Kupper Mounts Appoints Jason Morris as New Vice President of Sales to Manage Business Development Opportunities in the United States and International Markets

Kupper Bike Rack Mounts are one of the most affordable, portable, secure, convenient & quick-to-install bike racking systems in the world. They will fit any car, truck or SUV, regardless of country.

Raleigh, North Carolina – Kupper Mounts (https://kuppermounts.com), a next generation bicycle carrier manufacturer, announced today the company has appointed a new Vice President of Sales, Jason Morris, to grow the company’s bicycle accessories sales by signing up  bicycle shops and bike resellers in the United States and international distributors and/or exporters/importers that will sell Kupper Mounts into over 30 global marketplaces.

Kupper Mounts are a next generation bike rack that have very powerful suction cups that make it easy to install a bike carrier on any car, truck, van or SUV in less than two minutes. Kupper Mounts do not require a luggage rack or a trailer hitch for installation, a feature that is very popular with today’s mobile millennial cyclists.

Kupper Bike Rack Mounts are one of the most affordable, portable, secure, convenient & quick-to-install bike racking systems in the world.

Kupper Mounts also store easily in checked-bags for airline travel and solve the common problem of trying to find a bike rack that can be mounted on any rental car or SUV while on biking vacations and adventures. Kupper’s mounts work well with all types of road bikes, mountain bikes, triathlon bikes, cyclo-cross and commuter bikes.

Kupper Mounts Competitive Chart of Bike Racks and Bike Carriers

“After a very successful crowdfunding campaign we were struggling to keep up with the demand from customers who are searching for bike shops and independent bike dealers (IBD) in their local cities and towns that sell our Kupper Mounts,” said Andrew Jarrard, Kupper Mounts CEO and Founder. “As a 25-year-plus retail management veteran, sales rep and regional sales manager for various companies such as Accell Group (Raleigh, Diamondback), Dean, Janus Cycle Group, Merlin and Velosport Imports, Morris brings our team invaluable experience in setting up new independent bike dealer accounts as well as streamlining the operations of our rapidly growing sales & distribution networks.”

“I am very excited to accept my new role in setting up an independent dealer network in the United States for Kupper Mounts and look forward to expanding Kupper’s reach into international markets in Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America,” said Jason Morris, Kupper Mounts’ Vice President of Sales.

Morris continued, “In addition to being an excellent bike carrier, the great thing about Kupper Mounts bike racks is that they can be used as a great marketing tool; an effective Point of Purchase (POP) sales product that will bring more customers inside a bike shop; and, increase sales ticket totals by being able to show a new, high-end, easy to use, high-margin bike accessory that can increase accessory sales by $200 or more for every bike sold. The Kupper Mount’s Bike Rack system can also be used to hang bikes in various locations inside and outside the bike shop increasing display space.

Independent Bike Sales Reps

Kupper Mounts is now signing up new independent sales representatives with experience selling into bike shops and independent bike dealer networks.

Social Media Marketing Promotion

The company is also seeking to sign up social media marketers, influencers and brand advocates that have a special knack for promoting and selling products through social media networks.

Kupper Mounts Sales
Interested parties should call Jason Morris at (813) 616-0702 or send him an email at jason.morris@kuppermounts.com.

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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.

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Sony Global Education Launches a KOOV Indiegogo Campaign to Fund a Software Coding and Robotics Kit for the Next Generation of Innovators

KOOV is already available in Japan and China, and Sony is now looking to expand the program to the United States

By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR

San Diego, California – Sony Electronics in conjunction with Sony Global Education announced that the KOOV Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to fund a new coding and robotics kit for the next generation of young innovators has raised more than half of it crowdfunding goal.

The Sony Global Education team developed KOOV as a fresh approach to learning robotics and programming. KOOV is already available in Japan and China, and Sony is now looking to expand the program to the US in order to gain feedback and insight into the American market.

KOOV: The all-in-one coding, robotics and design kit for the next generation of innovators from Sony

KOOV is a robotics and coding educational kit made up of blocks, sensors, motors, actuators, and a companion app that teaches children core concepts about design, coding and robotics. The app also features a secure social space, where children can share their designs and code with other young inventors from around the world.

The blocks can be assembled into any shape, with the final figure capable of being controlled as a robot. The kit encourages learners to “Play” by building with 7 kinds of translucent blocks, “Code” by controlling the assembled figure through the KOOV app, and “Create” by embracing their creativity and imagination.

