in the US and by adding two new categories – community and sports.

Facebook Rolls Out Crowdfunding Platform and Fundraiser Service for Education, Medical, Pets, Crisis Relief, Personal Loss, Sports and Community Needs

Facebook began testing personal fundraisers, a new product that allows people to raise money for a friend, themselves or a sick pet directly on Facebook, in March. Since then, they’ve been inspired by the response to create them and the support felt by those they benefit.

People can create a fundraiser to quickly raise money on Facebook and easily reach their friends in a few taps, without leaving Facebook, and can share fundraisers to help build momentum. People can learn about the person who created the fundraiser and the person benefiting from the fundraiser, as well as see which friends have donated. Now people can raise money for any of the following categories:

• Education: such as tuition, books or classroom supplies
• Medical: such as medical procedures, treatments or injuries
• Pet Medical: such as veterinary procedures, treatments or injuries
• Crisis Relief: such as public crises or natural disasters
• Personal Emergency: such as a house fire, theft or car accident
• Funeral and Loss: such as burial expenses or living costs after losing a loved one
• Sports: such as equipment, competitions or team fees
• Community: such as neighborhood services, community improvements or environmental improvements

Nonprofit fundraisers continue to be available for people on Facebook to raise funds and awareness for 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

It’s easy to get started:

1. On mobile, tap the menu icon and select Fundraisers, or on desktop, go to facebook.com/fundraisers
2. Choose to raise money for a Friend, Yourself or Someone or Something Not on Facebook
3. Give your fundraiser a title and compelling story, and start raising money

All fundraisers are reviewed within 24 hours. Personal fundraisers are available on all devices, and have a 6.9% Facebook commission fee + $0.30 fee that goes to payment processing, fundraiser vetting, and security and fraud protection. Facebook’s goal is to create a platform for good that’s sustainable over the long-term, and not to make a profit from our charitable giving tools.

We’re constantly inspired by the good people on Facebook do, and we’re excited to learn more about how people use this new product so we can continue improving the experience.

Find out more about Facebook fundraisers at facebook.com/fundraisers.

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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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 runs one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding PR, social media and marketing agencies that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation, rewards and equity crowdfunding campaigns.

Top 10 Equity Crowdfunding Investment Opportunities for Startups Revealed at 2017 OurCrowd Global Investor Summit in Jerusalem, Israel

OurCrowd Global Investor Summit Reveals Top 10 Trending Equity Crowdfunding Investment Opportunities in Jerusalem for Global Angel, Seed-Stage and Venture Capital Investment Firms 

By Robert Hoskins

OurCrowd Investor Summit Reveals Top 10 Trending Equity Crowdfunding Investment Opportunities

Jerusalem, Israel – OurCrowd made history in the crowdfunding industry and hosted the biggest equity crowdfunding investment summit ever held in Israel called the “Startup Nation.” With more than 6,000 guests from 82 countries attending, including startups, venture capitalists and strategic investors, the event was packed with entertainment, excitement and information to capture a real vision for the future in Israel. Also in attendance were over 200 multinational corporations including Honda, Innogy, GE, Shell, Intuit, Microsoft, and Samsung Ventures.

Click here to watch more videos or Click here to see more event photos!

Over the past 12 months of working with leading ag-tech, auto-tech, bio-tech, drone-tech, fin-tech, high-tech, security-tech, space-tech and virtual-tech startups, OurCrowd has identified its top 10 investment opportunity categories of global startups and entrepreneurs equity crowdfunding that investors should be researching and considering for equity investments during 2017:

Top 10 Equity Investment Opportunities

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Go Mainstream
2. Seeing Is Believing: VR and AR Become a Critical Business Tool
3. Obey the Sound of My Voice: Voice-Driven Apps Filter Out the Noise
4. Apples and Oranges: AgTech Disrupts the World’s Oldest Industry
5. Industrial and Agricultural Drones Take Off
6. Is That a Doctor in Your Pocket? Digital Revolutionizes Healthcare
7. Here, There, Everywhere: Blockchain Applications Finally Take Hold
8. Boldly Going Where No Company Has Gone Before: SpaceTech
9. Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Becomes Critical
10. Autonomous Driving Picks Up Speed

1. Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Go Mainstream

Driven by exponentially faster computing power and cloud computing, “teaching machines” is becoming easier and more scalable, enabling AI to go mainstream across a wide range of industries: including consumer marketing and retail, entertainment, digital health, and newer areas like autonomous driving and advanced robotics.

