project. This is the first step towards a future multimedia show we aim to develop.
If you want to support this project, click here
dinsdag 23 augustus 2011
Sometimes even we are touched by a Crowdfunding project
project. This is the first step towards a future multimedia show we aim to develop.
If you want to support this project, click here
donderdag 14 juli 2011
IDEAME.COM LAUNCHES IN LATIN AMERICA TO PROMOTE CREATIVITY THROUGH CROWDFUNDING
In Latin America, there is an extraordinary pool of creative and innovative talent that faces obstacles to find funding. Some of these ideas could become products, works of art, or experiences that could change the world.
IDEAME.com is an online community that helps remarkable Latin American creators make their ideas happen and expand internationally through the power of crowdfunding, social media and value added services.
Our fundamental goal is to provide financial support for creative and artistic Latin American talent in in a variety of areas, including music, cinema, visual arts, design, fashion, innovation and technology.
The crowdfunding phenomenon is booming in developed economies as a natural evolution of social media. We are adapting those successful models on a global level to meet the needs of artists and creative talent in Latin America.
We are planning to launch the platform in August 2011. The market rollout will initiate in Argentina and Chile and later on expand to other Latin American markets, including Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.
We’ ll keep you posted with our updates!
Let’s support LatinAmerican talent at IDEAME.com!
Sebastián Uchitel, CEO IDEAME.com
zondag 26 juni 2011
BRING CHI L’HA VISTO TO THE CINEMAS
As you may have noticed, I’ve been into the CROWDFUNDING subject quite a bit lately, and have, among other things, supported filmmakers to raise funds for their film projects that way.
At the moment I am collaborating with the Berlin based director/producer Claudia Rorarius to organise and promote the theatrical and DVD release of her Film CHI L’HA VISTO – WHO SAW HIM.
The story follows its protagonist, Gianni Meurer, on a trip from Berlin to Italy. There, Gianni, a man in his early thirties, wants to search for his father, whom he has last seen 25 years ago. Aside from faded childhood memories, all Gianni has left from his father are a few letters and a photo. Gianni shows this photo to everyone he meets on his way to Rome, because that is where he believes his father to be.
In August 2011, CHI L’HA VISTO – WHO SAW HIM will premiere in German cinemas and inspire many people, notably indie-filmmakers, road movie- and drama enthusiasts, friends of the Italian Cinema, people in search of their true identity, homosexuals and lesbians or people with bi-national background.
Subsequent to it’s German theatrical premiere the film is to be released for international audiences and will be marketed internationally via DVD and download.
For this last tour de force we are still lacking the necessary change. Therefore we have launched a crowdfunding campaign on startnext for our German speaking fans. Additionally, for our audiences outside Germany, we are running an international campaign on IndieGoGo.
We need to raise a total of about EUR 15.000 to be able to produce the necessary film copies, create subtitles, produce various promotional materials (posters, postcards, trailers, etc.), record audio comments, author the DVD and to organise press screenings etc.
If you are able to support this project, please click on the widget below or spread this article among your friends on facebook and twitter or via email. For your financial support we offer some nice perks, such as a personalised „Thank-You“-video from our leading actor Gianni Meurer, a signed film poster, a DVD, an invitation to the opening night or even a dinner with the director.
Feel free to follow CHI L’HA VISTO – WHO SAW HIM on Facebook or stay up-to-date viaTwitter. In a few days there also will be a blog online, where you can find all the news about the theatrical release and the funding.
Until then, all that’s left for me to do is to show you the video to our crowdfunding campaign (including a trailer):
Payoff: This guestpost is a translation of the original german text "CHI L'HA VISTO in die Kinos bringen!" by Wolfgang Gumpelmaier, translated by Spoxx.
maandag 20 juni 2011
Global Strategic Management Institute Presents Startup Competition, VentureEngine, at Enterprise Tomorrow Conference
A competition geared for companies and products focused on
innovative enterprise software and technologies
San Francisco, CA: GSMI announced today the launch of their first ever start up contest VentureEngine, which will be geared towards startups in the enterprise software and technologies market within the following 5 themes; Collaboration, Social Communications, Crowdsourcing, Enterprise Mobility and Gamification. The competition is part of the Enterprise Tomorrow Conferencebbeing held in San Francisco on September 13-15th, and will give the 7 chosen finalists the opportunity to present their idea in front of a panel of investors and VC’s in order to win the cash grand prize.
