FinMason Launches Fin-Tech Accelerator Program that Provides Startups with Free Access to Investment Analytics

The FinSpring accelerator is a six-month program for start-ups that share a mission of educating investors / advisors in order to help them make better investment and retirement planning decisions

By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR

Boston, Massachusetts – FinMason, a Boston-based FinTech and investment analytics firm, is helping industry start-ups overcome one of the biggest challenges faced during the development stage – accessing high quality investment analytics. The firm announced the launch of FinSpring, an initiative that will provide free access to FinRiver, a set of flexible and lightning-fast investment analytics APIs.

Finmason – Institutional Grade Analytics that Investors Actually Understand

“FinTech start-ups face tremendous competition in the marketplace and pressure from their investors to quickly achieve their business goals,” said Kendrick Wakeman, CFA, CEO and founder of FinMason. “We feel that many start-ups and potential start-ups are held back because of the time and expense of building robust analytics platforms. FinSpring lets smart entrepreneurs put analytics anywhere in their product with just a simple API call, leaving them free to focus on prototyping, getting to market and solving consumer problems.”

The FinSpring accelerator is a six-month program available to start-ups that meet four criteria: share a mission of educating investors or advisors to make more informed investment and retirement planning decisions; operational less than two years; under $500,000 in revenue; and, have raised no more than $1 million in funding.

Wealth technology start-ups accepted into the FinSpring program will have access to more than 700 analytical data types, including risk and performance metrics, aggregate factor exposures, scenario analysis and stress testing.

“Part of the strength of the APIs is their simple structure,” said Bob Leaper who runs the FinSpring program at FinMason. “You send us a simple API call containing a list of securities, a list of their weights in the portfolio, and a string of request codes telling us what analytics you want. We then perform the calculations, package the results into a JSON object, and send it back to you. Usually, we do this in under 21 milliseconds. That instantly puts a start-up on even ground with the biggest firms in the world.”

FinMason is a Boston-based financial technology and investment analytics firm dedicated to providing tools that help financial advisors and their clients move forward with confidence. FinMason’s cutting-edge platform analyzes millions of global investments and delivers institutional-grade analytics at scale via three core products:

• FinRiver provides financial technology platforms with robust analytics and proprietary data sets via lightning-fast APIs;
• FinScore Pro provides financial advisors with a quick, intuitive and uncomplicated risk assessment tool that systematically develops a mutually understandable, bright-line agreement on risk from each client and prospect; and
• FinScope provides compliance teams with a way to screen through each client portfolio every night with robust analytics to detect problems before they become problems.

# # #

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.

Advertisement

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

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

By Robert Hoskins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

# # #

Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

---

Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

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

Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

Crowdfunding PR Offers Startups New Service to Build Investor Databases for Title III and Title IV Reg. A+ Mini IPO Crowdfunding Campaigns to Target Precise Lists of Angel, Venture Capital and Private Equity Investors

Investor relations teams can now search through over 175,000 angel, equity and venture capital investors, analyze 575,000 of their prior investments and then target a very precise list of potential investors

By Robert Hoskins

Crowdfunding PR Shows Startups How to Build Investor Databases for Title III and Title IV, Reg. A+ Crowdfunding Campaigns to Target Precise Lists of Angel, Private Equity and VC Investors

New York City, New York – Crowdfunding PR’s new investor marketing database service allows equity crowdfunding campaign managers to drill down inside private equity and venture capital firms to find highly-qualified principals, partners, portfolio managers and family offices with the highest propensity to invest in their type of product/service and do sorts by vertical business segments, by geographical locations and by types of deals such as seed capital, private equity, series A/B, late-stage funding rounds and many, many other searchable financial database sorting characteristics, variables and demographics.

