Crowd-sourced funding platform VentureCrowd launches JV with Josephmark

Equity crowd-sourced funding (CSF) platform VentureCrowd and digital venture studio Josephmark have launched a joint-venture to help early-stage Australian startups accelerate their scaling plans.

The new project will offer growth services to early-stage startup founders from Josephmark’s brand, product, growth, and venture strategy and rollout services through to investment support and fundraising via the VentureCrowd platform. It will also develop a new digital platform to foster connections and collaboration opportunities between CSF’s startup investors, and early-stage founders.

VentureCrowd CEO Steve Maarbani said interest in backing early-stage startups through crowdfunding has resulted in a 73% year-on-year increase in investment volume through platform in the last quarter, while membership is up 50%.

“Our goal is to create a frictionless path to funding for founders, while giving investors early access to the most exciting startup ideas. This partnership will truly harness the power of our ever-growing crowd and utilise it to its full potential,” he said.

“Josephmark is a true venture partner to startup clients with a unique perspective and proven methodology to accelerate growth. They have access to a strong deal flow of early-stage ventures which will help us bring even more quality deals to the platform, while connecting members directly to like-minded investors and early-stage founders.”

Maarbani said the JV will have a strong emphasis on the digitisation of the investment process in a mobile first-environment.

VentureCrowd currently allows members to invest in vetted startup deals directly via its web and mobile platform. The collaboration will expand that mobile offering via a new platform connecting investors and founders through communities based on specific areas of interest, such as medtech, foodtech, and fintech.

Josephmark Group CEO Ben Johnston said the partnership addresses major gaps in Australia’s startup ecosystem by providing startups with a roadmap from idea to IPO.

“The venture studio model gives startup founders the ability to rapidly prototype and validate their product-market fit,” he said.

“By plugging this model directly into VentureCrowd, and bringing their 63,000 investors on the journey with these founders, we can supercharge the startup process. This really makes us the one-stop shop for promising ventures.”