GoSun Exhibits Fuel-Free Solar Stove at Consumer Electronics (CE) 2017 to Support Equity Crowdfunding Campaign

GoSun is introducing the world’s first fuel-free solar powered grill, utilizing energy from the sun to bake, boil, fry or steam a meal for six in less than one hour, at the Metropolitan Pavilion during CE Week 2017, July 12 and 13 in New York City

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.

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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

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

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

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HelloMD Receives $200k Boost for Dual “Form C, Series A” & “Reg. CF” Crowdfunding Raise of $1,216,314 with 27 Days Left

HelloMD launched its crowdfunding offering on the SeedInvest platform last month and has already received over $1,216,314 from over 795 investors

By Robert Hoskins

San Francisco, California – HelloMD – one of the nation’s largest communities of medical cannabis patients – announced that it had received an investment of $200,000 from SeedInvest’s “Selections Fund.” The money will count towards the amount HelloMD is targeting to raise from the crowdfunding platform, as well as from accredited investors in its funding round.

HelloMD launched its crowdfunding offering on the SeedInvest platform last month and has already received over $1,216,314 from over 795 investors.

HelloMD launched its crowdfunding offering on the SeedInvest platform last month and has already received over $1,216,314 from over 795 investors for app that markets marijuana products/services

“We like what HelloMD has accomplished thus far and feel it’s well positioned to capitalize as an early leader in a rapidly growing market,” stated Ryan Feit, SeedInvest CEO and Co-Founder. “Our Selections Fund invests alongside individual angel investors in some of the most promising companies on our platform,” he continued.

Since launching service in California two years ago, HelloMD has developed a rapid following among medical marijuana patients seeking to remedy things like anxiety, stress and chronic pain to more serious medical issues like cancer and epilepsy. The site connects patients, doctors, retailers and brands in an online community where advice on product selection, health & wellness and anything related to medical cannabis can be discovered.

“We are on a mission to create the largest medical cannabis community and the first national retailer of cannabis products,” stated Mark Hadfield, HelloMD’s CEO. “We are thrilled that SeedInvest recognizes the value HelloMD brings to patients everywhere, and has decided to demonstrate that with a sizable investment of their own,” he continued.

HelloMD’s rapid growth has been fueled by its extensive library of proprietary patient generated medical information (question & answers about medical cannabis) as well as articles, videos and other unique content. Additionally, over 400 business partners (retailers and cannabis brands) have partnered with the site to make information available to customers seeking information on their use of cannabis. The company plans to use the proceeds of the equity round to expand it service offerings across all 30 cannabis legal states, as well as internationally.

HelloMD is the leading digital healthcare platform for medical cannabis patients. The service allows for easy, convenient online video access to physicians for medical cannabis consultations, recommendations to qualifying patients, product advice and more.

SeedInvest is a leading equity crowdfunding platform that provides individual investors with access to pre-vetted startup investment opportunities.  SeedInvest has funded over 160 startups and boasts a rapidly growing network of over 160,000 investors.  SeedInvest has had over 13,000 startups apply to raise capital since inception and has only accepted 1% of those companies to feature on the platform.

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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

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

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

Weekly Update 6/13 – Top 10 Title, Crowdfunding Regulation Offerings Update Report

Top 10 Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Have Raised $711,196 Since May 16th Using Title III, Regulation Crowdfunding

By Robert Hoskins

Austin, Texas – Here is a update of the first round of Title III, Regulation Crowdfunding campaigns that launched on May 16th, almost a month ago. In aggregate, the crowdfunding campaigns have raised $711,196.  And that figure would be much higher if we included the all 40 of the equity crowdfunding campaigns that have been approved by the SEC for issuing Title III offerings.

To give crowdfunders an idea of which platform is raising the most money, we added up the totals for each platform and so far, WeFunder is ruling the roost with 61% of all money raised:

1.  WeFunder.com            $433,094
2.  NextSeed                        $112,500
3.  StartEngine                     $91,302
4.  SeedInvest                      $74,300

                                     Total: $711,196

Why are some companies raising a lot of money and others are struggling?  It comes down to how much money these crowdfunding campaigns are spending on marketing.  Its hard to raise money unless campaigns are spending money on advertising, email, PR, social media and website marketing to raise awareness for their campaign and its products or services. Simply listing a campaign on a fundraising portal is not enough and why 60% of rewards-based campaigns fail.

For example, check out the profiles below to see their company websites, their social media credentials on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and then Google their founders names and company names to see what they have done to promote their company in the news media.

It will be easy to see what management teams have done the proper prep work and planned effective marketing campaigns and which teams haven’t even been able to cobble together a simple company website.

If a management team can’t build a simple website, how in the world can they run a successful business?

One founder commented that, “They didn’t build a website because they wanted everyone to focus on their crowdfunding campaign profile.”

Most investors will read everything they can about the company, their products/services, news stories, research reports, industry analysts projections for the marketplace, etc., etc.

The goal should be to provide enough information to remove all the fear, doubt and uncertainty from the investment sales equation and give them the urge to invest before they even start reviewing the SEC financial disclosure information on the crowdfunding portal’s website.