“The greatest challenge for startups, entrepreneurs and growing small businesses is finding potential angel investors, private equity investors and/or building out their own private investment syndicate of investors with a high propensity to invest in similar types deals as the one they want to pitch to investors,” said Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR’s Director of Investor Relations. “The same need is present for the hundreds of new equity crowdfunding platforms that have launched new equity crowdfunding platforms in the past twelve months. Crowdfunding PR can utilize the investor database to market any deal on any equity crowdfunding platform to a very wide, but yet very precise and carefully selected list of angel, private equity and VC investors.”

The new investor database provides private investment information on the end-to-end fundraising process. From initial exits to fund returns, it offers the best information available for the complete lifecycle of private investing. This includes Limited Partner (LP) commitments, fundraising, remaining dry powder in funds, deals, company evaluations and fund performance as well as the service providers, executives, and lead partners behind the deals.

The private investor database provides clients with access to stats to build pitch books, contacts to setup road tours, run private and public comps, source co-investors, model cash flows, conduct competitive analysis, follow the entire venture capital (VC) marketplace, build and expand investor networks, target deal makers and identify private equity (PE) and VC firms actively doing deals. The quality of work that can be turned around on a compressed timeline is nothing short of amazing and will be 10 times more efficient and 3 times to 5 times more accurate than other types of private investment information that can be found online via Google and LinkedIn.

If your startup or existing business needs help building and an investor database, creating an effective pitch deck, building a direct email marketing program and/or scheduling an investor “dog and pony” roadshow, please call Robert Hoskins at (512) 627-6622 or contact him via @Crowdfunding_PR on Twitter.

Crowdfunding PR’s
Investor Marketing Database

Access a Huge Database of Potential Investors

• Angels
• VCs
• Portfolio Managers
• Lead Partners
• Deal Details
• Partners

Drill Down to Develop Precise Investor Targets

• Deal experience
• Board seats
• Biography
• Education
• LinkedIn profiles
• LinkedIn connections
• Phone and email contact information

Analyze Investor’s Past/Current Deals

• Angel & seed
• Venture
• Buyouts
• Secondary transactions
• Mergers & acquisitions
• Debt financings
• Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)
• Valuations, terms & multiples
• Cap tables
• Participants
• Deal history
• Exits & IPOs

Perform Competitive Analysis of Funded Companies/Deal Structures

• Startup and angel-backed companies
• Venture capital-backed companies
• Private equity-backed companies
• Mature private companies
• Public companies
• Strategic acquirers
• Key private company financials
• Full public company fundamentals

Gather In-depth Competitor News & Big Data Analytics

• News stories
• Quarterly reports
• Data visualization
• Custom analytics

# # #

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 on a regular basis 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.

United Overseas Bank Partners with OurCrowd to Offer Equity Crowdfunding Support for Startups Participating in UOB’s Singapore FinLab Accelerator Program and other Cities throughout Asia

With a full Capital Market Services (CMS) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) OurCrowd is now able to market its equity crowdfunding platform in Singapore and other Asian cities

 By Robert Hoskins

Singapore/Jerusalem – United Overseas Bank (UOB) is deepening its commitment to helping startups grow into sustainable businesses by training its commercial bankers to provide clients with the most up-to-date information on alternative funding channels beyond traditional financing. More than 100 of its bankers have been trained so far.

United Overseas Bank Partners with @OurCrowd to Support Asian Startups and Small to Medium Enterprises Utilizing Equity Crowdfunding for Seed Investment Capital

The training is timely as the Bank’s strategic equity crowdfunding partner, OurCrowd, a leading global equity crowdfunding platform, was awarded a full Capital Market Services (CMS) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) at the end of July. With the license, OurCrowd is now able to market its equity crowdfunding platform in Singapore. In March this year, UOB announced it had made a US$10 million investment in OurCrowd, which invests in startups with differentiated and highly scalable technology products and services.

“We are proud of the rapid growth of our unique brand of equity crowdfunding and teaming up with UOB to advance the cutting edge of FinTech and the startup ecosystem in the region,” said Jon Medved, OurCrowd’s CEO. “As we work together, innovative Asian companies with differentiated and highly scalable technology products and services will be able to get access to another source of funding from a global investor network to jumpstart their international expansion and business development.”

