Below are the latest equity crowdfunding raises begun this past week. For additional information, we encourage KingsCrowders to click on the link provided for more details. If interested, be sure and follow how each startup’s respective raise is progressing, and the concepts they are bringing to the marketplace.
Please note, these are not recommendations but are meant to inform our readers of new investment opportunities.
Be sure and check back with KingsCrowd in the future. We will continue providing updates on each raise as it progresses. Particularly if we feel they meet our criteria of being worthwhile as potential investments.
Another Round, a mini-golf entertainment venue, is raising funds on NextSeed. The company is bringing a brand-new mini golf experience to Dallas, Texas, with its multi-tiered island of golf holes. The additional attractions include a full bar and an outdoor patio, with food served by a neighboring meat market. Another Round is owned by Kendall Spence and is expected to open in February 2020. The current round of crowdfunding has a minimum raise of $150,000 and a maximum raise of $250,000, and the funds will be used for decor and finishing out of space, furniture and equipment, and working capital expenses. Another Round will serve as a new venue for experiential entertainment lovers and will be a family-friendly space.
Upshift, with a valuation cap of $8 million, is raising funds on Republic. The company offers fractional car leasing services to drivers who need cars for short distances and short duration, without the friction of owning cars. Users can request for cars at the notice as short as 30 minutes, and they will receive clean cars with full tanks at their doorstep. Upshift also allows users to subscribe to their services and receive cars on designated days regularly. The company was founded by Ezra Goldman and Ayako Hiwasa in October 2012 and is live in San Francisco. The current crowdfunding round has a minimum target of $25,000 and a maximum target of $1,070,000, and the proceeds will be used for technology development, marketing, operations, and other costs. Upshift has already reported solid financials with the customer acquisition cost of $157, a lifetime value of $4,842, and 94% paid subscriber retention rate.
Buff Bake, with a valuation cap of $8.5 million, is raising crowdfunding on Republic. The company creates and sells healthy snacks that are low in sugar, gluten-free, and high in protein. The products of Buff Bake are made from premium ingredients, without any artificial sweeteners. Buff Bake was founded by Brittany Boeckle and Ryan Queen in April 2014 and has raised over $1 million since its inception. The proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a minimum goal of $25,000 and a maximum goal of $1,070,000, will be used to increase sales and distribution. Buff Bake is well-positioned in the growing market of healthy snacks and has demonstrated strong sales. The company has distribution partnerships with leading brands, including 7-Eleven, Sprouts, Whole Foods Global, and Publix, among others.
OpenAVN, with a valuation cap of $4.5 million, is raising crowdfunding on SeedInvest. The company has implemented artificial intelligence and blockchain to develop world’s first decentralized antivirus and malware protection system. OpenAVN has been designed as both a gateway to real-time threat intel and as an endpoint protection software. The company was founded by Harish Prasanna and Bidlur Shivaprakash and has raised $210,000 in its pre-seed round of funding. The current crowdfunding round has a minimum target of $350,000 and a maximum target of $500,000, and the proceeds will be used for sales & marketing, development, operations, and salaries. OpenAVN already has over 180 early adopters and beta testers and is under the SOC2 standard certification audit.
World Tree, with a pre-money valuation of $8.42 million, is raising funds on WeFunder. The company plants Empress Splendor trees in North and Latin America to reverse climate change. The Empress trees also answer global demand for sustainable hardwood. World Tree gives the trees to the farmers at no cost and also trains them to take care of them. World Tree was founded by Wendy Burton and has already planted 2000 acres with over $2.7 million raised since its inception. The current crowdfunding round has a minimum target of $250,000 and a maximum target of $10,000,000, and every $3,000 raised will be used to plant another acre of Empress Splendor. World Tree is using trees to protect the environment and offset our carbon footprint.
Wehrloom Honey & Meadery, reinventing honey, is raising funds on WeFunder. The company started off in the basement of the founder and has grown into a full-fledged manufacturing facility and retail store for honey, skincare products, beeswax candles, and mead. Wehrloom Honey & Meadery uses its honey as the raw material to create light and flavored mead and other products. The company was founded by Aron Wehr and Jessica Wehr and has raised over $280,000 since its founding nine years back. The current crowdfunding round has a minimum raise of $50,000 and a maximum raise of $107,000, and the funds will be used to scale the production of the company’s products. Wehrloom Honey & Meadery has generated more than $1 million in lifetime revenues, with over 25,000 customers growing at 22% year-over-year.
