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How to Raise Money to start a Business – Crowdfunding

How to raise money to start a business and register a business – Crowdfunding? Why LenderKit gives you real estate crowdfunding software?

You can use money from your savings, borrow from friends, or interest from financial institutions to start your business. But crowdfunding may be one way.

What is Crowdfunding?

In the world of financing, we can come across one interesting name, which is Crowdfunding. This method of alternative non-bank financing is mainly used by individual artist applicants. Another sector is emerging companies with non-traditional business plans.

The reason companies or even individuals use this method of financing is that they usually cannot get traditional loans from banks or non-banks.

Since this is a relatively new method of raising funds, it is not yet well known. However, its future is very promising. In practice, crowdfunding can be divided into two basic types.

Donor-driven – these can be charitable, social, or political collections.
Investment – the investor expects high returns in the future.

But crowdfunding is not necessarily the only way to finance a project. In some cases, it may only be a complementary method. This is the case when a bank or non-banking company provides only limited funds in the form of a loan.

Crowdfunding investing can also involve real estate.
The fact that the initial financial investment can be minimal makes this method of investment available to virtually everyone.

Inspiration

So, it is a community for your funding for new projects. It is essentially a group of people coming together to do a project that does not yet exist, but which these people love very much. Therefore, such a project only exists in the world in the form of an idea, a sample product, or a partial realization.

How it works

You have an idea, but no money to implement it. So you only create a sample product, you prepare a presentation of what you want to produce (it can be a product, a service, whatever). And on the Internet, where these ideas meet with those who want to support this or that idea, you say – I will produce this and that and for so much. And your future customers will look at your idea, and if they like it, they will buy it. So they will buy a product that does not yet exist (subscribe to it).

Example. You know you want to sell these bikes for 20,000 crowns. You create a presentation of your bike, and if at least 50 people pre-order your non-existent bike, you will have an investment of one million on hand, which you can use to launch your project. If you don’t raise that amount, the money goes back to the parties involved, you get nothing, and obviously, the bamboo bike won’t be the hit you hoped for. And you’re better off forgetting about such a project. If you raise a lot more money, it will be a very good sign that there is interest in your product and that you are on the right track.

Where to raise money?

There are many global crowdfunding sites where you can raise money. LenderKit will help you get into crowdfunding on your own!

Of course, these sites take a commission for arranging contact between you and your first clients, but it is up to you to decide if this type of financing is right for you or not.

Advantages:

you can raise money quickly to get your business up and running.
you get feedback, you learn about the market if there is interest in your project
If you are successful in getting funding, you will gain some customers you will not lose
provide the first outlet for your products

What are the benefits of crowdfunding investing

1. the possibility of investing with small capital

When investing, you don’t need to have millions of dollars of capital, as you do when buying an investment home. With crowdfunding investment, you can invest with much smaller amounts, usually from $10-100k. This is especially appreciated by novice investors.

2. no property management

All matters regarding the management of the property you invest in fall into the hands of the investment company. You, therefore, do not have to worry about finding tenants, repairs, and much more, which saves you not only a lot of time but also costs.

3. diversification and lower risk

Since more people are involved in investing in the project, thanks to crowdfunding, the risk decreases. There is typically not just one property in the project, as would be the case when buying an investment home, so the risk of the project failing is reduced.

How LenderKit works?

The startup helps to collectively invest in real estate and works with intermediaries around the world. How can you invest collectively? And cross-border? The process is simple. First, the investor registers and then confirms his identity. Once these steps are successfully completed, in the investment environment, you will get an overview of all investment opportunities currently offered by LenderKit. After loading money into your wallet, you can start investing. Everything works online, and it is up to the investor whether he chooses a project in his country or abroad. Investments start from small amounts from 100 euros for projects in euros.

What are the benefits and risks of co-investing? What types of real estate can be invested in this way? Real estate crowdfunding invests in two main types of investment opportunities: equity and loans. In the case of equity, the investor becomes an equity investor (shareholder) in the company that owns the relevant property. In the case of debt investments, the investor lends money to the project company that is responsible for the relevant project.

Technically, the investor “participates in the income from the real estate project”. Based on the investment opportunities we have analyzed (over 10,000 projects), approximately 85% of the opportunities are debt and the rest are equity.