UOB’s partnership with OurCrowd reinforced the Bank’s commitment in supporting Asian SMEs and startups with end-to-end financing needs. The range of support includes UOB’s accelerator program, The FinLab, to venture debt financing through to investment banking.

Ms. Janet Young, Head of Group Channels and Digitalization, UOB, said, “We understand the ambitions of startups and emerging enterprises and want to help them grow into sustainable businesses. In the last six months, we have trained more than 100 commercial bankers to identify and to understand the type of financing for which startups can qualify. Through our initiatives, we are well-equipped to support the startup ecosystem and help them realize their full potential.”

In addition, accredited investors among UOB’s clients will now have an opportunity to broaden their investments into OurCrowd’s portfolio companies and tap into a quality deal flow across the globe.

Mr. Denes Ban, OurCrowd Partner and Managing Director, Asia, said, “Our latest approval and licence in Singapore is further validation of OurCrowd’s global footprint and it’s exciting to see immediate and impactful results, thanks to our partners at UOB and the Sassoon Investment Corporation (SIC). Singapore-based investors will now have access to our portfolio of world-class startups and tap their growth potential.”

Launched in 2013, OurCrowd has raised more than US$250 million for investment in almost 100 companies, and has already had eight companies in their portfolio either acquired by a multinational or listed publicly. Unlike traditional equity crowdfunding platforms, OurCrowd invests its own capital alongside the crowd investors in each deal as testament to their confidence in the deal. By offering investors the same terms (valuation, liquidation reference and protection) as venture capital funds, it offers accredited investors access to unrivaled investment opportunities. OurCrowd also provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigning industry experts as mentors.

# # #

Merit Harbor Group’s Boutique Investment Banking Arm offers Startups Crowdfunding Consulting Assistance

Boutique middle-market investment bank offers crowdfunding assistance to late-stage startups and growing companies

By Robert Hoskins

Seattle, Washington – Boutique investment banking firm, Merit Harbor Group, now offers expanded capital requisition and crowdfunding assistance ahead of the full release of Title III crowdfunding. The firm, which provides a myriad of expert consulting services to startups, growth and established businesses, is positioning itself to be a market leader in some of the new equity crowdfunding rules and regulations.

Merit Harbor Group’s investment bank works directly with startups via crowdfunding

“As we get closer to the full implementation of Title III equity crowdfunding, our team is gearing up to assist companies in raising the capital they need,” says company Director, Nate Nead. Title III equity crowdfunding, which allows small businesses to raise a maximum of a million dollars in any given twelve-month period, is on the firm’s radar as another method available for smaller companies seeking access to capital.

Equity crowdfunding, an alternative financing medium for small business, allows companies seeking capital to source it through individual investors on portals built for the purpose of information and promotion. The company maintains its own proprietary list of both accredited and non-accredited investors who have expressed keen interest in seeing available deals from real estate to software. The company also maintains key relationships with other equity crowdfunding portals where companies can syndicate for broader exposure.

“We are excited about the partnerships we have formed with other portals and we are confident these alliances will provide a great benefit to our crowdfunding clients who are seeking to raise capital,” says Nead. While the company acts as a traditional investment bank, advising middle-market clients on merger and acquisition transactions, the firm’s and its principals and investment bankers see the wisdom in marrying crowdfunding with traditional middle market business finance. “We are confident that crowdfunding and traditional business finance are not mutually exclusive. While it may take some time for the two to play well together, we are hoping to be able to assist when that marriage becomes more real,” he says.

Merit Harbor Group is a middle market investment bank with offices in multiple cities across the United States. The company provides merger, acquisition and capital raising assistance to post-revenue startups and growing companies across nearly every market sector. The company assists promising companies in structured growth before a meaningful exit via merger or acquisition. The company’s licensed investment bankers in Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Portland.

# # #

(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

---

Mr. 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.

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.

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.