The VentureEngine Startup Competition offers a unique opportunity to those selected and unlike other launch events, there is no application fee. The VentureEngine Competition will highlight emerging companies by throwing them in front of our panel of industry experts and investors to judge their groundbreaking technologies, products and services. Each finalist will then have 5 minutes to pitch their idea followed by two minutes of Q and A and panelist feedback. Only seven of the most innovative and disruptive companies will make the cut, and only two will win. A cash prize will be awarded to both the judge’s pick and the audience’s favorite presentation. If selected, finalists will receive:
o Opportunity to pitch publicly to investors, corporate buyers and the media
o Two free passes to the event
o Highlighted exposure
o Listed in event material, social media marketing and press releases
o 30in Exhibitor table top with internet access and space for a sign
o Chance to win cash grand prize and fan favorite prize! 888.409.4418
Startups that would like to be considered for VentureEngine, please visit www.ventureenginestartup.com, fill out the application form and wait patiently to be contacted about your entry. The VentureEngine Startup Competition will debut at the Enterprise Tomorrow Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco, CA on September 13-15 2011. For more information on VentureEngine and the Enterprise Tomorrow conference please visit us online at www.enterprisetomorrow.com or call 888.40-.4418 ext. 10.
Eligibility:
Companies must launch a working version of product at VentureEngine (companies presenting products that have been released for more than 6 months will not be accepted), must be at the startup phase and received Angel, Series A funding or less to be eligible. Visit ventureenginestartup.com for more information regarding eligibility.
About GSMI:
GSMI is dedicated to creating rich environments for learning, networking and ensuring their attendees have great experiences. GSMI hosts dozens of summits, around the world, each year. They are leaders in their industry and strive to always provide the best, most relevant speakers, quality workshops and the right environment to both network and learn.
vrijdag 27 mei 2011
Help out a Crowdfunding researcher
To all Crowdfunding Platform Owners/Employees
As a master student of the University of Amsterdam I would like to ask you to participate in
this research on Crowdfunding. As you will know Crowdfunding has become a phenomenon
of high interest the last couple of years. Academic research on this topic is very scare to non-
existent.
With this research I would like to get a better insight in the concept Crowdfunding. Although
there is a definition, I would like to find out whether one can observe particular streams of
crowdfunding. The results of the research will hopefully lead to generalizations about this
concept that are academically sound.
The questionnaire will be treated completely anonymous and is for research purpose only. It
will take you no longer than 5 minutes to complete.
The link to the research is: http://www.thesistools.com/
If you are interested in the results of the research please let me know via:
F.A.terKuile@student.uva.nl
or find me on twitter: http://twitter.com/
Kind regards,
Frank ter Kuile
As a master student of the University of Amsterdam I would like to ask you to participate in
this research on Crowdfunding. As you will know Crowdfunding has become a phenomenon
of high interest the last couple of years. Academic research on this topic is very scare to non-
existent.
With this research I would like to get a better insight in the concept Crowdfunding. Although
there is a definition, I would like to find out whether one can observe particular streams of
crowdfunding. The results of the research will hopefully lead to generalizations about this
concept that are academically sound.
The questionnaire will be treated completely anonymous and is for research purpose only. It
will take you no longer than 5 minutes to complete.
The link to the research is: http://www.thesistools.com/
If you are interested in the results of the research please let me know via:
F.A.terKuile@student.uva.nl
or find me on twitter: http://twitter.com/
Kind regards,
Frank ter Kuile
woensdag 11 mei 2011
Dutch Equity Based Crowdfunding platform presents Exclusivi
The recently launched Equity-based Crowdfunding platform www.mkbcrowdfunding.nl features some of its latest proposition via www.crowdsourcing.org. The platform uses the innovative construction developed by the Dutch company Symbid. One of the selected propositions is Exclusivi. The idea for Exclusivi was developed by Anthony Carter.
Link to pitch
Exclusivi is a new mobile application which shows you in your favorite shopping area any special offers that are exclusive to members only. So how does this concept exactly work which is unique in the Netherlands? First you download the free application from www.exclusivi.nl to your Smartphone. Once the application is running, you'll see a list of special deals in your neighborhood. Such a deal could be for example a free pair of Levi's jeans when you walk into a specific clothing store as one of the first one hundred customers. The application will display a promotion code that you show to the cashier. The coolest feature is that the application can also notify you automatically of any special offers in your area. This way you do not have to open the application and go through the list of deals every time. Isn’t this easy! Partners can publish their deals for free. The application is soon available on multiple platforms.