For example, let’s take at look at NextRX.  They are on the StartEngine platform.

The good news is that they have a website, but not one shred of industry facts, figures or industry growth projections to support the fact that the Medical and Recreational Marijuana industry is currently the fastest growing industry in the United States and is expected to reach more than $22.8 billion in revenue in the next 4 years. Not one single fact about the 16 additional states that will probably sign new cannabis regulations into law during 2016 that will take the U.S. from 4 legal markets to more than 20.

Is providing some research on local or national marijuana industry markets important? Hell yes.

As an investor, I want to know, in detail, about my possibility of earning a nice return-on-investment for buying shares in their company. I would love to say this is why they haven’t raised any money, but its not.  A smart investor relations team would use their current banking problem and turn it into an opportunity to expose the hurdle they face with setting up an escrow account and use the example to try and put more pressure on the financial banking system and the U.S. Government to remove marijuana as a Class One drug so banks don’t have to worry about breaking federal law.

Why not provide a Marijuana Pitch Video like this one? It practically makes the investor want to jump in before it’s too late! If the big investors are doing it, then I certainly don’t want to miss out on the next big industry that is almost guaranteed to boom in the U.S.

Why not include a Marijuana Industry Analyst Report like this that projects a $22.8 billion industry in the next 4 years. It would be kind of like investing in a liquor company right before prohibition ended.

As a reporter, perhaps I want to write a story based on the marijuana’s industry’s potential growth. But the company’s management team has failed to provide a media kit with company backgrounders, executive head shots, bios, press releases, market research, white papers, photos, graphics, etc., which means they are very inexperienced business executives and have never worked in a big corporation. To me this means this company will mostly likely fail as business because they certainly do not understand marketing, which is the key to all sales growth.

6/13 Weekly Title III, Crowdfunding Update:

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1. Taxa Biotechnologies (genetic plant engineers)

Crowdfunding Platform: WeFunder

Amount Raised:  $221,115

2. The Legion M Entertainment (media company)

Crowdfunding Platform: WeFunder

Amount Raised: $188,229

3. Native Hostel Austin (Luxury hostel in Austin

Crowdfunding Platform: NextSeed

Amount Raised: $112,500

4. MF Fire (an app-drive, low emissions wood stove)

Crowdfunding Platform: SeedInvest

Amount Raised: $63,300

5. Bloomery SweetShine (distillery)

Crowdfunding Platform: StartEngine

Amount Raised: $58,800

6. Gigmor (Connecting bands with venues and gigs)

Crowdfunding Platform: StartEngine

Amount Raised: $17,505

7. Urban Juncture (developing commercial real estate)

Platform: WeFunder

Amount Raised: $11,950

8. Treasure State Internet (fiber optic installation)

Crowdfunding Platform: WeFunder

Amount Raised:  $11,800

 

9. GameTree (Social network for gamers)

Crowdfunding Platform: StartEngine

Amount Raised:  $11,060

10. StartMart Cleveland (Coworking space)

Crowdfunding Platform: SeedInvest

Amount Raised: $11,000

11. Graphic Armor (personalized condoms)

Crowdfunding Platform: StartEngine

Amount Raised: $3,937

12. NextRX Inc (Medical marijuana network pass)

Crowdfunding Platform: StartEngine

Amount Raised:  $0 (on hold because escrow account closed by bank)

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Top 10 Title III, Regulation Crowdfunding Offerings Ranked on the Amount of Crowdfunding Raised

Searching for the Hottest New Title III, Regulation Crowdfunding Investment Opportunities?

For fun, we thought we would keep track of the first wave to Title III, Regulation Crowdfunding Offerings to see who has raised the most money to date. The current crowdfunding campaigns are ranked in order by the amount of money they have raised as of May 24, 2016 at 4:00 pm.

After the first week, it looks like crowdfunding campaigns with lower investment amounts far outpaced larger investment requirements.  The same is true of lower crowdfunding investment goals. For example, GameTree has a minimum investment of $100 and a fundraising goal of $100,000 and barely two weeks into their campaign they are 90% funded.

If you’d like shop around and make your first non-accredited investment in a Title III, Regulation CF offering, please review from the offers listed below.

You might also check out their company websites, their social media credentials on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and then Google their founders names and companies to see what they have done to promote their company in the news media.

It will be easy to see what management teams have done the proper prep work, planned effective marketing campaigns and the others that haven’t even been able to put together a simple company website.

If they can’t build a simple website, how in the world can they run a successful business?