Sony Global Education believes that the teaching materials for robotics and programming will play a major role in cultivating STEM literacy and nurturing the next generation of problem solvers.

KOOV was built on the belief that STEM learning tools should be accessible to all children.  Through the use of inclusive colors, shareable design and the goal of building a foundation for future STEM learning, Sony hopes to attract parents of children 8 to 14 years old, with equal emphasis on boys and girls.

Pre-orders are available for a limited time beginning June 20th via Indiegogo, with product scheduled to ship to backers in early December. The suggested retail price is $359 for the Starter Kit and $499 for the Advanced Kit with limited quantities available at discounts of up to 40% for early backers.  Interested consumers can learn more about KOOV, and place preorders at https://igg.me/at/KOOV.

 

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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.

X SUIT Zips Past $100,000 on Kickstarter Crowdfunding Campaign as Demand Quickly Grows for the Suit of the Future

XYZ Groups’ Fashion-Tech Stretch Suit is liquid and stain repellent, wrinkle resistant, odor proof, has 12 travel pockets and is made of 100% stretch material

By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR

Shanghai, China – The X SUIT, made for young professionals, the corporate manager and all men in between who want to look sharp and modern while they dress in comfort, has more than doubled its $50,000 crowdfunding during the first week of it Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.

XYZ Group’s modern and stylish X SUIT is transforming functional fashion technology. It’s the world’s first full stretch suit; liquid & stain repellent, wrinkle resistant and odor proof

According to X SUIT’s designer Max Perez, “X SUITS accommodate a high level of activity and movement for the young modern business professional, and can be worn for days without showing signs of wear or odor.”

The X Shell Fabric is equipped with four-way stretch capabilities and an elasticized lining, allowing the wearer to experience a full range of motion which is unattainable in a traditional suit. The added Tensile Thread allows the seams to move with the garment, adding durability.

Perez says, “The suit’s durability over several days also makes it the ultimate in travel accessories.”

The X SUITS’ X Shield® has both liquid- and stain-repellency and can adapt to any weather situation or unfortunate spill. The technology repels liquids and stains alike, keeping the X SUIT looking sharp and clean. Simply pouring water over any stain will cause it to roll off the fabric.

The X Shield further equips the X SUIT with Wrinkle Defense technology making it the perfect travel suit. The X SUIT can be packed in any suitcase and come out without wrinkles.

X SUITS’ inner lining has been specially paneled with X Membrane® to Neutralize Odors and keep it smelling fresh all day and night. Each fiber in the lining attracts, isolates, and neutralizes odors immediately, and with quick dry capabilities, keeps sweat stains to a minimal.

The X SUIT is offered in 14 custom sizes and will sell at the fraction of the cost of a similar product. Kickstarter backers will receive their suits approximately three months after funding.

X SUIT Features include:

• 12 discrete pockets for specific functionality
• Wrinkle-free and easily packable – perfect for corporate travel
• Phone compartment holds any size phone
• Modern yet classic design
• Four-way stretch fabric with shape retention
• Elasticized, flexible waistband construction
• Odor Neutralizing and Quick Dry Lining
• Liquid and Stain Repellent
• Metal anodized buttons and zippers
• Minimized maintenance and dry-cleaning

Perez says X SUIT is an ideal choice for the young professional who wants to look sharp and modern, and for the corporate manager who is looking for comfort in his work apparel.

“This is the suit for the stylish man on the go, and it’s the only suit he will ever need,” Perez added. “Our stretch fabric and lining makes the suit fit like its tailor-made. We reduce fabric in areas such as the arms and waist to give the suit a true fitted appearance without feeling stiff or binding.”

X SUIT was created by XYZ Group, which is based in Shanghai and run by Canadian brothers Max, Reouven and Nathaniel Perez. The Perez brothers are veteran apparel manufacturers with more than 30 years combined garment manufacturing experience.

Their manufacturing partners have contributed to some of the world’s most prestigious brands, including suits in the Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein and Zara lines and is highly skilled with technology applications and tailoring.

XYZ Group and their manufacturing partners have spent more than two years creating and testing dozens of prototypes to arrive at the X SUIT design. They intend to continue to create smart, stylish and comfortable fashion for people on the go.

# # #

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.