Also check this guerilla marketing video made by Anthony:
Link to pitch
The Crowd can use www.mkbcrowdfunding.nl for investing in Exclusivi’s Equity. For more information about Exclusivi check their Crowdfunding page or their website.
vrijdag 4 februari 2011
The Crowdfunder – an “AdVenture Capitalist”
Last week’s blogpost “Equity or Debt?” the Next step in Crowdfunding highlighted the three fundamental forms of crowdfunding platforms:
1. Crowdfunding as a method for sponsorship with a non-financial return
2. Debt-crowdfunding with a financial return (P2P-lending)
3. Equity based crowdfunding with a potential financial return and ownership
Whether you are a crowdfunder, an adVenture Capitalist, or if you have an initiative or you are an entrepreneur looking to raise money, it’s critical to have a good understanding of the models and the different types of initiatives they can support.
If you take a close look at the burgeoning marketplace for crowdfunding platforms, explosive growth in the number of platforms that provide crowdfunding solutions is being seen in the sector for “softer projects”. These can include “good causes”, “non-profit ventures” or “commercial projects” that don’t offer a commercial return to the contributors who put forward funding. In my post “Equity or Debt; the Next Step in Crowdfunding”, I referred to this category as “Crowdfunding as a method for sponsorship with a non-financial return”. Based upon donations and sponsoring from the crowd these platforms are gaining in popularity fast. Sometimes with a focus on a particular field such as movies, books and art projects among others. Probably the most well known platforms in this category are: www.kickstarter.com, www.indiegogo.com and www.sellaband.com. Let’s take a look at them:
If you’re looking for startup funding for a creative initiative, Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that allows just about anyone with a unique idea to share a potential project with the site’s 1 million online viewers. People that recognize the project’s potential have the opportunity to “pledge” money to make it happen. On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Under the Kickstarter model, project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work by offering products and experiences that are unique to each project. In 2010, more than $27 million was pledged through Kickstater and 3,910 projects were funded by the crowd.
[Image source: www.kickstarter.com]
Sellaband is a platform that raises money for artists to help them launch their music careers by crowdfunding donations from fans. Music fans can search for talent, view the charts and listen to some songs and start discovering new music. Fans can support their favorite artists by buying a “part” (a unit that represents a level of interest in a project) and helping them to raise the funds for a new music project such as a new album, tour or the promotion of their music.
At all times before the Fund raising goal has been reached fans can withdraw their money from a Music Project and move it to another project. Once an artist has reached his/her goal the doors are closed, meaning that no new Believers can come on board and the contributors’ can no longer withdraw their money. The artist will use the funds raised to complete his/her Music Project. Believers’ “parts” translate into rewards in the form of free downloads and other goodies artists might offer like exclusive CDs, t-shirts, free lunches, etc. or even a cut of their revenues.
[Image source: www.sellaband.com]
On Indegogo, individuals can create a funding campaign to raise money quickly and securely for something they are passionate about? By leveraging their individual networks as well as Indigogo’s network, the can reach potential contributors globally. To date, Indegogo has helped to raise millions of dollars for over 15,000 campaigns, across 155 countries.
The model works by offering contributors unique perks or tax deductions in lieu of offering profit while the campaigner always keeps 100% ownership of their project or venture. Indegogo will feature selected campaigns on its Home Page and promote the initiate through the press and via social media.
[Image source: www.indiegogo.com]
The second category mentioned in my latest post referred to Debt-Crowdfunding platforms also known as the act of “Debt-Crowdfunding with a financial return (P2P-lending)”. These platforms offer the crowd an opportunity to invest in debt for start-ups or entrepreneurs. The most well known example in this category is www.kiva.org who to date has initiated loans of over US $190m.
[Image source: www.kiva.org]
Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty. With Kiva you loan money to contribute to the funding of a loan, typically to an individual or small entity in a 3rd world country, in return for the repayment of the loan with interest. Money is received through the Kiva platform and transferred to a micro-financing institution (MFI) close to the beneficiary. Once the required loan amount has been reached, the loan is initiated and payments with interest are returned through the MFI to Kiva. Once the loan has been repaid, individuals can withdraw their money or make a new loan to another worthy cause.
Typically Kiva and other such platforms operate under the philosophy that good-natured individuals will help others given the opportunity to do so in a transparent, accountable way. The poor are highly motivated and can be very successful when given an opportunity and loans encourage more accountability than donations where repayment is not expected.
One challenge for such platforms is their need to offer an efficient capital movement but by using third party organization to collect the interest payments. While it would seem that the nature of the loans are or particular high-risk to the lender, Kiva reports a current repayment rate of nearly 99%. Additionally, due to the nature of the loans and the typical demographic of the recipient, the cost of capital is also considerably higher than for examples bank loans. When bringing in the social element (i.e. investing in third world entrepreneurs), the model still withholds value for the movement in capital but is not optimal for lenders whose motivations do not include philanthropic motivations.
A transit category between Debt Crowdfunding and Equity-based Crowdfunding is revenue share Crowdfunding. In this form the entrepreneur offers a percentage of the Revenue to be distributed among the investors. This model suffers from the some of the same characteristics as Debt-Crowdfunding – the borrower commits themselves to high interest rates and therefore extreme financial pressure from the start. Although many argue that this model is fair towards investors and entrepreneurs, as the cost are only incurred when the organizations is making a turnover. Fact remains that it has the potential to encumber the organizations with excessive burden in its ability to make future investments, making the firm a cash-cow for investors but increasing the odds that the enterprise is less likely to survive.
There is also the potential for a revenue share model to potentially disadvantage the investor. Consider Goldman’s recent Facebook-deal. If Facebook was crowdfunded from the start in a revenue share-model, the investors would only have a claim on Facebook’s turnover (aprox. 800 million in 2009) and not on the recent valuation of 50 billion which would otherwise be the case if an equity-based model was used.
The third category mentioned in my latest post referred to Equity-Based Crowdfunding platforms also known as the act of “Equity based Crowdfunding with a potential financial return and ownership”. This emerging model provides very different advantages to both investors and entrepreneurs in search of capital by best aligning the interests of investors and their investments. In this model investors have exactly the same incentive as the entrepreneur – the creation of value in the company. Thereby this model allows a clean inflow and exit point as equity is tradable. Despite the legal challenges, there are already some platforms who claim to be Equity based such as www.growvc.com (via a grouping model) and www.crowdcube.com (set to launch on 10-02-2011, however UK-only). Although legal challenges make it hard for these pioneering platforms there isn’t a best practice model yet and the models currently being rolled-out remain a bit unclear.
Personally I think Crowdfunding could be the solution for the capital immobility entrepreneurs are experiencing on a global scale. Although this capital immobility could well be partly induced by the recent credit crunch, fact remains that start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises are still experiencing problems in their capital search.
In an attempt to place Crowdfunding in the current landscape of entrepreneurial funding sources the graphic above was developed. It becomes clear that entrepreneurial Crowdfunding could be used for investments from € 20.000 euro up to € 2.5 million and could be an alternative for or an addition to FFF-investments, bank loans, VC investments and private equity funding. I’m not advocating Crowfunding as a substitute for other means of funding but more as an additional tool to provide in a company’s capital needs. The funding itself is the main point of interest here, not the means used to acquire it!
I’m confident to say that this yet instable state of the Crowdfunding industry will move towards a few best-practice models and we will see the rise of a few dominant platforms. In Q2 2011, www.symbid.com, will launch a Crowdfunding platform that facilitates Equity-based Crowdfunding in a more straightforward way than currently is available. Symbid facilitates the direct participation by investors in existing as well as start-up businesses without any restrictions or regional availability. By Korstiaan Zandvliet
Korstiaan Zandvliet holds an MSc in New Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship and has a background in Sociology and Business Administration. He is a frequent writer of expert blog articles on Social media, Crowdsourcing and Crowdfunding. After holding a position as Marketing Manager for a Dutch software start-up, he co-founded a company called Symbid. Symbid is a radical new innovation which enables (nascent) entrepreneurs to overcome financing problems for their start-up or small business. Symbid focuses on entrepreneurial finance needs up to € 2.5 million by utilizing the concept of Crowdfunding in a radically new way. In contrast to currently available Crowdfunding sites, Symbid developed a financial and legal framework which allows Crowdfunders to actually become a shareholder of the offered Crowdfunding propositions. For more information www.symbid.com .
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