Here is also a quick snapshot of what Title III Crowdfunding Platforms have raised the most money:

1.   WeFunder.com            $243,871
2.   StartEngine                  $142,602
3.   SeedInvest                     $74,800
4.   NextSeed                        $26,900

Total: $461,273

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1. The Legion M Entertainment (media company)

Crowdfunding Platform: WeFunder

Amount Raised: $120,611

2. Taxa Biotechnologies (genetic plant engineers)

Crowdfunding Platform: WeFunder

Amount Raised:  $111,860

3. MF Fire (an app-drive, low emissions wood stove)

Crowdfunding Platform: SeedInvest

Amount Raised: $40,900

4. Native Hostel Austin (Luxury hostel in Austin

Crowdfunding Platform: NextSeed

Amount Raised: $26,900

5. Bloomery SweetShine (distillery)

Crowdfunding Platform: StartEngine

Amount Raised: $35,700

 

6. GameTree (Social network for gamers)

Crowdfunding Platform: StartEngine

Amount Raised:  $90,360

7. Treasure State Internet (fiber optic installation)

Crowdfunding Platform: WeFunder

Amount Raised:  $8,800

8. StartMart Cleveland (Coworking space)

Crowdfunding Platform: SeedInvest

Amount Raised: $7,000

9. Gigmor (Connecting bands with venues and gigs)

Crowdfunding Platform: StartEngine

Amount Raised: $14,905

10. Urban Juncture (developing commercial real estate)

Platform: WeFunder

Amount Raised: $2,600

11. Graphic Armor (personalized condoms)

Crowdfunding Platform: StartEngine

Amount Raised: $1,636

12. NextRX Inc (Medical marijuana network pass)

Crowdfunding Platform: StartEngine

Amount Raised:  $0

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Top 100 Crowdfunding Sites in the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and other Global Markets in 2016

Seeking the Top 100 Crowdfunding Sites
in the United States or the Rest of the World? See Our Updated 2016 Rankings!

Crowdfunding PR’s 2016 Top 100 Global Crowdfunding Sites

 By Robert Hoskins

[Click Here to Tweet this Top 100 List to Your Business Colleagues]

United States – We have updated our List of the Top 100 Global Crowdfunding Sites for 2016 in the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and other global markets.  

Clicking on the website traffic ranking links below will take readers to one of the most insightful resources of information that details each website’s traffic ranking; the number of unique visitors per month; the average time spent on each site per visit; and the number of pages viewed per each visit.

Of more interest to crowdfunding campaign managers will be the precise ratio of social media, content marketing, search engine marketing, email marketing and display advertising that is being utilized by each crowdfunding site’s marketing campaigns to drive readers and investors to their crowdfunding profiles.

GoFundMe vs Kickstarter SimilarWeb Stats

Even though these numbers reflect the aggregation of all of a given portal’s crowdfunding campaigns marketing efforts, they offer direct evidence of what is working and what is not.  Note the difference on how much social media and display advertising is being used by the Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites compared the lower 90 crowdfunding sites. 

This information can be used by crowdfunding sites as well as their crowdfunders to get a thorough understanding on how to plan future marketing campaigns that will have a higher than average success rate.

Want to know how Kickstarter has just retaken GoFundMe as the world’s #1 crowdfunding platform? Click on the Global Rank number links below and then use the comparison tool to show side-by-side comparisons of SEO keywords, link referrals, and social media usage. See the bottom of the page for more crowdfunding marketing tips.

[Click Here to Tweet this Top 100 List of Crowdfunding Sites]