We are most excited by companies building applications which solve real world problems, applying AI in areas that can truly have an impact on the quality of our lives.

2. VR and AR Become Critical Business Tools

Did you know that in operating rooms across the US, brain surgeons are already using Virtual Reality (VR) to rehearse and simulate surgery in order to be more effective?  VR and Augmented Reality (AR) is not just about show business, entertainment, and 3D gaming, but also about saving lives, industrial solutions, and infrastructure.

In our view, VR and AR are about to go mainstream and will be used across a wide range of sectors from sports analytics to building airplane wings. These are definitely interesting technologies to keep an eye on!

3. Voice-Driven Apps Filter Out Background Noise

Have you ever tried using Siri in a car going over 50 KPH?  Or talking to Alexa with the kids making noise in the background? Good Luck! As we all know it does not work.

However, we believe the era of voice driven computing is coming. In the last 10 years, we have moved from primarily using keyboards to swiping and using touch-screens. OurCrowd believes that in the next five years we will move to talking to our devices as the primary mode of man – machine communication.

Core voice recognition software has become almost perfect at understanding the human voice and getting our words correct. The missing ingredient is its ability to enable our machines to get a clear signal and cancel background noise so that Siri really can HEAR what we are saying.

We are excited about companies finding innovative ways of making this happen.

4. Ag-Tech Disrupts the World’s Oldest Industry – Farming

As we all know, the world oldest industry has not been known for its technological flexibility. However, these days we witness the blooming of Agriculture-related technologies for different reasons.

Traditionally farming is a family owned business and we now see how second generation of farmers are much more techie and open to adopt advanced farming technologies. In addition, the last two years have seen mass consolidation between leading players in AgTech creating deep pockets and a big appetite for acquisitions.

5. Industrial and Agricultural Drones Take Off

Over the past couple of years, we have heard a lot (maybe too much) buzz about Amazon using drones to deliver packages to your doorstep or bring you fast food on demand.

While this is fun, we think the most interesting and profitable uses of drone technologies lie within industrial and agricultural markets.

Drones are already playing critical roles in facility security, mining, oil and gas exploration, crop protection and surveying landmass. Building industrial scale drones, which are robust and reliable is difficult and challenging, but companies that can meet that challenge are where we want to focus.

6. Digital Healthcare Puts a Doctor in Your Pocket

As much as we try not to overuse this term, artificial intelligence is actually a powerful factor in the rapidly growing digital health sector. Letting us crunch old data sets from electronic medical records all the way to data collected from wearables will increase our quality of life and perhaps even prevent deaths.

Similarly, computer vision and machine learning are enabling companies to extract new insights and diagnostics from images.

7. Blockchain Applications Finally Take Hold

Timing is everything! In the buzzword competition of 2016, blockchain was the hands down winner.   Since then there have been fits and starts for this important financial technology. Many VCs have been disappointed with their investments in this sector; however, we think now is the time to take a fresh look, as this technology matures and evolves beyond Bitcoin across multiple applications such as: sharing economy, data security, logistics, and of course, banking and finance.

8. SpaceTech Goes Where No One has Gone Before

We are thrilled to see that a sector dominated by governments and states is now opening up to private ventures. NSLComm is inspiring entrepreneurs to aim high. We now see prestigious VC funds building space portfolios and enabling these ventures to take off.

In term of funding needs, what used to be super-expensive is becoming much more affordable, with standardization of hardware protocols as well as general cost reductions of consumer electronics. Satellites can now be built and launched for less than half a million dollars, creating exciting opportunities to commercialize the technology.

9. Cyber Security for Infrastructure Becomes Critical

Are you worried about your car getting hacked? How about cyber criminals sneaking in through your air conditioner or refrigerator?  Well we are too! Cybersecurity is not new; and in fact, the investing landscape is quite crowded, and the playing field is highly competitive.

But we believe the key shift for investing in the next few years will be a move from protecting IT infrastructure to protecting all infrastructure. We are excited about companies that are designing full-proof solutions to protect everything from automobiles to electric grids and everything in between.

10. Autonomous Driving Picks Up Speed

Did you really think we were going to finish this top-10 list without mentioning the most overhyped tech trend?  We all know that autonomous driving is coming, but the question is when?  Should we still pay for our kids to get drivers licenses?

Thanks to core technology expertise and industry-leading companies such as Waze and Mobileye, Israel has become a global hub of automotive innovation. Now that we have a direct flight to Boston and Silicon Valley; our #1 prediction is that the next one will be direct to Detroit.

