Crowdfunding Has Never Been This Easy

Weekly newsletter about the latest news, updates, and information about crowdfunding campaigns.

NASCEND on Wefunder

NASCEND, PBC, is a transformative technology company aiming to improve outcomes for opioid-exposed newborns. The company's focus is on tech-based clinical solutions and certifications for healthcare systems and providers, targeting the care of opioid-exposed infants (OEI) to reduce costs and potentially generate new revenue for healthcare systems. They are led by a CEO recognized among Forbes 1000 Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2021.

Key Highlights

1. NASCEND's CEO is a national expert and was recognized among Forbes 1000 Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2021.

2. The company addresses the issue of over a quarter of a million infants born opiate exposed annually in the U.S.

3. NASCEND reports outcomes like a 79% decrease in infant pharmacological treatment and NICU admissions.

4. They have identified a potential market revenue of $450M with no direct competitors.

Sweetpals on Wefunder

Sweatpals is a rapidly growing marketplace serving sports and fitness communities. It's a mobile app that connects fitness enthusiasts with various fitness and sports communities, fostering social networks based on shared fitness interests. In just over a year, Sweatpals has achieved significant growth, launching in three cities and amassing 40,000 members across 470 distinct fitness and sports communities. The platform aims to make fitness communities more accessible and serves as a peer-to-peer marketplace for both community leaders and fitness enthusiasts.

Key Highlights

1. mpressive Growth and Community Engagement: Sweatpals has grown to 40,000 members in just 15 months, hosting 8,000 events in 450 communities with 83,000 attendees in the first year.

2. Award-Winning and Valuable: The startup won the largest global startup competition, Barnburner, by Sweater VC, securing a quarter of a million dollars.

3. Strong Leadership and High Retention Rates: The leadership team boasts previous startup exits and experience with Fortune 500 companies. The active community retention rate is 15% higher than the industry average, indicating effective community management and user satisfaction.

4. Innovative Business Model and Market Opportunity: Sweatpals operates on a multifaceted monetization strategy, including transaction fees and key partnerships. The U.S. fitness industry, valued at approximately $32 billion in 2022, is projected to reach $50 billion by 2028, highlighting a significant market opportunity for Sweatpals.

Jurny on Wefunder

Jurny is a pioneering company in the hospitality sector, leveraging AI and connectivity to revolutionize property management. Positioned at the forefront of the AI revolution in hospitality, Jurny offers an advanced, AI-powered Property Management System (PMS) that automates operations for hosts, hotels, and property managers. Founded in 2019 by Luca Zambello, the company aims to address the inefficiencies and challenges in the hospitality industry by providing a one-click, end-to-end property management solution. Jurny's platform integrates various operations such as bookings, cleaning, customer service, and dynamic pricing into a single dashboard, enhanced by its AI, Nia.

Key Highlights

1. Impressive Funding and Growth: Jurny raised $2,954,390 from 956 investors and has experienced a 5x customer growth in the last 9 months. It also boasts a $22M contracted Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) with 100% user growth in the last month.

2. Innovative AI Integration: Jurny's AI, Nia, is a state-of-the-art innovation that streamlines operations in the hospitality industry. It offers a vertically integrated platform for comprehensive control and automation, including smart device control and API integrations.

3. Efficiency Enhancements: The platform has significantly reduced onboarding time from 44 days to just one click. This efficiency extends to managing and automating various aspects of hospitality management, saving time and resources for clients.

4. Recognition and Support: Jurny has been featured in major publications like the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Forbes. It also secured a $5.5M seed round from top VCs including Mucker Capital and Okapi VC.

Basil on Wefunder

Basil is a platform designed to revolutionize the freelance industry. It aims to simplify the logistics of freelancing, making it more accessible and efficient for both freelancers and the companies that hire them. Basil's approach is unique in that it focuses on enhancing both the freelancer's experience and the hiring company's process. The platform has seen significant early-stage traction, with over 300 freelance users and notable enterprise users like Bose. Basil's revenue model and strategic approach indicate a strong potential for growth in the freelancing market.

Key Highlights

1. Strong Market Presence: Basil has generated over $225k in project revenue with a year-over-year growth of 84%. This demonstrates a robust market presence and a growing demand for their services.