2016 Rank	© Front Page PR	Global Rank
#1 (2015: #2)	www.kickstarter.com	692
#2 (2015: #1)	www.gofundme.com	1,805
#3 (2015: #4)	www.indiegogo.com	2,126
#4 (2015: #3)	www.angel.co	4,550
#5 (2015: #5)	www.lendingclub.com	9,781
#6 (2015: #6)	www.justgiving.com	10,950
#7 (2015: #9)	www.ulule.com	15,943
#8 (2015: #7)	www.youcaring.com	22,315
#9 (2015: #8)	www.kiva.org	24,366
#10 (2015: #12)	www.crowdrise.com	24,617
#11 (2015: #10)	www.donorschoose.org	33,737
#12 (2015: #16)	www.fundingcircle.com	37,717
#13 (2015: #11)	www.pledgemusic.com	42,380
#14 (2015: #13)	www.tilt.com	51,509
#15 (2015: #50)	www.seedandspark.com	64,606
#16 (2015: #22)	www.circleup.com	68,095
#17 (2015: #24)	www.kickante.com.br	69,483
#18 (2015: #15)	www.crowdcube.com	73,968
#19 (2015: new)	www.seedrs.com	90,162
#20 (2015: #28)	www.gogetfunding.com	97,023
#21 (2015: #29)	www.fundrise.com	117,386
#22 (2015: #20)	www.firstgiving.com	117,598
#23 (2015: #17)	www.razoo.com	126,920
#24 (2015: #14)	www.giveforward.com	126,939
#25 (2015: #38)	www.seedinvest.com	135,275
#26 (2015: #18)	www.fundly.com	140,609
#27 (2015: #27)	www.zeczec.com	151,454
#28 (2015: #25)	www.crowdfunder.com	158,984
#29 (2015: #23)	www.fundable.com	185,100
#30 (2015: #19)	www.pozible.com	189,422
#31 (2015: new)	www.companisto.com	201,708
#32 (2015: new)	www.wiseed.com	211,628
#33 (2015: #21)	www.fundrazr.com	214,382
#34 (2015: #31)	www.experiment.com	217,304
#35 (2015: #53)	www.peerform.com	222,324
#36 (2015: #53)	www.startengine.com	227,165
#37 (2015: new)	www.seedmatch.de	227,277
#38 (2015: #86)	www.bnktothefuture.com	279,553
#39 (2015: new)	www.fundersclub.com	284,743
#40 (2015: #45)	www.ourcrowd.com	286,808
#41 (2015: #26)	www.equitynet.com	293,867
#42 (2015: new)	www.syndicateroom.com	293,940
#43 (2015: #32)	www.realtymogul.com	332,585
#44 (2015: #42)	www.pledgie.com	351,524
#45 (2015: #39)	www.slated.com	354,964
#46 (2015: #44)	www.fundanything.com	361,785
#47 (2015: #40)	www.patchofland.com	364,803
#48 (2015: #33)	www.geldvoorelkaar.nl	367,546
#48 (2015: new)	www.anaxago.com	392,914
#49 (2015: #48)	www.ppl.com.pt	407,009
#50 (2015: #30)	www.fundedbyme.com	410,994
#51 (2015: #41)	www.givezooks.com	443,766
#52 (2015: #76)	www.joinmosaic.com	472,517
#53 (2015: #43)	www.microventures.com	504,408
#54 (2015: #new)	www.invesdor.com	520,978
#55 (2015: #37)	www.offbeatr.com	526,705
#56 (2015: #36)	www.wefunder.com	586,450
#57 (2015: #57)	www.plumfund.com	603,093
#58 (2015: #65)	www.crowdstreet.com	616,566
#59 (2015: #49)	www.dragoninnovation.com	635,079
#60 (2015: #52)	www.opportunity.org	669,915
#61 (2015: #61)	www.flashfunders.com	693,854
#62 (2015: #58)	www.fundraise.com	744,583
#63 (2015: #46)	www.pave.com	748,172
#64 (2015: #64)	www.symbid.com	884,303
#65 (2015: #68)	pitchfunder.asufoundation.org	1,072,918
#66 (2015: #34)	www.onevest.com	1,098,541
#67 (2015: #66)	www.assetavenue.com	1,124,447
#68 (2015: #69)	www.artistshare.com	1,135,924
#69 (2015: #70)	www.nextseed.com	1,138,179
#70 (2015: #63)	www.piggybackr.com	1,162,479
#71 (2015: #62)	www.trucrowd.com	1,246,018
#72 (2015: #60)	www.barnraiser.us	1,288,466
#73 (2015: #54)	www.bolstr.com	1,477,216
#74 (2015: #59)	www.earlyshares.com	1,585,544
#75 (2015: #80)	www.pledgecents.com	1,597,425
#76 (2015: #82)	www.crowd2fund.com	1,776,210
#77 (2015: #47)	www.growvc.com	1,791,220
#78 (2015: #87)	www.acquirerealestate.com	1,989,566
#79 (2015: #71)	www.appsfunder.com	2,649,175
#80 (2015: #78)	www.dreamfunded.com	2,760,699
#81 (2015: #72)	www.assob.com.au	2,767,540
#82 (2015: #90)	www.massivemov.com	3,234,838
#83 (2015: #55)	www.investx.com	3,486,195
#84 (2015: #75)	www.faithlauncher.com	3,605,295
#85 (2015: #75)	www.crudefunders.com	3,792,211
#86 (2015: #84)	www.texasenetworks.com	3,923,796
#87 (2015: #51)	www.pubslush.com	4,078,981
#88 (2015: #73)	www.foodstart.com	4,358,969
#89 (2015: #56)	www.uinvest.com.ua	4,483,866
#90 (2015: #79)	www.propellr.com	4,516,046
#91 (2015: #85)	www.icrowd.com	4,629,191
#92 (2015: #67)	www.microgiving.com	4,757,890
#93 (2015: #81)	www.massventure.com	5,544,974
#94 (2015: New)	www.offerboard.com	5,968,517
#95 (2015: #99)	www.cMEcompete.com	6,363,051
#96 (2015: #83)	www.ipledg.com	6,460,243
#97 (2015: #93)	www.funderhut.com	6,764,561
#98 (2015: #97)	www.crowdfundingbank.com	7,068,480
#99 (2015: #77)	www.crowdfundingpays.com	7,667,040
#100 (2015: #88)	www.sterlingfunder.com	7,951,827

Source: Feb 2016 SimilarWeb Website Statistics

Crowdfunding PR’s goal is simple. We want to make it possible for crowdfunders to shop for  crowdfunding platforms in a similar manner to the way media planners/buyers used to analyze ABC and BPA audit statements to buy advertisements in the business-to-business trade publication industry, where important media buying decisions were based on straight mathematics, not popularity or random guessing.

For example, would you rather run a crowdfunding campaign on a site where visitors are looking at 2-3 pages in around 3 minute’s time or a site where buyers are spending 6 to 11 minutes reviewing 6 to 10 pages?