AmmoSquared, with a pre-money valuation of $4.49 million, is raising funds on WeFunder. The company is simplifying the ownership of ammunition by digitalizing it. AmmoSquared allows users to select their budget and caliber for the ammunition, make changes to the selection, receive deliveries, store, and exchange ammunition, all online. AmmoSquared was founded by Dan Morton, Danielle Morton, and Chris Corriveau in 2013. The proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a minimum goal of $100,000 and a maximum goal of $1,069,999, will be used toward technology, business operations, and marketing. AmmoSquared has already shipped more than 40 tons of ammunition to over 4,500 customers across the country, with over $40,000 of monthly recurring revenue.
Kargoo, with a valuation cap of $4 million, is raising funds on SeedInvest. The company connects shoppers with travelers across the world and allows shoppers to use travelers’ unused luggage space to deliver products. The technologically advanced system helps shoppers reduce the high shipping costs while travelers get to earn some extra money. Kargoo was founded by Karla Valdivieso and Carlos Monsalve and has raised $80,000 since its inception. The current crowdfunding round has a minimum goal of $200,000 and a maximum goal of $1,070,000, and the proceeds will be used towards operation costs, new hires, office costs, and marketing & sales. Since its launch in January 2019, shoppers have requested shipping of products over $1.5 million through Kargoo, with more than 3,300 orders.
Shanti Elixirs, the manufacturer of fermented drink Jun, is raising funds on WeFunder. Shanti Elixirs makes Jun, a non-alcoholic sparkling green tea, from raw honey out of her Blissful Bee Apiary. The drink is available in seven flavors and has a lot of lineage, flavor, and health benefits. Shanti Elixirs is owned by Shanti Volpe and Kalyan Volpe, who share the passion for Jun. The current crowdfunding round has a minimum target of $94,000 and a maximum target of $106,000, and the funds will be used towards creating the Mobile Jun Bar. The products of Shanti Elixirs are available at more than 120 locations, and the first Jun Bar is expected to open soon on the East Coast. Shanti Elixirs reported an average of $30,000 in revenues over the last three months and expects to generate $270,000 in revenues in 2019.
Eight Bridges Brewing, with a pre-money valuation of $3.01 million, is raising funds on StartEngine. Eight Bridges Brewing is a family-owned production brewery that focuses on delivering a great beer experience. The company produces over 80 different beers in more than 30 different styles to remain ahead of the competition in the craft beer market. Eight Bridges Brewing is headed by George Beardsley and was founded in February 2014. The proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a minimum raise of $10,000 and a maximum raise of $107,000, will be used to open five new taprooms throughout the bay area. Eight Bridges Brewing has developed its own carbonating system and created a brand for itself with its healthy and flavourful beers.
Linen App, with a valuation cap of $19.8 million, is raising funds on Republic. The soon-to-be-launched application has been developed to allow retail investors to access alternatives to bonds and peer-to-peer loans. Linen App will use high-end technology to enable the use of blockchain by investors in the form of stablecoins and provides access to liquidity pools on the Ethereum blockchain. The company was founded in June 2018 by Vitaly Bahachuk, Alex Bazhanau, and Max Okala-Kulak, and is backed by Coinbase, Were Capital, HashKey Capital, and Polychain Capital. The current crowdfunding round has a minimum raise of $1,000 and a maximum raise of $300,000. Linen App already has more than 2,500 signed up for it on the waitlist.
Private Health Management, with a pre-money valuation of $12.5 million, is raising crowdfunding on SeedInvest. The company provides high-quality healthcare services, including education, logistics, and research, to improve the quality of healthcare and to contain the costs. The process of Private Health Management includes immersion, diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment implementation. The services of Private Health Management are offered in two segments: corporate and consumer. The company was founded by Leslie Michelson and Gregg Britt and has raised more than $7 million in previous rounds of financing. The proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a minimum raise of $1,000,000 and a maximum raise of $4,000,000, will be used for sales & marketing, stock repurchase, data & technology, and working capital. Private Health Management reported more than $6.5 million in revenues in 2018, with gross margins of 37.9% and EBITDA margins of 10%.
Thematic, with a valuation cap of $8 million, is raising funds on MicroVentures. It is a licensing platform for music to be used by content creators and music artists. The platform serves as the connection between music artists and digital content creators across YouTube and other platforms. Thematic was founded by Michelle Phan, Audrey Marshall, and Marc Schrobilgen in 2016 and has raised over $1.5 million since its inception. The proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a minimum target of $50,000 and a maximum target of $750,000, will be used for product development, operations, marketing, and new hires. Through the third quarter of 2019, Thematic has over 25,000 content creators on its platform, and approximately 1.8 million song plays.
