Leading Crowdfunding Industry Analyst Firm, Crowdfund Capital Advisors, States Now is the Time to Update the Regulation to Further Enable Capital Formation
|
|
|
|
|
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR
What technologies will represent the best equity investment opportunities for investors and venture capitalists in 2018?
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.
More and more startups are building applications which will solve real world problems by applying AI in areas that can truly have an impact on the quality of our lives.
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.
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!
Have you ever tried using Siri in a car going over 50 Mph? Or talking to Alexa with the kids making noise in the background? Good Luck! As we all know it does not work.
However, the era of voice driven computing is coming. In the last 10 years, the world has moved from primarily using keyboards to swiping and using touch-screens. In the next five years users will move to talking to our devices as the primary mode of man to 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.
The world’s oldest industry of growing crops has not been known for its technological flexibility. However, these days Agriculture-related technologies are blooming 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.
Over the past couple of years, more and more buzz is hitting the airwaves about Amazon and others using drones to deliver packages to your doorstep or bring you fast food on demand.
While this sounds pretty cool, more interesting and profitable uses of drone technologies probably 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 with light-weight, long-lasting batteries, which are robust and reliable seems to be a temporary roadblock, but companies that can advance these technologies are worth watching closely.
As much as we try not to overuse this term, artificial intelligence is actually a powerful factor in the rapidly growing digital health sector. Enable regular people as well as healthcare personnel crunch historic data sets from electronic medical records from way back when — to the latest data that is now being collected from wearables in order to increase our quality of life and perhaps even prevent deaths.
The same will be true for computer vision and machine learning technologies that enable the bio-tech and life sciences industries to begin extracting new insights and diagnostics from images.
Timing is everything! In the buzzword competition of 2017, blockchain was the hands-down winner. Since then, there have been missteps and pivots for this important financial technology. Many Venture Capitalists (VCs) have been disappointed with their investments in this sector; however, now is the time to begin taking 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.
The Space Tech sector is usually dominated by governments and states , but is rapidly opening up to private ventures and prestigious VC funds are seeking to begin building space portfolios that will enable these ventures to take off.
In terms 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.
Are you worried about your car getting hacked? How about cyber criminals sneaking in through your air conditioner or refrigerator? Cybersecurity is not new; and in fact, the investing landscape is quite crowded, and the playing field is highly competitive.
The key shift in Cyber Security for investing in the next few years will be a move from protecting IT infrastructure to protecting all infrastructure. Companies are now designing full-proof solutions to protect everything such as automobiles, electric grids and everything in between.
Everyone knows that autonomous driving is coming. The question is when? Thanks to the development of core technology and expertise of leading Autonomous Driving companies such as Waze and Mobileye, the world is sure to become a global hub of automotive innovation.
(Source: Jon Medved, OurCrowd’s CEO)
# # #
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR
By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR
Bengaluru, India – OurCrowd, one of the landing equity crowdfunding in Israel, announced that it has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with LetsVenture, one of India’s largest angel investment syndicates for seed stage and venture capital for startups and growing businesses. As part of this partnership, OurCrowd will offer curated deals to Indian investor syndicates managed by LetsVenture, as well as showcase Indian startups on OurCrowd’s platform, giving selected Indian startups access to accredited investors globally and to business development opportunities.
OurCrowd will offer curated deals to Indian investor syndicates managed by LetsVenture, as well as showcase Indian startups on OurCrowd’s platform
OurCrowd and LetsVenture will be also be collaborating on an ‘India Fund’ to invest in Israeli, Indian and global startups. The investment into this fund would primarily be from family funds and high net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in India and OurCrowd’s global network of accredited investors.
Leveraging LetsVenture’s domestic network, OurCrowd will offer Indian corporates access to the Israeli innovation ecosystem.
“Having made startup funding easy, our vision is to make angel investing easy with a focus on portfolio management (startup reporting, portfolio diversification and exits). The partnership with OurCrowd aligns with our vision of offering our investors access to some of the best startups across geographies including Israel, along with giving LetsVenture portfolio companies access to global investors for their next round of funding. In this partnership with one of the largest equity crowdfunding platforms globally, we do believe this is a win-win for both of us,” said Shanti Mohan, Co-Founder & CEO, LetsVenture.
In addition to this, LetsVenture will facilitate ‘Take to Market’ activities for OurCrowd’s portfolio companies to access the Indian market, the activities of which are under development by LetsVenture and are targeted to commence in 2018.
Commenting on the announcement, Jon Medved, OurCrowd CEO, said, “India is a critical growth market for our business with a huge number of very exciting startup investment opportunities in a range of sectors. Israel and India have a great joint heritage sharing many of the same entrepreneurial qualities that are the backbone of our economies. I am excited to be entering into this collaboration with LetsVenture, which I believe will deliver great value to our investors.”
Elias Ghosalkar, Director of Corporate Development at OurCrowd, added, “OurCrowd, with its strong global presence and established industry leadership is well poised to support the Indian startup eco-system and its stakeholders via its strategic collaboration with LetsVenture. This strategic collaboration helps build much needed bridges between the Israeli and Indian startup ecosystems, and opens the doors to tapping into high growth potential synergies. Indian investors, startups and corporates gain access to global expertise, know-how and innovation via the OurCrowd network, which will truly help put the ‘Startup India initiative’ on a fast track and further strengthen the economic linkages between Israel and India.”
# # #
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR
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
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.
“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:
# # #
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR
By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR
New York City, New York – In order to expand its clean-tech business, the GoSun outdoor solar grill is undertaking an equity crowdfunding raise with the assistance of SeedInvest that for as little as $500, anyone can own a piece of GoSun and its solar powered future. GoSun will be tapping is growing crowd of customers to support its crowdfunding campaign with more 11,000+ stoves sold in +60 countries, and major distribution agreements signed with major retailers such as ACE Hardware, Brookstone, Cabela’s, REI, Home Depot and in third world countries where there is no electricity, propane or natural gas to cook with.
GoSun is introducing the world’s first fuel-free solar powered grill, utilizing free, green solar energy from the sun to bake, boil, fry or steam a meal for a family of people six in less than one hour
GoSun’s line of innovative solar cookstoves can bake, boil, or fry almost anything, just by using the power of the Sun’s solar energy. It’s clean and safe: there are no fossil fuels or wood, no smoke or emissions, no hot coals, no open flames, no explosive gas, and no grease or soot, which are major detriments in many undeveloped countries.
“According to the UN, over 3 billion people, are still cooking on fuels, such as Kerosene or wood, that are harmful to their health, contributing to deforested landscapes and a cycle of poverty,” explained Patrick Sherwin, GoSun Founder and CEO. “GoSun is committed to making game-changing clean cooking devices to power the good life in both developed and developing markets. The newly released GoSun Grill is designed to provide a convenient and accessible way to cook with free, clean, green solar energy while promoting sustainability and healthy cooking.”
How GoSun Solar Stove Works
The GoSun solar stoves incorporate a proprietary vacuum tube technology that allows for fast cooking, portability, simple operation, and safe and clean cooking, without propane or charcoal. Sunlight is focused by parabolic reflectors onto the vacuum tube that converts up to 80% of solar radiation into heat that builds up to temperatures of 550°F or 288°C. Despite the high cooking temperatures, the exterior of the grill remains cool. In addition, the vacuum tube also doubles as an insulator, keeping the food hot even with clouds, or in the freezing cold conditions.
How Much Does the GoSun Solar Stove Cost?
GoSun’s cookers are available online at REI, Home Depot, Brookstone or via GoSun’s website, at prices ranging from $279 to $799.
Solar Electric Hybrid Grill
“While we are excited about everything the grill can do, we realized it was lacking one capability – cooking at night,” stated Sherwin. “So we are also developing a solar electric hybrid grill that stores the sun’s energy enabling cooking at night.”
The storage solution includes a Photovoltaic (PV) panel to capture the energy during the day and an option electrical heating element to enable cooking at night. By placing the electrical heating element on the grill and leveraging the vacuum tube’s insulation capability, the hybrid grill cooks using only a fraction of the energy of an electric stove. The hybrid version of the grill will be available in 2018.
GoSun is an innovative manufacturer of solar cookers that can heat up to 550°F and cook a meal in as little as 20 minutes with no fuel other than the sun’s free, green solar energy. What started as a simple inspiration has grown into the leading name in fuel-free cooking, delivering thousands of stoves in more than 60 countries. Visit www.GoSunStove.com for more information.
# # #
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR
By Robert Hoskins, Crowdfunding PR
Horseshoe Lake, Arkansas – The Herbal Compliance Co. announced the launch of its compliance consulting services for legal medical cannabis and hemp businesses. This unique company will also be partnering with GrowthFountain to$1 million by selling equity through a unique form of investor fundraising called Title III, Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF).
Herbal Compliance fills a need created by differences in marijuana legislation at the state and federal levels. While it is currently legal in 26 states and the District of Columbia to grow and sell marijuana for medical purposes, it is still illegal on a federal level, resulting in thousands of conflicts between state and federal regulations.
“Understanding the laws governing medical marijuana and hemp is our core competency,” explains Chuck Carpenter, Herbal Compliance’s President. “But we also offer other types of business consulting like inventory management, branding, and employee education. Our mission is to help companies in this new area of American enterprise to grow and thrive.”
To fully fund their startup, Herbal Compliance is using a new form of funding enabled by recent changes in securities law in the JOBS Act called Regulation Crowdfunding. The rules for this sort of investing went into effect May 2016, allowing non-accredited investors to participate in a funding round for a private company for the first time in history.
“We’re excited to help Herbal Compliance raise the money they need to grow,” says Abe Orden, GrowthFountain’s Operations Manager. “For the first time in 80 years, average Americans now have the opportunity to support and invest in local businesses and entrepreneurs they believe in.”
Herbal Compliance’s campaign started on June 6, 2017 and will continue through Oct. 4, 2017. Their aim is to raise between $100,000 and $1 million with a minimum buy-in of $100 per investor.
The Herbal Compliance Co. provides companies in the legal medical cannabis and hemp business with services to ensure that they remain compliant with the law. Services include design and buildout, equipment fulfillment, regulator compliance, remote inventory control and reporting, vendor relationships, brand and marketing, and tax management and education.
GrowthFountain Capital LLC is a Regulation Crowdfunding platform aimed at simplifying fundraising and helping businesses build collateral. GrowthFountain is registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA.
# # #
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR
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:
“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.
# # #
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR
Miami, Florida – ArborCrowd, one of the top commercial real estate equity crowdfunding sites, announced today a new real estate investment opportunity – known as the Lago Paradiso. A profitable and stabilized multifamily complex, this property is located in Miami, Fla., one of the most international and desirable marketplaces to live in the United States.
A new commercial real estate investment offering, Lago Paradiso is a value-add, multifamily lakefront apartment complex located in Miami
ArborCrowd investors have the opportunity to own a piece of a $4 million equity stake in Lago Paradiso. The Property has a targeted 13 percent to 17 percent Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and a projected hold period of four to seven years.
The goal of the business plan is to cultivate tremendous value upon sale of the Property, while maintaining strong annual returns for investors. This will be executed through a value-add repositioning, experienced property management and operational efficiency.
“ArborCrowd is the engine that brings successful real estate investments with the industry’s best sponsors and crowd investors,” said Ivan Kaufman, Co-founder and CEO, ArborCrowd. “The long-standing relationships that ArborCrowd has developed with institutional real estate investors has enabled us to attract a network of successful leaders who know how to source, manage and execute some of the best multifamily deals in the country.”
ArborCrowd’s investment model is unlike other crowdfunding platforms – the quality of the real estate is at the core of the business. Other models pool investors’ money into funds that are blindly allocated to different assets. ArborCrowd created a better way to invest by providing investors the transparency and knowledge to choose what deals their money goes into.
“Looking at just the returns of a property are not enough. ArborCrowd will only post what we believe is a strong investment offering. In order to be confident in the deal, we hone in on the depth and breadth of the sponsor’s experience,” said Adam Kaufman, Co-founder and Managing Director, ArborCrowd. “This commitment to only presenting high caliber deals is proving to be successful as all our previous deals funded quickly – with ArborCrowd’s last equity raise oversubscribed in just three business days.”
Lago Paradiso Deal Highlights
The Property was acquired in May 2017 for $69.7 million. Lago Paradiso is a lakefront apartment complex that consists of 27 buildings with 424 one and two bedroom units – currently 97 percent occupied.
Lago Paradiso, a new commercial real estate investment offering, consists of 27 buildings with 424 one and two bedroom units
The business plan is to create value by increasing rents through renovations, and by implementing new property management and operational expertise. Robbins Electra and its affiliates own and operate more than 22,000 units. This extensive management experience, particularly in Florida, means the Sponsor is well equipped to manage rent escalations while leveraging proprietary systems to improve operational costs.
Lago Paradiso is located 20 miles southwest of Miami’s Central Business District and South Beach. This helps to strengthen the demand for the Property.
# # #
Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR
You must be logged in to post a comment.