OurCrowd is one of the world’s leading global equity crowdfunding platforms for accredited investors. Managed by a team of seasoned investment professionals and led by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved, OurCrowd vets and selects opportunities, invests its own capital, and brings companies to its accredited membership of global investors. OurCrowd provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigns industry experts as mentors, and takes board seats. The OurCrowd community of almost 17,000 investors from over 110 countries has invested over $400M into 110 portfolio companies and funds. OurCrowd already has thirteen exits to date, two IPO’s and eleven acquisitions.

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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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.

OurCrowd to Host more than 5,000 Attendees at World’s Largest Equity Crowdfunding Conference on February 16, 2017 in Jerusalem, Israel

The event will feature 110 OurCrowd portfolio companies, 200 multinational companies, investors from over 80 countries, corporate partners, entrepreneurs, global delegations, financial and industry research analysts and leading fin-tech media outlets

By Robert Hoskins

Jerusalem, Israel – OurCrowd will host the 2017 OurCrowd Global Investor Summit, which is the largest equity crowdfunding event in the world, and the biggest investor event in the Startup Nation. Now in its third year, the Summit has hosted thousands of investors, venture and corporate partners, entrepreneurs, global delegations, industry leaders and members of the press. Attendees hailing from more than 80 countries gather in Jerusalem, the capital of the Startup Nation, to celebrate the global community’s collective drive for innovation.

Israel to Host more than 5,000 at World’s Largest Equity Crowdfunding Conference on 2/16/2017

Each year, attendees come from all over the world to hear from expert industry speakers and participate in interactive programming featuring cutting-edge technologies and the future of crowd investing.  They also have the opportunity to support portfolio companies through significant fundraising and making strategic business connections to help grow their businesses.

Most of OurCrowd’s 110 portfolio companies making news are expected to participate. These include:

• Consumer Physics: together with Sichuan Changhong Electric Co., Ltd. (Changhong) and Analog Devices Inc. (ADI), demonstrating the world’s first material sensing smartphone able to scan the chemical composition of objects around it.

• MedAware: discussing the recent Harvard study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA), which validated its big data analytics and machine learning platform to identify and eliminate prescription errors.

• VocalZoom: which last year announced a partnership with Honda, recently demonstrated its optical microphone technology to enable voice control inside noisy vehicles at CES 2017.

• NSLComm: whose revolutionary expandable space antennas will transform satellite communications.

• Freightos: demonstrating their new online international freight shipping marketplace.

• Zebra Medical: discussing its machine learning platform for automated interpretation of radiological images.

“Participants at the Summit will have the opportunity to interact hands-on with many of the latest technologies changing the world,” said OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved. “The Summit provides a unique opportunity to evaluate and touch the remarkable pace of technology change together with thousands of friends and colleagues from around the world.”

Among the 100 + speakers  at the Summit will be noted author and WSJ Columnist Andy Kessler; Head of  Honda Silicon Valley Lab, Nick Sugimoto; Samsung Ventures lead  Gonzalo Martinez de Azagra; Joe Powers, Head of Commercialization, Johns Hopkins University; Horste Bente, Founder of the Dassler family backed LeAD Sports Tech Accelerator;  Andy Chan, founder of Kuaidi Taxi (Didi), which recently acquired Uber China; and Alec Ellison, former Vice Chairman of Jefferies, and new member of the OurCrowd Advisory Board.

Nick Sugimoto, Senior Program Director at Honda Silicon Valley Lab, said, “Honda has expanded and deepened our presence in the innovation ecosystem in Israel since the partnership between Honda and OurCrowd was announced at last year’s event. We are looking forward to sharing updates on our activities in Israel and meeting more potential partners who are focused on revolutionizing the future of mobility.”

Special events at the Summit will include workshops on collaborative innovation for multinationals, an investor Bootcamp, a Startup CEO interchange, investor hackathon, a due diligence drama, speed dating sessions between multinationals and startups, and the largest tech party ever thrown in Jerusalem, featuring unlimited Israeli microbrew beer tasting, plus entertainment provided by the iconic Israeli favorite band Hadag Nachash.

OurCrowd is one of the leading global equity crowdfunding platforms for accredited investors. Managed by a team of seasoned investment professionals and led by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved, OurCrowd vets and selects opportunities, invests its own capital, and brings companies to its accredited membership of global investors.

OurCrowd provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigns industry experts as mentors, and takes board seats. The OurCrowd community of over 15,000 investors from over 110 countries has invested over $320M into 110 portfolio companies and funds.

