Below are the newest equity crowdfunding raises launched this past week. For additional information, we encourage KingsCrowders to click on the link provided for more details, how each startup’s respective raise is progressing, and the ideas they are bringing to the marketplace.
Please note, what follows 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 the following deals as they progress. Particularly if we feel they meet our criteria of being worthwhile as potential investments.
Happy Investing!
Railway Heights Market, an innovative marketplace, is raising funds on NextSeed. The marketplace is being launched as a combination of a food hall, beer garden, and artisan market in Houston. Railway Heights Market will feature retail shops, a wine bar, food concepts, and a weekly farmers market. The marketplace is expected to be launched in November 2019 by the co-founders Anh Mai and Liam Nguyen.
The proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a minimum raise of $5,000 and a maximum raise of $2,570,000, will be used for the construction of the market, architectural design, electrical and plumbing work, etc. Management expects Railway Heights Market to be Houston’s most innovative marketplace that will offer a platform to the local artisans and entrepreneurs.
SouveNEAR, the seller of locally-made souvenirs with a valuation cap of $5 million, is raising funds on WeFunder. The company sells artistic souvenirs through vending machines at airports and tourist venues. As a result, travelers get to find unique souvenirs and local artisans get a large audience. SouveNEAR was founded by Tiffany King and Suzanne Southard in 2014 and has already raised $268,250 in previous rounds since its founding.
The current crowdfunding round has a goal of $50,000. SouveNEAR reported 18,900 customer purchases in 2018 alone and revenue growth of 400% from 2015 to 2018. The company has been featured in Time, NBC News, and USA Today, and has been accepted into Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program for Fall 2019.
Vinty, a premier classic car rental service, is raising funds on SeedInvest. The company has a pre-money valuation of $3 million and offers unique and vintage cars for rentals for professional and life events. Vinty provides a self-service platform for the users and takes a commission on platform transactions.
The company was founded by Pierre Lapointe, Thomas Poulain, and Thomas Dubois in 2016. The proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a round size of $750,000, will be used for marketing, product development, geographical expansion, and operations. Vinty has already established itself with revenues of $470,000 in 2018, up 99% compared to 2017, and has more than 4,000 registered users, 1,500 classic automobiles listed, and over 1,000 rental deals.
Union Auto Program, with a pre-money valuation of $31.5 million, is raising crowdfunding on WeFunder. Union Auto Program is the only car buying service specific to the labor union members. Additionally, it also offers free ‘peace of mind’ benefits. Union Auto Program is currently operating in fourteen states and plans to expand nationally. The company markets directly to the labor unions and their members.
Union Auto Program was founded by John A Perez who grew up with union members and founded the company to pay back the community. The current crowdfunding round is expected to launch on May 10, 2019, and the proceeds will be used to expand the program nationally. Union Auto Program received 100 registrations per month during beta testing in 2018 while the day it opened to members in January 2019, it received 1,700 registrations from members looking to buy a vehicle.
Urban Putt Denver, the mini-golf experience in Denver, Colorado, is raising funds on NextSeed. The company is using innovative and imaginative techniques to create a mini-golf experience for the city-dwellers in the LoDo neighborhood of Denver. The concept includes elaborate course design and a steampunk-themed indoor experience.
Urban Putt Denver was founded by Steve Fox who has owned and operated Urban Putt in San Francisco since 2014. The company has already raised $4.7 million from private investors in 2018 while the proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a minimum raise of $150,000 and a maximum raise of $300,000, will be used for the completion of the two 9-hole mini-golf courses. Urban Putt Denver will offer an immersive experience with mini-golf, food and drink offerings, and bar.
East End Backyard, a large dog-friendly patio bar in Houston, is raising funds on NextSeed. The bar will soon be launched as an affordable and relaxing social venue for the East Downtown neighborhood. East End Backyard will feature a massive patio, an attached dog park, an expensive lawn, fire pit, lawn games, and a community garden. The bar is being launched by Brian Ching, the owner of Pitch 25 in the same neighborhood.
The proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a minimum target of $100,000 and a maximum target of $175,000, will be used towards startup expenses and assets. East End Backyard is backed by an experienced founder and has a number of unique and first-in-class features.
Water Markets, a data analytics and technology company for water, is raising funds on StartEngine. The company has a pre-money valuation of $3.5 million and is using blockchain technology to solve problems related to the water sector. Water Markets collects and connects water data from across the US and analyses it to create accountability for water. It was founded by Anastasia Valdes in July 2017 and has expanded coverage to 25 states and about 7 million water ownership records.
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 launch a digital marketing campaign and grow further. Water Markets is revolutionizing water data management through WaterNinja, a one-of-a-kind natural resource management tool.
Play Fantasy Sports, with a pre-money valuation of $1.3 million, is raising funds on StartEngine. The company is decentralizing fantasy sports and using a transparent blockchain system to give a new alternative to players. Daily Fantasy Sports is a fun game where participants compete to form the best fantasy sports team.
Play Fantasy Sports was founded by Ian Olito and Zachary Fluewelling in 2019 and will be live by the end of 2019 for players to play NBA, MLB, and NFL. New sports like golf, soccer, hockey, and cricket will be added by 2020. The current crowdfunding round has a minimum target of $10,000 and a maximum target of $107,000, and the proceeds will be used for marketing, technology development, and revenue generation.
The Toasted Coconut, a tropical restaurant in Houston, is raising funds on NextSeed. The restaurant is bringing an island escape to Texas with its tiki-inspired drinks and innovative food. The ambiance of The Toasted Coconut gets completed with a large patio with beach sand, tropical plants, and palms.
The Toasted Coconut is owned by the team behind Nobie’s, including Martin Stayer, Sara Stayer, and Stephen Stayer and is scheduled to open doors in June 2019. The proceeds of the current crowdfunding round, with a minimum raise of $107,000 and a maximum raise of $250,000, will be used for the buildout of the restaurant, construction, landscaping, design elements, and equipment furnishings. The owners of The Toasted Coconut already run Nobie’s successfully and are highly experienced in the business.
Wall Street has Morningstar, S&P, and Bloomberg
The equity crowdfunding market has KingsCrowd.