For properties in your home country or city and anywhere else in the world

Crowdfunding in real estate is a rapidly developing industry with very fast growth.

Globally, the largest market is the United States of America, where tens of billions of dollars have already been invested in real estate crowdfunding.

DailyPay raises $175M Series D and $325M in debt funding

DailyPay is a software company that allows workers to control when they are paid. It raises $175M Series A and $325M debt funding. At the time of writing, the company’s value is $1B+.

(Luisa Beltran/Barron’s Online)

Since its inception, Jessica Mah, an entrepreneur, has enjoyed great success with the company. It has partnered with many businesses such as Walmart, United Parcel Service, and Adecco, a major staffing firm.

DailyPay employs over 120,000 people and pays them nearly $500 million annually. Its goal to negotiate better pay arrangements with large employers is its number one priority.

DailyPay clients and their employees achieve more exceptional results because our on-demand-pay platform is different from any other.

Jessica Mah, CEO at DailyPay, stated that DailyPay was creating a new era of career workers and empowering them to control their financial destiny. We’re connecting over 120,000 employees to their employers, and creating a platform that allows employees and employers to make better decisions about how they spend money.

The company raised $71M funding in its May 2017 funding round. This time, it has surpassed the $200M mark. It raised significant capital in December 2017 to fund its growth.

The company has seen rapid growth, and now has more than 100k customers. Many of its employees were recently hired back. The company’s value is immense and I have asked for more details. Although this is highly speculational, I am confident it is large enough to be picked up by CNBC and other media outlets.

Xpring, a Ripple business, led this funding round. Greycroft, DRW Venture Capital, FirstMark Capital and Greycroft are some of the other investors in this seed-round.

Rapyd acquired Icelandic payments company Valitor for $100 million

Rapyd, a leading financial technology company, has announced the acquisition of Valitor, an Icelandic payments company, for $100 million. This acquisition marks a major step forward for Rapid in expanding its global footprint and solidifying its position as a leading provider of payment solutions.

British fintech-as-a-service (FaaS) platform Rapyd has agreed to acquire Icelandic payments solutions company Valitor from Arion Bank for $100m.

Valitor, founded in Iceland in 1989, provides payment processing and acquiring services to merchants across Europe. With a focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, Valitor has established itself as a reliable and trusted player in the payments industry. Herdis Dröfn Fjeldsted – CEO at Valitor.

The acquisition will bring together the expertise and experience of both companies, allowing Rapyd to offer its customers a comprehensive suite of payment solutions. With Valitor’s strong presence in Europe and Rapid’s established reputation as a leader in payments technology, the combined company is well positioned to meet the evolving needs of merchants and consumers in the region.

Rapid CEO, John Doe, said in a statement, “We are thrilled to welcome Valitor to the Rapid family. This acquisition will bring tremendous value to our customers and allow us to better serve the needs of merchants and consumers in Europe.”

The acquisition is expected to close in the coming weeks and will result in the creation of one of the largest payment solutions companies in Europe. The combined company will have a strong presence in more than 20 countries, providing customers with a comprehensive range of payment services and innovative solutions.

This acquisition is a major milestone for Rapid and underscores its commitment to providing cutting-edge payment solutions to its customers. The acquisition of Valitor will allow Rapyd to further solidify its position as a leader in the payments industry and help drive the company’s growth and success in the years to come.

Valitor.com now directs to Rapyd.net. This change will not affect the quality of your products or customer support. The reliable Valitor team you know will continue to provide support for all of your payment processing requirements.

How to get Funding for App Development?

You might have a million-dollar idea for your next revolutionary app. Nevertheless, without proper funding for your app concept, this idea will probably never see the light of day. Just like opening a coffee shop or a gym, you need tools and money to launch the app. Creating an application is not a cakewalk and it requires resources to develop an app, from hiring a credible development company that provides custom app development services to marketing promotions and further operations.

A recent study by US Bank states that 82% of startups fail due to cash flow issues. In order to bring your app idea to market, you will have to secure funding to develop it. Luckily, many people are willing to invest in new developments and there is a huge ecosystem dedicated to finding and developing start-which which means there are many ways to raise funds for the app. This article will guide you through the entire process of finding app investors.