ROBOSEA’s Bionic Unmanned Underwater Drone, BIKI, Zooms to More than 375% of Its Kickstarter Crowdfunding Goal

Full of tech features and operated through a controller or personal mobile device app, the unmanned underwater device with built-in GPS can maneuver nearly anywhere, at a depth of up to 196 feet, using advanced bionics technology

By Robert Hoskins

Los Angeles, California -Boya Gongdao (Beijing) Robot Technology Co., Ltd. (Robosea) launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to fund one of the world’s first bionic underwater drones, the BIKI, which is also the only underwater robot featuring automated balance, obstacle avoidance, and return to base. By supporting a 4K camera, BIKI presents you with the best view from underwater. BIKI is the smallest, but also the strongest. Through this intelligent robot fish, you can visualize the underwater world from a completely new perspective. BIKI is not only an almighty underwater drone but also a robot pet full of emotions. Now, just tell BIKI what you want to do!

BIKI is the world’s first bionic underwater drone that is also the only underwater robot featuring automated balance, obstacle avoidance, and can automatically return to its starting GPS coordinates

Robosea has implemented an advanced bionics technology into BIKI that they previously invented and developed for the first underwater robot with dual reconfigurable tail fin. This was used to operate in Antarctic Regions, where the underwater robot played a significant role in the anthropic exploration into unknown territory. And the BIKI unmanned underwater drone can easily be controlled with a physical controller or app on your mobile device.

BIKI’s bionic design minimizes the volume and weight that’s 30 percent more efficient than other UUVs on the market today and includes an infrared positioning sensor, allowing the drone, which resembles a fish, to avoid obstacles automatically and adapt to different complex environments intelligently.

“BIKI can maneuver just about anywhere, and with the use of our trademarked exclusive Robosea Algorithm and set in IMU (inertial measurement unit), it can keep its balance in the water – allowing BIKI self-stabilization to provide smooth videos and sharp photos through its camera platform,” said Dr. Minglei Xiong, CEO of Robosea.

4k video and pictures captured can easily be shared via live transmission to personal mobile devices and social media. In the case of a lost connection, a built-in GPS module makes BIKI automatically return to base or send real-time locations to mobile devices.

“You can also design your own routes for BIKI and, if transmission is somehow lost, it will automatically return to base – all the while sending its real-time location to your mobile device,” added Xiong. “In addition to 4K UHD video, BIKI also supports 16-megapixel photography at 30 fps that offers the best view from underwater – even when operating at high-speed motion or in darkness.”

BIKI operates for up to 90-120 minutes on a single charge, and can operate at depths of nearly 200 feet.

BIKI features include:

• Advanced Bionics Tech

With bionic design, BIKI UUV minimizes the volume and weight, and increases the efficiency by 30%.
Able to get into everywhere.

• Automated Balance

Principle: IMU (inertial measurement unit) and exclusive algorithm ROBOSEA™.
Result: keep balance in the water.

• Automated Obstacle Avoidance

Principle: infrared positioning sensor.
Result: adapt to complex environment intelligently.

• Automated Return to Base

Principle: built-in GPS module.
Result: automatically return to base and send real-time location to your mobile devices.

• 4K ultra-high definition (UHD) resolution of 3840 pixels × 2160 lines (8.3 megapixels, aspect ratio 16:9)
• Compact size (weight of 2.4 pounds, 10.47-inch length, 4.17-inch Width and 5.83-inch height)
• Durable open shell
• IMU (inertial measurement unit)
• ROBOSEA algorithm
• Underwater suspension
• 1.12 mph fishtail-driven design
• 196-foot maximum depth
• 55db ultra silent
• 150° Wide-Angle Lens
• 32 GB Internal Memory
• 2*114 Lumen Lights
• Wireless control and transmission
• Route customization
• 90-120 minutes of video shooting

BIKI also applies the technology of ABS crashworthiness and resistance-to-weathering, so no matter what difference in temperature from 32-158°F (0 to 70°C), corrosive offshore environments, or under long-term sunlight, BIKI will always remain in perfect condition.

Boya Gongdao (Beijing) Robot Technology Co., Ltd. (Robosea) is an entrepreneurial technology company focusing on highly-precise technology development, which mainly engages in R&D of underwater robot and automation equipment, as well as robotic technology training and service.

Robosea’s existing self-developed products include: underwater unmanned aerial vehicle, biomimetic robot fish, water quality monitoring and pollution regulating robots, etc. The founder of the company is Dr. Xiong Minglei from intelligent control room of engineering Institute of Peking University, who develop industry-university-research cooperation with a R&D team consisting of doctors and masters.