This is the difference between shoppers who are visiting a site to see a particular crowdfunding campaign based on a marketing campaign versus people who are visiting a site to explore and actually shop around to find good deals to buy or invest their money.

This is why launching a campaign on Kickstarter or GoFundMe does not guarantee success. While Kickstarter, GoFundMe or Indiegogo may be the largest sites in the world, people are only spending enough time to shop through more than 2 to 3 crowdfunding profiles before they exit. While other sites like Razoo.com, DonorsChoose.org, and FundingCircle.com have visitors that stay more than 6 to 11 minutes and view 6 to 10 pages.

When researching, planning and executing successful marketing programs for both crowdfunding platforms as well as their individual crowdfunding customer profiles, it is extremely important to see what is driving the most traffic to any given crowdfunding site.  Success is usually determined not only by what site the crowdfunding campaign is being hosted on, but also the marketing programs being harnessed to drive potential donors/investors to a specific crowdfunding profile.

Clicking on each link above will allow media planners/buyers to understand what role direct traffic (content marketing), search engines (SEO, PPC Advertising), social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit, Quora), email marketing and display advertising (Google Display, Outbrain, AppNexus) are having on the success of crowdfunding campaigns.

For example, when planning a social media strategy, one of the most popular questions we get asked is – what social media networks are driving the most visitor traffic? Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Quora, Reddit, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram? The links above will make this answer crystal clear.

Not satisfied with your position on the list? Front Page PR’s team of crowdfunding PR, social media and marketing experts can help crowdfunding sites and crowdfunding campaigns plan the perfect mix of integrated marketing programs to significantly improve the amount of website traffic being driven to any given fundraising campaign or crowdfunding platform.

Feel free to call (512) 627-6622 with questions or request help to improve your website statistics before June.

More Top 100 Crowdfunding Site Lists:

• Top 100 Global Crowdfunding Sites
• Top 100 Equity Crowdfunding Sites
• Top 100 Real Estate Crowdfunding Sites
• Top 100 Reward/Perks Crowdfunding Sites
• Top 10 Donations Crowdfunding Sites
• Top 10 University Crowdfunding Sites
• Top 10 Texas Equity Crowdfunding Sites
• Top 10 Crowdfunding Cities

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If you’d like to add your site to the Top 100 list, please fill out the form below.

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Investors Provide $1 Million Investment to Shore Up Seed&Spark, a Crowdfunding Platform that Funds and Distributes Independent Films

The investment in documentary and narrative films gives a huge boost to women due to the fact that within the entrepreneurship film space, 58% of all films successfully funded on Seed&Spark are led or co-led by women

By Robert Hoskins

Los Angeles, California — Seed&Spark closed an important round of $1 million in seed venture capital to expand its operations. In addition to the cash infusion, two seasoned film and entertainment executives will join the crowdfunding platform’s board of directors.  Julie Parker Benello (co-founder of Chicken & Egg Pictures and Gamechanger Films) and producer and Veritas Prep founder Chad Troutwine (Oscar-winning Undefeated, Freakonomics, Print the Legend) will join the board later this month.

Seed&Spark is building a truly independent filmmaking community where filmmakers and audiences come together for crowd-funding, production, and streaming distribution

Earlier this year, Parker Benello, along with Chicken & Egg Pictures co-founder Wendy Ettinger, launched Gamechanger films with Dan Cogan and Geralyn Dreyfous of Impact Partners to “shift the gender disparity in the film marketplace.” Parker Benello’s commitment to women in film both in documentaries and narrative films now extends to entrepreneurship in the film space. 58% of film projects successfully funded on Seed&Spark are led or co-led by women, a statistic Seed&Spark founder and CEO Emily Best attributes to the fact that women are so marginalized in the film industry they’re willing to take a risk on newer platforms. “It could also be that our company leadership is almost entirely women.”

Says Parker Benello, “I am excited to join Seed & Spark as an advisor, given the company’s interest in promoting women directors, both documentary and narrative, on their innovative crowdfunding and streaming platform. I look forward to working with the team to help build out the company while furthering the work of many filmmakers supported by Chicken & Egg Pictures and invested in by Gamechanger Films.”

“We are honored to add two incredibly experienced film producers to our board who are deeply invested in the social impact of the films they make,” says Seed&Spark founder and CEO Emily Best. “What’s more exciting is that we have been able to communicate our company’s mission as an impact investment. We are deeply committed to building tools to give access to a greater diversity of creators—tools we believe can help creators make a sustainable living from their craft.”

“We’re not taking the approach of building this company with money. We wanted to engage the community and grow organically only on the strength of what the community finds valuable about what we’re offering. It means we’ve been able to get a long way with a tiny fraction of the money our competitors have raised. It also means that more of our resources can get poured back into the community because we don’t have so much to pay back,” says Best. “We also hope that we can demonstrate to filmmakers that the strength of this community is more powerful than money. And we can build a sustainable business this way – together!”