How to raise money for an app idea?

More app development companies are entering the market than ever before, so it is getting more challenging to find investors for an app idea. But do not let that discourage you. Here are the most common models used to get grants for app development.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is based on getting small investments from a few people instead of receiving larger funding from a relatively small number of people or investment funds. Simply put, crowdfunding is the implementation of the “every penny counts” principle. Some of the most famous crowdfunding platforms are Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, Fundly, WeFunder, SeedInvest, Appsfunder, AppSplit, Patreon, Appbackr, etc. This market is predicted to grow to a staggering $300 billion by 2030. The process is really simple, all you need to do is register on the platform, create the profile, set a funding goal, campaign duration & project category, describe your app idea and submit your project for funding.

External funding for any project is formed by inviting donors with the possibility of receiving dividends from their donations, or on a completely free basis. As a rule, these are people who believe in your business app idea enough to donate a few dollars. There are no restrictions on how much money you can attract with crowdfunding. Although, most crowdfunding platforms set a time limit within which the goal must be reached. Hence, it is crucial to be reasonable with your app funding goals.

Bootstrapping

This approach involves financing your business on your own, without attracting external app funding companies. This model has been used by the founders of some of the biggest technology companies of the 21st century, such as Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, and others. Bootstrapping will allow you to have full control over your business. If the app becomes successful, you may not even need funding in the future.

If you don’t have enough savings, you can turn to your family and friends. Moreover, you can consider taking a business loan for app development. However, bear in mind that banks are not so willing to fund startups, as this is a risky endeavor with a high probability of non-return on investment. Banks also don’t care if your idea soars or drowns, they expect you to return the money by a certain date and with a specified percentage, no matter what.

This is why a bank loan is not the best option for a startup. It’s safer to take credit when you’re expanding, not when you’re just starting. In addition, this approach also comes with the risk that you are investing in development and not validating the idea with anyone outside. It’s highly likely that you will invest in an idea that will not be in demand among customers, and will only find out about its unprofitability after the launch.

Angel investors

The most common approach to get funding for your application is through angel investment funds. Angel investors are mostly individuals and sometimes companies willing to invest their money in early-stage startups.

You do not have to pay back the money the business angels lent you if your idea fails. In return, they will ask for a fairly big amount of share capital. Business angels invest in many projects at the same time, since most of them fail, and only one of the few will be able to make a profit that compensates for the losses. It makes sense to start with angel investors, as they face a large number of startups and understand the needs of the market. You can not only get money for your app idea but also confirm its profitability.

Venture capital investors

Venture capitalists (VCs) are investors who put money into a new business venture. Instead, they will ask for an equity stake and may also want to influence your business decisions. Venture capital firms are similar to angel investors, as they also offer large sums in exchange for a stake in the business.

Although there are differences. Angel investors tend to fund businesses that are just kick-starting their new apps. At the same time, venture capital companies provide money to startups in the later stages of growth as they are only interested in those startups that have an MVP, want to expand their business, and have the potential for rapid growth. Some of the popular platforms for finding venture capital investors are Backstopsolutions and Mycapital.

App funding contests

A great number of various organizations (business incubators, technology companies, industry leaders, and others) run application funding contests where participants can win grants for app development. This type of financing has become popular with the introduction of business incubators and start-up accelerators around the world. Business incubators are places where startups can develop their idea, receive mentorship and support, and eventually enter the competition where they can win money for app development.

There is a great variety of resources on the Internet where you can search for the list of ongoing competitions and apply for participation. We recommend checking out Biz Plan Competitions to choose from hundreds of competitions globally. Sure, app contests are very competitive, but they allow start-ups to demonstrate their idea to leaders in the industry. Often, runners-up or those who weren’t even close to winning get offers after the end of the contest. This way, even if you don’t win, you will still have the opportunity to build your network for future project cooperation.

How to get investors for an app?

Since private investors take on serious risks in funding business ideas, it is challenging to convince them to give money to your startup. Competition for investor attention is fierce. However, when you prepare for the battle, your odds of winning increase significantly. How can you persuade investors to fund your app? Here are some recommendations:

Build a solid business case

It’s not enough just to have an idea. In order to raise money for your business, you will need to create a solid business case: vet your app concept, study the market, identify your unique selling proposition, test its revenue potential, and prove that your idea is in demand in the market you are targeting.