# # #

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.

Chinese Entrepreneurship Global Study Shows Staggering Increase in Shenzhen and Hong Kong Entrepreneur Activities Compared to 64 Competitive Countries Worldwide

Experts advocate the two cities join force in formation of complementary advantages to foster international competitiveness for entrepreneurship

By Robert Hoskins

Hong Kong, China – New research released by the professors of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School’s Center for Entrepreneurship (CfE) and Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)’s School of Business shows that entrepreneurship in Hong Kong and Shenzhen is on the rise.

A collaborative effort by CUHK CfE, HKBU School of Business, the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Business and Economics, Shenzhen Academy of Social Science and Savantas Policy Research Institute, the research titled “Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Hong Kong and Shenzhen Report 2016-17” provides a detailed analysis of the current status of entrepreneurship in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

The GEM Study Compares the Results with Past Indicators for Ecosystems and Provides an International Benchmark with 64 Other Economies Worldwide

The study compares the results with past indicators for both ecosystems and provides an international benchmark with 65 economies worldwide. It is part of the global initiative, 180-page Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Research Report, the world’s foremost comparative entrepreneurship study and a trusted resource on entrepreneurship for key international organizations such as the United Nations, World Economic Forum, World Bank and more.

In the recent few years, Hong Kong and Shenzhen have experienced an explosive growth in the start-up support ecosystem. The GEM Hong Kong and Shenzhen Report 2016-17 shows that the start-up rates recorded a staggering increase in Hong Kong and Shenzhen from 2009 to 2016. In mid-2016, the early-stage entrepreneurial activity among the adult population was estimated at 9.44 percent (3.64 percent in 2009) in Hong Kong and 16.04 percent (4.8 percent in 2009) in Shenzhen.

The growth has been driven by a rapid increase in Shenzhen’s new (+284 percent) and Hong Kong’s growth in nascent businesses (+206 percent) in comparison with 2009 statistics. The prevalence rates of established businesses recorded an increase as well: +389 percent for Shenzhen and +109 percent for Hong Kong. It is worth noting that while entrepreneurship rates are on the rise in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, they are declining in other places in China. Both cities have developed a separate start-up culture and entrepreneurial ecosystem that operate independently from the rest of the Mainland.

The positive changes were not limited to early entrepreneurship rates only. The research team also observed a major shift in attitudes and entrepreneurial intentions. In particular, 56.8 percent of the adult population perceives start-up opportunities in Hong Kong. In Shenzhen, the same proportion of individuals who declared they possessed necessary skills and knowledge to start a new business (35.8 percent), also reported their intention to start a business in the next two years (36 percent).

Comparing to 2009, the population with entrepreneurial intentions in Hong Kong grew from 7.3 percent to 19.7 percent in 2016, representing an impressive increase of +170 percent. Similarly, in Shenzhen the intentions grew from 17.6 percent to 36 percent, an increase of +105 percent. According to the study, cultural conditioning and attitudes towards entrepreneurship, perception of own skills, and exposure to entrepreneurship practices all had a positive impact on intentions to start businesses. Successful entrepreneurs are also regaining their high status and are promoted by local media in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

In terms of financial support, Hong Kong early-stage firms have lower capital requirements than that of their Shenzhen counterparts, which may be related to the lower technological intensity of Hong Kong firms. 92 percent of nascent entrepreneurs in the two cities declared that their principal source of financial support was their own savings. The role of the family in financing new ventures is still significant in Shenzhen, but not so much in Hong Kong.

Banks are also more supportive of startups in Shenzhen than in Hong Kong and so are venture capitalists, which could be explained by a higher prevalence of start-ups with profound market impact. In Hong Kong, on the other hand, crowdfunding is more prevalent as the source of capital for early-stage businesses, a sign of a more established product innovation.

Aligned with higher entrepreneurship rates, the research team also found a growing culture of informal investors developing in both cities. Shenzhen observed a much higher informal investment prevalence rate (20.5 percent) than Hong Kong (6.5 percent) of the adult population. In fact, Hong Kong and Shenzhen informal investors were two of the most generous among all economies in the study with a contribution of US$70,565 and US$76,112 respectively.