RehabPath, with a valuation cap of $5 million, is raising funds on Republic. The platform allows users to find the most suitable addition and mental health treatment for them. RehabPath helps people find trusted resources to enable their recovery from addiction and other mental health issues. Additionally, it also gives a platform for ethical and effective advertising for treatment providers. RehabPath was founded by Ben Camp and Jeremiah Calvino in February 2017. The current crowdfunding round has a minimum goal of $25,000 and a maximum goal of $1,070,000, and the funds will be used to scale up operations, hire new talent, refine the self-service platform, and launch in new markets and new languages. RehabPath has already reported more than $500,000 in subscription revenue since its inception and is on track to achieve over $30,000 in monthly revenue by the end of 2019.
Grady’s Cold Brew, the manufacturer of New Orleans-style cold brew, is raising funds on StartEngine. The company has a pre-money valuation of $12.8 million. Grady’s Cold Brew creates coffee-shop style cold brew and brings it to customers’ homes in an affordable, customizable, and convenient manner. Grady’s Cold Brew was founded by Grady Laird and Dave Sands in June 2011 and has grown substantially ever since. The proceeds of the current round of crowdfunding, with a minimum raise of $10,000 and a maximum raise of $1,070,000, will be used towards growth initiates and working capital. Grady’s Cold Brew has reported $21.5 million in lifetimes sales and has shown consistent growth in revenues year-over-year. The company sells both through wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels.
PhorMed, with a pre-money valuation of $39 million, is raising funds on StartEngine.It is a biopharmaceutical company that is changing the face of genomic medicine. PhorMed uses gene therapy to target and treat cancer cells and mutated cells, and develops a treatment for patients suffering from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Parkinson’s Disease, and Acute Myeloid Leukemia. PhorMed was founded by McCoy Moretz Richard L. Chang and others. The proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a minimum target of $10,000 and a maximum target of $107,000, will be used for the Phase 2 clinical trials of the drug. PhorMed uses a leading technology, RP-323, as its gene repair therapy. The drug has completed Phase 1 of the clinical study and has generated positive outcomes.
StartEngine Crowdfunding, with a pre-money valuation of $120 million, is raising funds on TruCrowd. StartEngine is an equity crowdfunding platform that helps entrepreneurs by providing them access to capital. The platform provides entrepreneurs with all the tools, services, and support to raise funds, including post-launch and post-raise services. StartEngine Crowdfunding was founded in 2014 by Howard Marks and Ron Miller and raised over $5 million in its previous crowdfunding round in 2018. The current round of crowdfunding has a minimum raise of $10,000 and a maximum raise of $855,000, and the funds will be used for product development, marketing, and business development. StartEngine Crowdfunding has an active community of over 200,000 users and has raised more than $100 million for over 300 businesses.
Dented Brick Distillery, with a valuation cap of $7 million, is raising funds on WeFunder. The company manufactures award-winning craft distilled spirits, using high-quality raw material. Dented Brick Distillery controls the entire process, from grain to glass, and takes ingredients from local farmers and water from its on-site artisan well. Dented Brick Distillery was founded by Marc Christensen and others in 2011 and has raised over $4 million since its inception. The proceeds of the current round of crowdfunding, with a minimum goal of $50,000 and a maximum goal of $1,070,000, will be used towards scaling production, additional labor, inventory management, and increased distribution. Dented Brick Distillery sold 8,052 cases in 2018, set to reach 16,000 in 2019. The distillery has active distribution in six states and generated $400,000 in revenues in 2018.
Shark Wheel, with a pre-money valuation of $30 million, is raising crowdfunding on WeFunder. The company has reinvented the wheel that has multiple advantages over the traditional wheel. The Shark Wheel has a longer life, a unique approach angle, less charging, and better ability to move over rough terrain. Shark Wheel was founded by Gary Fleishman and has raised over $534,000 in previous rounds of funding. The company has also received two government grants for the application of its technology to the farming wheel. The current crowdfunding round has a minimum target of $50,000 and a maximum target of $442,000, and the funds will be used towards manufacturing, licensing, and marketing. The wheels of the Shark Wheel have various applications, including luggage, farming wheel, printing industry, medical applications, office chairs, casters, skateboards, and many more.