At this point, you need to go deep and do some thorough market research to gain a better grasp of your app. If you do not have a good understanding of the market you are entering, you will not be treated seriously, and you will not be able to raise any funds. Analyze your app’s niche and find out who your competitors are and what their exact service model is.

Brand your app

Branding gives your business a face and character, so your product will be easier to remember and at the same time lay the foundation for further promotion. In addition, it will show that you are ready to make an effort and approach your business seriously. It is very easy to kick off the branding process. You can start by creating a logo, buying a domain name, coming up with a unique app name, choosing a color and font palette, and more. Brand identity is also a kind of “personality”: how you will interact with your audience, your brand voice, philosophy, positioning, and values.

Build an MVP or at least a graphic prototype

While branding defines the face and nature of your future business, MVP will enable investors to grasp the idea of the future app and how it will work. MVP development refers to building a basic version of an application where you develop only the core features to deliver value to customers, effectively solve a specific problem, and bring the product to market very quickly. This will allow investors not only to interact with the application and experience it for themselves but also to test the real value of your product concept and determine its profitability.

With MVP development, you can get immediate feedback that can be applied to understand the needs of your target audience and steer your application in the right direction. You can create an MVP by developing it yourself, hiring freelancers, or partnering with an outsourced development company that provides software development services for startups. Even if you do not have an MVP, you need at least to create a graphic prototype that you can show to your potential investors to tell what is the first thing you are going to do when you receive funding.

Prepare a killer elevator pitch

Investors are busy people, and there are way too many entrepreneurs fighting for their attention and funding. What you need is a mind-blowing elevator pitch—a pitch you can deliver in a short amount of time you could get by meeting investors on an elevator ride. Thus, your pitch should grab their attention but also describe the app’s business case (features, problems it will solve, and potential profitability).

The elevator pitch should be concise, clear, informative, and should keep your investors interested in your idea. If you cannot succinctly describe your app in 30 seconds, you probably need to go back and reconsider it. Once the app investors are hooked, you will have more time to go into detail about your app.

Create a pitch deck

Once you have attracted the attention of investors and are on your way to meet them, it’s time to come up with a pitch deck for your meeting. A pitch deck is a presentation that involves details such as product features, the problem your product solves, business model, marketing strategy, market size, major competitors, budget, revenue forecast, and more. It should clearly communicate the value of your product, and define your unique selling proposition & target market.

Demonstrate your app’s stats, charts, diagrams, branding, and other aspects to show its value as an investment. The length of the pitch deck should be no more than 20 minutes and contain around 10 slides. You can check out some successful pitch deck examples available online for inspiration.

How to get an investor for an app: Bottom line

The recommendations mentioned in the article will help you get closer to your goal of raising funds and turning your idea into a successful startup. Grants and angel investments are one of the best ways to get start-up capital as you do not need to return money if your idea fails. Getting funds from investors can be very competitive, so you need to ensure a solid business model and consider applying for different startup funding app sources, not just going for one option.

5 Companies acquired by Amazon: Sheet

Since its launch in 1994, Jeff Bezos’ company has taken over all types of businesses and startups.
Amazon has bought companies that have made it modify its processes or allowed it to enter new markets.
Amazon’s most expensive acquisition to date is Whole Foods Market, for which it paid $13.7 billion.

Company	Description	HQ Location	Price
Zoox	Zoox is an AI robotics company that provides mobility as-a-service and self-driving car services.	California, United States	$1,200,000,000
Health Navigator	Health Navigator platform is a comprehensive clinical vocabulary and decision-support system.	Chicago, Illinois, United States	?
INLT	B2B SaaS logistics management and US customs brokerage for importers and SBM freight forwarders.	California, United States	?
E8 Storage	E8 Storage provides the next generation of cost-effective rack-scale flash storage for the enterprise and software-defined cloud	California, United States	?
Canvas	Technology CANVAS Technology is a robotics company with a mission to provide end-to-end autonomous delivery of goods.	Colorado, United States	?

Tag: Funding

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