The study has also recorded a dramatic change in investment patterns for Shenzhen. While in 2009 individuals were rather investing in family members, in 2016, friends and neighbors had been the first choice which was aligned with that of Hong Kong.

In addition, the research team interviewed 39 Hong Kong and 37 Shenzhen experts in the field of entrepreneurship about their opinions on how the cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen that would increase the cities’ international competitiveness. The most frequent recommendation was to leverage the natural industry compatibilities between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Other recommendations include:

• Joint development of industries such as Internet-of-Things, Smart City, Health Tech, Edu Tech, Fintech or E-commerce
• Joint R&D initiatives aiming at cross-border innovation, sharing of talents and intensification of knowledge exchange
• Introduction of joint or cross-border education to develop a shared cultural understanding of each other through opening more world-class academic institutions catering to students from both sides of the border
• Coordinating government policies for entrepreneurship between the two economies, e.g. joint visas for entrepreneurs that would facilitate cross-border operations of many start-ups

“If Hong Kong and Shenzhen join forces in the formation of complementary advantages on entrepreneurship, it would strengthen the international and Mainland competitiveness for both,” said Prof. Kevin Au, Associate Director of CUHK CfE and Associate Professor of the Department of Management at CUHK Business School. “This can be the first step towards the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen megalopolis.”

“Hong Kong and Shenzhen are facing a fantastic opportunity: that of being in the perfect position to build a highly unique and internationally competitive start-up hub with an unparalleled ecosystem compatibility between the two cities and a supportive informal investment culture,” said Dr. Marta K. Dowejko, Research Assistant Professor in Entrepreneurship of the Department of Management at HKBU School of Business. “While Shenzhen’s start-ups are well geared to deliver innovative ideas with high growth potential, Hong Kong’s entrepreneurs possess the know-how in taking ideas to the next level and ensuring their long-term sustainability. The results from this year’s GEM report give testament to this unique setup that no other place in the world has.”

# # #

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.

 

China, India and the US to Dominate the Global Digital Fintech Platform Economy; Much of Europe Lags Behind

Majority of Businesses and Economies Are Not Ready for Digital Platforms, Accenture Research Shows

By Robert Hoskins

New York, New York – Research released by Accenture (NYSE:ACN) reveals that despite the potential for small and traditional businesses to become successful digital fintech platform companies, as few as 10 percent of new start-ups focused on digital platform business models will become profitable independent entities in the coming years. The analysis also reveals that China, India and the U.S. will dominate the platform economy by 2020, and that the gulf between countries will increase. To help bridge this gap, the report outlines five critical steps businesses and governments can take to succeed.

Five Factors for a Successful Digital Fintech Platform Ecosystem

Accenture’s report Five Ways to Win with Digital Platforms, published in collaboration with the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance, assesses the ability of 16 G20 economies to support the flourishing of digital platforms. It shows that the UK and Germany join China, India and the U.S. at the top of the Accenture Platform Readiness Index, but other emerging markets and European economies are predicted to lag behind, lacking sufficient business and socio-economic enabling conditions.

“When you think of digital platforms, think of China and India as much as the U.S. These economies are using the power of platforms to create large scale markets very rapidly,” said Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s Chief Technology Officer. “Many European economies are in danger of missing out in the platform economy. Multi-stakeholder cooperation is required to address the fragmented digital markets and to support the greater levels of digital enterprise and consumption that successful platform businesses need.”

Accenture’s analysis shows $20bn was invested in digital platforms between 2010 and 2015 in 1,053 publicly announced deals. More than half of this investment took place between 2014 and 2015. It also shows that rankings on the Platform Readiness Index strongly correlate to the levels of digital platform activity and investment in G20 countries.

The report recommends that governments engage with businesses leaders to advance a range of policies that can create a rich enabling environment for digital platforms including the following actions:

1.			Prioritize data protection standards and rules: Drive the harmonization of data privacy and data security legislation. Smooth cross-border data transfers.
2.			Design regulations with digital platforms in mind: Experiment with regulations alongside new technologies and business models. For instance, the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority’s “regulatory sandbox” allows start-ups to test ideas without immediately incurring all the normal regulatory consequences.
3.			Encourage cross-border electronic trade. Harmonize taxes and standards, consumer protection, contract laws and logistics infrastructure. The eWorld Trade Platform (eWTP), initiated by B20 China, aims to accelerate international policy collaboration to support SMEs.1
4.			Invest in digital infrastructure: For example, the E.U.’s Payment Services Directive (PSD2) will empower start-ups to expand customer reach and encourage innovative business models.
5.			Think small, act big: Educate SMEs on alternative funding, such as crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending; and on data privacy and consumer protection. Support SMEs with digital economic zones to support e-commerce.