For more information and to reserve your tickets please RSVP here.

# # #

Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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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.

VerteCore Technologies Raises $344,894 for New Mobile Back Pain Relief Medical Device

Chiropractor Explaining How a VerteCore Lift Can Help Overweight Patients with Back Pain Relief

More than 740 backers will receive affordable, convenient, and comfortable back pain relief beginning July 2016

By Robert Hoskins

Dallas, Texas – VerteCore Technologies announced that the company’s Indiegogo “Instant Back Pain Relief” crowdfunding campaign continues to exceed fundraising expectations raising more than 424% of the planned crowdfunding goal of $65,000, which makes it one of the Top 10 most crowdfunded health projects on Indiegogo. To continue this momentum the crowdfunding campaign team has decided to add several more last minute perks/rewards and a Memorial Day Special for Veterans that will allow enthusiastic customers to order the new “VerteCore Lift” before the price goes back up to the MSRP of $599 on June 5, 2016.

VerteCore Technologies Soars 410% Past Indiegogo Crowdfunding Goal to $266,151

Customers will receive the VerteCore Lift and instant lower back pain relief beginning July 2016: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/vertecore-lift-receive-instant-back-pain-relief/x/10787427#/

The VerteCore Lift provides instant back pain relief for Bulging or Herniated Discs, Sciatica, Functional Scoliosis, S I Joint Disfunction, Stable Spondylolisthesis or Degenerative Disc Disease. If any of the above applies to you or a loved one, then this product was created to make your life better and give you immediate back pain relief! Please share this story with people that have these conditions.

Unlike many crowdfunding campaigns that are funding entrepreneurs who are trying to raise money to cover startup costs and/or prototype development, VerteCore’s products have been developed, tested and recommended by leading medical professionals. They see this back pain relieving, Class 1, FDA-cleared medical device as the most affordable, convenient and comfortable way to treat back pain with on-the-go spinal decompression, making it unique in the orthopedic and spine treatment industry.

“Obviously, we are extremely pleased to see such a huge demand for our VerteCore Lift and we would like to attribute our outstanding success to all of our discerning Indiegogo contributors. With a special thanks to the proactive support and planning from our crowdfunding campaign marketing partner, Robert Hoskins, Front Page PR’s Director of Crowdfunding as well as John Vaskis, Indiegogo’s Senior Director of Hardware, Technology and Design. They were all instrumental in helping us achieve our campaign’s outstanding success,” said Paul Leake, VerteCore’s Managing Director.

“Due to the heavy demand that the Indiegogo campaign has generated to date, we have decided to extend our crowdfunding campaign through June 4th in order to allow as many customers/channel partners as possible to take advantage of our specials and discounts before the price goes up,” Leake continued. “We have had added some cool new stretch goal incentives/product bundles that will make the VerteCore Lift even more attractive as our fundraising campaign comes to an end.”

“This crowdfunding campaign is a text book example of what can be achieved by utilizing a  two-month crowdfunding prep-work campaign prior to launching a crowdfunding campaign to enhance social media credentials, build a very large crowd of crowdfunding campaign supporters and generate as much positive publicity as possible before the crowdfunding campaign begins,” Hoskins added. “This process also allows companies to build relationships with new customers and engage with them to receive important pre-campaign feedback so that 99% of wrinkles can be ironed out of crowdfunding profiles, pitch videos, perks and calls-to-action prior to the fundraising effort, not during the actual crowdfunding campaign.”

For back pain customers that do not want to miss out on VerteCore’s discounts and specials, please purchase one of the remaining Indiegogo crowdfunding perks and rewards before June 4th:

• Late Bird $195 Down Payment Perk (35% Discount)
• Late Bird $369 Freedom in a Box Perk (38% Discount)
• Freedom for Two $699 Park ($350) each Perk (42% Discount)

# # #

(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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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.

Mr. Hoskins is one of the crowdfunding industry’s foremost crowdfunding advocates and has amassed a huge social media following that is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns. Due to the overwhelming demand from the general public for crowdfunding information, he empowers entrepreneurs with some of the internet’s most affordable ($20) online crowdfunding training classes, which provide insight to startups around the world on a 24 x 7 basis.

Mr. Hoskins adamantly believes that the crowdfunding industry will empower everyone in the United States to rediscover the possibility of living the American dream with a little hard work, a great business idea and the dedication to researching, planning and launching a well-thought-out crowdfunding campaign. He consults on a regular basis with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

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