Says Troutwine, who most recently produced Print the Legend, which was nabbed by Netflix Originals at SXSW, “There is an exciting new frontier in distribution, one that can more greatly benefit both creators and audiences. Seed&Spark’s founding team of filmmakers understands they’re working for the audience.”

The lead in this round is the Wadsworth Family investment fund Manitou Ventures. Other investors include producer and philanthropist Abigail Disney, Catapult Film Fun co-founder Lisa Kleiner-Chanoff, Emmy-winning producer and Spacestation Founder Matthew Mills, Mitro founder Vijay Pandurangan, and angel investor Deborah Meijer among others.

Having just announced a distribution partnership with American Express, Seed&Spark plans to pursue more distribution partnerships, “to put truly independent content in front of the widest possible audiences and make sure the creators benefit,” says Best.

Seed&Spark is a truly independent film community where filmmakers and audiences join forces to fund, promote and watch the best new independent films. As a selective crowdfunding platform and curated streaming service, Seed&Spark is an online destination for engaged audiences to get involved in exceptional projects at all stages. Seed&Spark’s film specific crowdfunding tool – the “WishList” – allows supporters to buy or loan specific items to a production. Every time an audience member supports a project, they earn rewards points called “Sparks” which they can spend to watch films on the streaming platform. Supporting films gives audiences greater access to watch them.

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SeedInvest Seeks Equity Crowdfunding Accredited Investors to Raise $3 Million in Series A Funding

Equity Investment Offers Investors an Opportunity to Get In on the Ground Floor of One of America’s Leading Equity Crowdfunding Investment Sites before the SEC Approves 240 Million New Investors to Join the Equity Investment Pool when the Final Title III Guidelines are Approved by the SEC sometime in 2014

By Robert Hoskins

New York, NY – SeedInvest announced that it is seeking accredited investors to fund a $3 million Series A round on its own equity crowdfunding investment platform in the United States. The first $2 million has already been committed by prominent venture capital firms, including: Scout Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Avenue A Ventures, Krillion Ventures and Archer Gray.

SeedInvest.com Launches $3 Million Series A Round on Its Own Platform

SeedInvest is excited to open up the remainder of its round to individual accredited investors who would like to invest alongside the aforementioned venture capital firms. This announcement marks the first time that a US-based equity crowdfunding platform has publicly raised capital for itself. Interested investors should go to www.seedinvest.com/seedinvest to learn more about the company and the investment opportunity.

The $3 million raise will enable SeedInvest to grow its team to support its rapidly growing investor base. In conjunction with the raise, Bradley Harrison, Managing Partner at Scout Ventures, will join SeedInvest’s Board of Directors.

“SeedInvest has both the right team and vision to capitalize on one of the largest shifts of economic power to retail investors that we have experienced in our lifetime,” said Harrison. “Their results clearly prove that they are addressing a huge problem for both investors and entrepreneurs.”

Since its launch in February 2013, SeedInvest has rapidly expanded its investment base, attracting thousands of investors who are looking to collectively invest more than $125 million in startups. In addition to establishing a thriving marketplace, SeedInvest is getting deals done. The company processed more than 60 investments worth over $2 million in March alone, and grew its transaction volume by 350% in the first quarter of this year versus the previous quarter.

Unlike other platforms that keep 20% of returns, SeedInvest is completely free for investors. This has enabled SeedInvest to attract larger investors who made investments as large as $550,000 last month. As a result, SeedInvest has proven that it can deliver capital quickly and bring high-value-add investors to the table. During March, SeedInvest helped Vengo, a high-tech digital vending machine, raise $720,000 online from a combination of venture funds, family offices and individual angel investors.

“Although we have had a tremendous start to 2014, we can’t wait for the 2nd half of this year,” said Ryan Feit, CEO and co-Founder SeedInvest. “As soon as the final portion of the JOBS Act kicks-in, we will open SeedInvest to 240 million Americans who will be able to invest in startup companies for the very first time.”

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Angel Capital Association Offers Reduced Memberships for Accredited Investors Who Attend Washington DC Event

No cost equity crowdfunding platforms and the introduction of general solicitation for the first time in 80 years presents challenge to high membership fees and the old way of doing business

By Robert Hoskins

Want a discount on the ACA’s membership fees? Angel investors who join  an accredited equity trading platform such as AngelList, FundersClub, SeedInvest, or DreamFunded, which are ACA members, a will receive an 85% discount off annual memberships. Individual investors are also being offered the ACA membership reductions.

Sessions include angel investing best practices, the latest trends in data in early-stage investing, new SEC regulations involving general solicitation, crowdfunding and the definition of an accredited investor, the future of angel investing, investing in different industry sectors, using crowdfunding platforms for successful syndication, and many others.

What’s at risk?  U.S. angel investors, individuals who support startup companies with passion, experience and funding – in 2012 invested nearly $23 billion in about 67,000 ventures, according to estimates by the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire.

“The ACA is the place to be for both experienced and (especially) new angels who want to share great ideas, to learn unique investment practices from each other, and don’t want to be left unaware of how the seed stage investment landscape is changing – particularly from a regulatory perspective,” said David Verrill, ACA’s chairman.  “We are hosting this meeting in Washington, D.C. for a reason – the Securities and Exchange Commission is not only assessing the underlying definition of who can be an accredited investor, but is also reviewing significant rules around the JOBS Act involving general solicitation and online crowdfunding platforms. Now more than ever is the time to join with angel colleagues to learn about, to shape, and to nurture this powerful economic engine.”

More than 700 angel investors, including those among the most active, sophisticated and successful in the world, will share expert advice and ideas.

Sessions include angel investing best practices, the latest trends in data in early-stage investing, new SEC regulations involving general solicitation, crowdfunding and the definition of an accredited investor, the future of angel investing, investing in different industry sectors, using crowdfunding platforms for successful syndication, and many others.

The Innovation Showcase, a related event at the Summit, will show angels in action when dozens of promising startups will receive invaluable advice and feedback from angels.

Discussions will include:

• New and proposed federal rule changes, including a potential change to the definition of who can invest in equity investment deals, will dramatically increase capital available to startups and introduce another 229 million hobby investors that will be able to invest up to $2,000 per year alongside the accredited investor population.
• Congressional leaders, including Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), will discuss how they support angel investing and its vital role in innovation and the American economy.
• Insight into tactics angels deploy to identify the best investment opportunities in top industries including life sciences and medical devices, information technology and internet, cleantech and cyber security.
• 2013 angel group deal trends, collected from more than 200 angel groups, will be shared by Rob Wiltbank, VP of research at the Angel Resource Institute (ARI), with the live release of the 2013 Halo Report, by ARI and Silicon Valley Bank, with data powered by CB Insights.
• Compelling stories, including from Blackboard co-founder Michael Chasen, who will recount how he took his learning management system company from angel backing to IPO.
• New accredited online platforms are disrupting the angel investing market. Leading platform companies including premier sponsor FundersClub will lead the discussion.
• Which are the most angel-friendly countries in the world — and how is angel investing helping spur their economies?

Registration is open to ACA members and accredited individual investors from around the world, as well as accelerator and incubator leaders, university innovation professionals, economic development leaders, and public policy makers.

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EquityNet Unveils First General Solicitation Equity Crowdfunding Investment Deal Distribution Network

EquityNet Teams Up with MarketWatch, CrowdWatch to begin Broadcasting Equity Investment Deals Where Accredited Investors Can Invest Online through Crowdfunding Platforms such as SeedInvest and RealtyShares

By Robert Hoskins

 More than 4,500 broker dealers now have the legal right to market equity investment deals via advertising, marketing, PR and social media now that the SEC has lifted the 80-year ban on General Solicitation.   And while most broker dealers have not taken advantage of the new law, EquityNet has now taken the lead by announcing the launch of a new equity investment deal distribution network with Dow Jones MarketWatch via Crowdnetic and with North Capital Private Securities.

Through partnerships with Crowdnetic and North Capital, businesses can now use EquityNet to showcase their private offerings on MarketWatch, CrowdWatch, and other crowdfunding platforms such as  SeedInvest and RealtyShares, thereby gaining exposure to thousands of additional investors.

EquityNet Equity Crowdfunding Platform for Accredited Investors

EquityNet founder and CEO, Judd Hollas, stated, “I am excited about our new partnerships with Crowdnetic and North Capital Private Securities.  Businesses using EquityNet now have the unparalleled ability to distribute their deals to large extendable networks featuring tens of thousands of visitors and potential investors.”

“As a leading provider of financial information and market data, we at MarketWatch are pleased to offer the first publicly available private offerings on a major financial media website” said Ian Rosen, Vice President and General Manager of MarketWatch.

According to Crowdnetic founder and CEO, Luan Cox, “EquityNet is a wonderful addition to our Private Offerings dashboard on MarketWatch and CrowdWatch and is bringing many new private offerings and quality businesses to MarketWatch, CrowdWatch, and our broader distribution network.”

In addition to deal distribution with MarketWatch and CrowdWatch, businesses using EquityNet can also tap into the placement capabilities of North Capital Private Securities, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC, to distribute their private offerings to other crowdfunding platforms such as SeedInvest and RealtyShares.

“EquityNet has built a great technology platform that prepares entrepreneurs to access the capital markets and enables investors to research, compare, and benchmark private companies.  We are excited for the opportunity to offer North Capital’s distribution abilities to their customers,” said Jim Dowd, Managing Director of North Capital.  “We expect that our relationships with other platforms, angel networks, independent broker-dealers, investment advisors, and institutional investors will help many EquityNet customers secure the financing they need to grow their businesses.”

Privately-held businesses can use EquityNet’s new distribution network and patented technology to showcase their private offerings on MarketWatch and CrowdWatch with the click of a button and on other crowdfunding platforms through engagement of North Capital Private Securities.  Both of these distribution abilities are readily available to all businesses that sign up with EquityNet and create a free business profile.

According to industry research by Massolution and the World Bank, crowdfunding generated $5.1 billion in funding transactions in 2013 and will surpass $300 billion in funding transactions by 2025. Within the next year, Title III of the US JOBS Act is expected to go into effect, allowing non-accredited investors to invest in startups in exchange for equity.  Experts have estimated that crowdfunding could expand the population of potential investors from 2 million to over 50 million investors.

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Top 100 Crowdfunding Sites for Equity-based, Rewards-based, Perks-based and Donation-based Fundraising Campaigns

Click Here to Review the 2015 Top 10 Rated Crowdfunding Sites to Help Anyone Launch a Fundraising Campaign to Raise Money to Bring Creative New Business Ideas to Fruition

By Robert Hoskins

Austin, Texas – Thinking about launching a Crowdfunding campaign to raise money to fund your creative business idea and bring it to fruition?  The Crowdfunding Press Center provides regular news reports on new Crowdfunding sites that have opened their doors to help entrepreneurs and small businesses launch fundraising campaigns to help bring their ingenious business ideas to fruition.

Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites for 2014

The big question that most crowdfunding campaign managers want to know is what crowdfunding site is the best to launch their fundraising campaign? Kickstarter vs. Indiegogo, which crowdfunding site is better? Or would one of the other crowdfunding sites outlined below be a better match for their precise crowdfunding goals and objectives.

Directory of Recently Launched Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• 99Funding
• AlumniFunder
• BanktotheFuture
• Bellavate
• Big-Concepts
• ClickStartMe
• cMEcompete
• Crowd Valley
• Crowdcube
• Crowdfund It Today
• Crowdfunder
• Crowdit
• CrowdTilt
• Foodstart
• Fundable
• FunderHut
• Fundly
• give2gether
• GivetoBenefit
• iCrowd
• KrowdKidz
• Launcht
• Mini America
• PiggyBackr
• Pik a Venture
• PledgeCents
• RockthePost
• Seed&Spark
• SeedInvest
• Start a Cure
• Sterlingfunder
• UInvest
• VentureHealth
• WeFunder
• YouCaring

Directory of the Top Rewards-Based Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• ArtSpire
• Crowdtilt
• Feed the Muse
• FunderThunder
• IndieGoGo Crowdfunding
• iPledg
• Kickstarter Crowdfunding
• MassiveMov
• RocketHub
• Springboard
• TechMoola

Directory of the Top Disaster-Based Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• Go Fund Me
• HelpersUnite.com

Directory of the Top Non-Profit-Based Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• Crowdrise
• Fractured Atlas
• Fundly
• Razoo
• Start Some Good
• USA Projects

Directory of the Top Music-Based Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• ArtistShare
• Hifidelics
• PledgeMusic
• Sellaband

Directory of the Top Film-Based Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• Offbeatr
• Slated
• VODO

Directory of the Top Design-Based Crowdfunding Prototyping Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• FabLabs
• Inventors Warehouse
• NextFab Studio
• NYC Resistor
• TechShop

Directory of the Top Sports-Based Crowdfunding Sites:

• Involved Fan

Directory of the Top Publishing-Based Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• Magcloud
• PubSlush
• Unbound

Directory of the Top Photojournalism-Based Crowdfunding Sites

• Emphas.is

Directory of the Top Arts & Crafts-Based Crowdfunding Sites:

• Etsy

Directory of the Top International-Based Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• Buzz Entrepreneur – France
• Fund R Venture – United Kingdom
• Geldvoorelkarr – Netherland
• Indulu.be – Hungary
• New Jelly – Norway
• PPL – Portugal
• Starteed – Italy
• The Crowd Angel – Spain
• Ulule – France
• WazoKu – United Kingdom
• WEBclusive – Netherlands

Directory of the Top Crowdfunding Accelerators, Boot Camps, and Incubators:

• AlphaLab
• Capital Factory
• DreamIt Ventures
• Good Company Ventures
• Junto Partners
• Seed Hatchery
• TechStars
• Y-Combinator

Directory of the Top Lending-Based Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• Funding Circle
• Kiva
• Lending Club
• Funding Circle
• SoMoLend

Directory of the Top Donation-Based Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• Fundrazr
• GiveForward
• Pifworld
• Rally

Directory of the Top Equity-Based Crowdfunding Sites: [Click to Tweet]

• ASSOB
• Angel List
• AppsFunder
• CircleUp
• EarlyShares
• FundedbyMe
• GrowthGroup
• GrowVC
• I-Bankers Direct
• inCube Ventures
• MicroVentures
• OurCrowd
• Pozible – Australia
• Quirky

Directory of White-Label Crowdfunding Site Providers: [Click to Tweet]

• CrowdfundHQ
• CrowdfundingSite
• Crowd Fund Magic
• Crowdforce
• Crowdhoster
• Crowdtilt
• Fundrazr
• Hayduke Labs
• IgnitionDeck
• Invested.in
• Katipult
• Launcht
• Mimoona
• Selfstarter
• Thrinacia
• Towema.com

Directory of the Top Securities-Based White-Label Crowdfunding Site Providers: [Click to Tweet]

• Community Leader
• CrowdValley

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