Five ways to succeed

Accenture notes that only 15 percent of Fortune 100 companies have developed digital platform business models to date Successful digital platforms will proliferate as small businesses and traditional industries follow the lead set by digital-born platform companies. Accenture identifies five factors critical to sustaining critical mass in digital platforms, which use new technologies to create large scale markets of customers and service providers:

1.			Proposition: Create differentiated platform services that extend beyond the point of transaction; and that support both customers on the demand side and service providers on the supply side.
2.			Personalization: Target customers through tailored experiences across all channels, using customer data to anticipate needs and offer bespoke experiences.
3.			Price: Apply new pricing models, such as pay-as-you-go, ‘freemiums’, and subscription pricing to respond to peak demand.
4.			Protection: Embed trust at the heart of the platform, using both prevention and compensation techniques to attract customers and differentiate the platform.
5.			Partners: Scale the platform rapidly by identifying digital partners – such as app developers and payment service providers – who can enrich the platform experience and fulfill customer needs.

“Digital platforms are not just the preserve of digital born companies, like Airbnb and Alibaba, but are now becoming a default business model in most industry sectors, both B2B and B2C,” said Francis Hintermann, managing director, Accenture Research. “To enjoy efficiencies and high rates of growth, companies will need to transform everything from the way they co-create goods and services with third parties, tailor their offerings to customers, and price them dynamically. Crucially, they will only sustain critical mass by working with digital partners who can deliver the range of functional services that complete the customer experience.”

# # #

(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.

Mr. Hoskins consults on a regular basis with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

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.

JD.com Launches Equity Crowdfunding Platform to Promote Entrepreneurship and Startups in Beijing, China

Among the first 11 companies to raise funds on the JD Equity Crowdfunding platform, three were featured at the launch event, including Thunderobot, Fastwheel and WeBuzz

By Robert Hoskins

Beijing, China – JD.com, Inc. announced that it has launched a series of initiatives to help finance, develop and promote the creation of start-ups in China. The new JD Equity Crowdfunding platform, which builds upon JD.com’s success in the area of Internet finance, is expected to be China’s largest equity crowdfunding platform upon its launch.

JD.com Launches Equity Crowdfunding Platform to Promote Entrepreneurship in China

JD Equity Crowdfunding, which expands the range of offerings from JD Crowdfunding, will leverage JD.com’s nationwide brand and reputation for authenticity in the e-commerce space to give China’s entrepreneurs access to a broad set of potential early-stage investors. The new platform will provide a unique range of training and support options for companies throughout the entire start-up lifecycle, giving entrepreneurs a greater chance at success.

The JD.com initiatives, anchored by JD Equity Crowdfunding, will help to create an ecosystem supporting start-ups from the funding through the online sales stages of development. In addition to capital through crowdfunding, companies will have access new training courses provided by JD.com and seasoned investors and entrepreneurs, as well as to the company’s broader Internet financing tools. In addition, they will be able to sell their products through the company’s e-commerce platform, leveraging JD.com’s unparalleled last-mile delivery network and reputation for trust and reliability.

The company today also announced the first 11 companies to raise funds on the JD Equity Crowdfunding platform. Among these projects, three were featured at the launch event, including Thunderobot, Fastwheel and WeBuzz, which focus on the areas of gaming laptops, personal transportation devices and social media, respectively.

“I know from personal experience how important it is for entrepreneurs to have access to knowledge and early funding,” said Richard Liu, founder and Chief Executive Officer of JD.com. “As the leader in Chinese e-commerce, JD.com is ideally positioned to create a premium platform to give China’s early-stage companies access to resources and seed capital from a broad range of investors. With the advantages of JD.com’s national brand, resources and commitment to supporting early-stage companies, we are confident that JD.com will become the leading platform for equity crowdfunding in China. We look forward to creating innovation and value for investors, consumers and start-ups.”

“The launch of JD Equity Crowdfunding marks a major step forward in JD.com’s vision of providing a wider range of fundraising options than have traditionally been available to China’s entrepreneurs,” said Shengqiang Chen, CEO of JD Finance. “We are dedicated to developing an ecosystem that ensures China’s most innovative entrepreneurs have access to the support they need for success, from early fundraising and training, to an outstanding national e-commerce distribution network.”