2. Innovative Platform Features: The platform launched a beta version to approximately 300+ users, showcasing its capability to handle a significant user base. Basil's platform is not just a digitized proposal system; it integrates contract, invoice, payment flow, and scope management tools.

3. Diverse and Inclusive Founding Team: Basil is founded by a team that includes women and members of the LGBTQ community, highlighting its commitment to diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.

4. Notable Clientele and MVP Success: During its MVP stage, Basil's top client was Bose, processing over $40k in contractor bookings over 8 months. This indicates strong market validation and the platform's ability to handle significant business transactions.

Solubag on Microventures

Solubag is an innovative company offering environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastic. They have developed a patented water-soluble technology that allows for the creation of plastic-like products that can completely dissolve in water. This technology is non-toxic and has applications in various products like grocery bags, dog waste bags, and liquidless laundry detergent. In 2022, Solubag experienced a significant revenue growth of approximately 1500%, reaching over $350,000. The company has notable customers like HEB, Sysco, and Chilean snacks distributor Frutisa.

Key Highlights

1. Rapid Revenue Growth: Solubag's revenue grew by about 1500% in 2022, indicating strong market acceptance and potential for future growth.

2. Notable Customer Base: The adoption of Solubag's technology by well-known companies like HEB, Sysco, and Frutisa showcases its practicality and market viability.

3. Innovative and Environmentally Friendly Technology: The patented water-soluble technology offers a unique solution to the plastic pollution problem, providing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastics.

4. Investment Opportunity: The company is open for investments through Microventures, allowing individuals to contribute to an environmentally conscious business with a growing market presence.

GrownAs Foods on Republic

GrownAs Foods specializes in creating plant-based, flavorful food products, particularly mac and cheese and a range of sauces. The company emphasizes the combination of great taste with vegan, dairy-free, and healthy living principles. They have experienced significant growth and are seeking investment to further expand their market reach.

Key Highlights

1. Market Growth and Sales Forecast: The plant-based CPG market is expected to grow from $8 billion in 2022 to $37 billion by 2030. GrownAs Foods has forecasted sales of $1.2 million in 2023 and aims for $10.8 million by 2026.

2. Product Distribution and Popularity: Their mac and cheese product expanded from 0 to over 900 retail doors in 12 months, including in Sprouts stores. Their sauces are available in over 1400 retail locations and have been featured on the popular show "Hot Ones."

3. Manufacturing and Business Model: The company has improved its manufacturing processes, leading to reduced costs and higher gross margins. They also have a strong direct-to-consumer and Amazon presence, with significant average yearly values for returning customers.

4. Competition and Product Quality: GrownAs Foods stands out with its kid-approved, adult-adored healthier mac and cheese, free from common allergens like soy and nuts, and offering high protein benefits.

It’s on Dealmaker

It's Skinny, a brand specializing in low-calorie, zero net carb, gluten-free pasta alternatives. The brand has achieved significant success, becoming Amazon's #1 selling pasta and expanding its presence to over 6,000 retail locations in the U.S. The company is inviting individuals to invest and become shareholders, highlighting its impressive sales growth, significant market opportunity in the low glycemic diet sector, unique product differentiation with konjac-based pasta, and a strong team with a track record in consumer goods.

Key Highlights

1. Impressive Sales Growth: It's Skinny has experienced over 80% annual growth each year since 2020, with $93 million in trailing 12-month revenue. This growth is attributed to its position as the #1 pasta on Amazon and its expanding retail presence.

2. Market Opportunity: The global pasta market is valued at $131 billion, with a significant portion of consumers seeking low glycemic diet options due to health conditions or dietary preferences. However, low glycemic pasta options currently represent less than 1% of the total pasta market, indicating a substantial opportunity for growth.

3. Product Differentiation: It's Skinny pasta is made from konjac, a plant known for being low in carbs and high in fiber. This makes the pasta suitable for various diets, including low glycemic, gluten-free, paleo, and keto, while maintaining a taste and texture similar to traditional pasta.

4. Investor Incentives and Team: The company offers various investor perks based on investment levels, ranging from free merchandise to meetings with the CEO. The team behind It's Skinny includes experienced professionals in product development, sales, and the consumer packaged goods industry.