Under the JD Equity Crowdfunding model, each investment project will be led by a professional investment manager, from either a venture capital (VC) firm or from a company with similar experience, who will be responsible for working directly with the investee companies and ensuring clear and transparent communications with investors. Participating VCs who will help develop JD.com’s ecosystem for start-up companies include Capital Today, ZhenFund and Sequoia Capital. As part of the program, JD.com will take a small equity stake in the projects that successfully raise funding through JD Equity Crowdfunding.

JD Equity Crowdfunding will join JD.com’s reward-based crowdfunding platform, which launched in July 2014 and has so far helped start-ups raise more than RMB280 million. More than 90% of JD Crowdfunding projects have successfully reached their fundraising goals. Among the successful projects are 69 with a target of RMB1 million and another seven with a target of RMB10 million. JD is now the largest crowdfunding platform in China, contributing about a third of all money raised through crowdfunding in the country.

JD.com, Inc. is the leading online direct sales company in China. The Company strives to offer consumers the best online shopping experience. Through its content-rich and user-friendly website jd.com and mobile applications, JD.com offers a wide selection of authentic products at competitive prices and delivers products in a speedy and reliable manner. The Company believes it has the largest fulfillment infrastructure of any e-commerce company in China. JD.com operated 7 fulfillment centers and a total of 123 warehouses in 40 cities, and in total 3,210 delivery stations and pickup stations in 1,862 counties and districts across China, staffed by its own employees. The Company provided same-day delivery in 134 counties and districts under its 211 program and next-day delivery in another 866 counties and districts across China as of December 31, 2014.

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Grameen China and JD.com Launch Crowdfunding Microfinance Platform to Eliminate Poverty in China

Project kicks off partnership to help alleviate poverty in rural Chinese communities

By Robert Hoskins

Beijing, China – JD.com (NASDAQ: JD), China’s largest online direct sales company, and Grameen China, the China-based entity of Grameen Trust (“GT”), a non-profit and non-government organization committed to the cause of poverty alleviation, announced that they have reached an agreement on a strategic partnership inChina.

Grameen China and JD.com Launch Crowdfunding Microfinance Project in China

The partnership will use JD.com’s crowdfunding platform to raise money to establish Grameen China’s ground operations, and future cooperation will likely also use the platform to provide micro-loans for entrepreneurs in rural areas of China, which have been underserved by the traditional banking system. To kick off the partnership, JD Finance, the finance business unit of JD.com, and Grameen China today launched a crowdfunding microfinance project, led by Nobel Laureate and GT founder Mahammad Yunus, a pioneer in microcredit and microfinance.

On December 17, 2014, Mr. Yunus and Richard Liu, Founder and CEO of JD.com, will host a fundraising breakfast to formally launch the partnership between JD.com and Grameen China. Tickets to attend the event are available at z.jd.com, with proceeds to support Grameen China’s efforts in the country.

“JD.com is extremely proud to provide a platform for Grameen Trust, the global leader in microfinance, and Mahammad Yunus to expand their groundbreaking work helping to alleviate poverty in China by empowering rural entrepreneurs,” Mr. Liu said. “In line with our vision to give back to the communities that have made us successful, we look forward to drawing on the expertise of Grameen Trust to strengthen JD.com’s microfinance and crowdfunding efforts to more effectively empower people living in rural areas of China.”

Mr. Zhan Gao, President and CEO of Grameen China, commented, “The partnership between Grameen China and JD.com is a landmark step in the development of China’s nascent microfinance efforts. Grameen’s expertise in empowering people in rural areas to lift themselves out of poverty, combined with JD.com huge user base and reach into targeted areas, provides a tremendous opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives.”

“It is a great honor to work with Grameen China to develop programs that will help provide crowdfunding platforms for people in the Chinese countryside to build businesses and improve their lives,” said Nathan Yao, Vice President at JD Finance. “JD Finance will continue to look for ways to promote our business while bringing real benefits to traditionally underserviced segments of society.”

JD Crowdfunding was launched on July 1, 2014 and has collected more than RMB 100 million for innovative projects. In what JD.com believes was the largest crowdfunding project to date in China, on October 22, 2014 JD.com raised more than RMB 11.2 million from more than 3,500 people to fund a company developing advanced air purifiers.

In June 2014, JD.com launched its own microfinancing project, JD Hometown Delivery Program, to provide small loans to eligible Company couriers to establish and operate JD.com delivery stations in their hometowns. More than 200 delivery stations in rural areas have been established to date.

JD.com, Inc. on of the leading online direct sales company in China. The Company strives to offer consumers the best online shopping experience. Through its content-rich and user-friendly website and mobile applications, JD.com offers a wide selection of authentic products at competitive prices and delivers products quickly and reliably.

The Company believes it has the largest fulfillment infrastructure of any e-commerce company in China. JD.com operates 7 fulfillment centers and a total of 118 warehouses with an aggregate gross floor area of approximately 2.3 million square meters in 39 cities, and 2,045 delivery stations and 1,045 pickup stations in 1,855 counties and districts across China, staffed by its own employees. The Company provided same-day delivery standard in 130 counties and districts under its 211 program and next-day delivery in another 815 counties and districts across China as of September 30, 2014.

Grameen China is a social enterprise of microfinance. It was founded by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus in 2014. Grameen China provides microloans, financial education and support network to women who live in poverty in rural China to build small businesses. Grameen China opened its first office on July 2014 in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province.

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Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites Increase by an Average of 524% based on the United States Fastest Growing Internet Traffic Research Report

Over the past 12 months the top 10 crowdfunding sites have experienced exponential growth. Click here to research their website statistics to see what type of advertising, content marketing, email marketing, geographic locations, mobile wireless apps,  search engine results (SEO), social media, and referral partners are driving the world’s fastest growing crowdfunding rewards and equity investment websites

The Top 10 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites in the United States Increase Internet Traffic by an Average of 524%

By Robert Hoskins

Austin, Texas – Want to know who the Top 100 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding sites  in the world are? The graph above shows the top 10 crowdfunding sites based on their website’s internet traffic. From a competitive analysis standpoint it might make you wonder how these companies are growing at such a phenomenal rate.

What type of marketing campaigns are they running to achieve this success?  Advertising? Email Marketing? Affiliate Marketing? Referral Partners? Direct Traffic?  Search Engine Results?  Alexa provides a little bit of information, Compete has even less, but SimilarWeb is building a great business by providing a ton of competitive information that up and coming crowdfunding sites and crowdfunding campaign managers can use to improve their marketing efforts.

Want to see the competitive analysis marketing report for each of the sites below? Simply click the % link for each one and you’ll be able to see what type of marketing campaigns are driving these sites’ traffic, where that traffic is coming from, where their visitors are going next, plus a whole lot more.

For examples, scroll down to the bottom of this page to see what types of marketing programs are driving the top 10 crowdfunding site’s rapid acceleration of website traffic.

If you would like to receive an Excel Spreadsheet that has last year’s statistics, this year’s stats, as well as the list of the Top 100 Crowdfunding Sites sorted by overall global ranking, fastest growing and biggest losses in website traffic, then follow these instructions to receive a free copy:

     1st – Follow @Crowdfunding PR, click here to send a Connect Request via Linkedin, or do both.

     2nd – Tweet us a message that says, “Please send me a copy of the #Top100CrowdfundingSites”

     3rd – We’ll follow you back and send a Direct Message for your email address

    4th – Want to improve your crowdfunding site’s results/ranking? Call us at (512) 627-6622. Front Page PR will put together an aggressive marketing program to improve your competitive position!

Overall Rank	Top 10 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Websites	Past 12 Months
#5	FundingCircle	1946%
#3	Angel List	760%
#8	YouCaring	597%
#4	LendingClub	440%
#13	Crowdrise	429%
#2	GoFundMe	360%
#10	GiveForward	355%
#7	Quirky	222%
#9	JustGiving	82%
#12	Kiva	52%

 

1st Place = FundingCircle

FundingCircle makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

2nd Place = Angel List

Angel List makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

3rd Place = YouCaring

YouCaring makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

4th Place = LendingClub

LendingClub makes Top 10 List of the Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

5th Place = Crowdrise

Crowdrise makes Top 10 List of the Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

6th Place = GoFundMe

GoFundMe makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

7th Place = GiveForward

GiveForward makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

8th Place = Quirky

Quirky makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

9th Place = JustGiving

JustGiving makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

10th Place = Kiva

Kiva makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide