This newsletter was originally sent to The Nest network on Thursday, October 28th. To subscribe for future updates please click here.
Last week, we completed our first equity fundraise and brought in $1M from accredited investors. Today, we’re launching a crowdfunding campaign on WeFunder to raise another $1M, and give anyone, anywhere the chance to be an equity investor in Untapped. Over the next year, we’ll use this combined funding to scale up our investment platform and reshape profitable investing in emerging markets.
And — we’re giving our first investors up to $200,000 an exclusive incentive to say thanks for being part of The Nest network from the very beginning. Read on to find out more!
Over the past ten months, we’ve introduced an investment model called Smart Asset Financing™- our investment model for emerging markets that provides flexible capital for fast-growing companies like Paga, Asaak, and FlexClub. For investors, Smart Asset Financing™ leverages IoT technology to make investments safer and more profitable by tracking assets and capturing revenue in real-time.
We’ve proven that it works: we’ve financed hundreds of entrepreneurs in over half a dozen countries, and have become profitable in the 10 short months since we launched. Smart Asset Financing™ is helping Flexclub power the first electric motorcycle subscription in Mexico while enabling 120,000+ small businesses in Nigeria to digitize their payment systems with PoS devices. It’s built several LPG refill stations across townships in Cape Town, South Africa, with PayGas, with more on the way in Soweto, Johannesburg, and enables iDrop water ATMs to deliver safe, clean drinking water to spazza shops across South Africa for just R1 (US 6¢) per liter.
So far, we’ve only been able to make this investment opportunity available to “accredited” (ie. wealthy) investors willing to write big checks. Now, we want to make the opportunity to profitably invest in emerging markets available to anyone, anywhere.
We are raising $1M to build an online platform that allows any type of investor — big or small — to invest in Smart Asset Financing™ for fast-growing small businesses in Africa, Latin American, and Asia.
We’re raising the $1M through crowdfunding as a way for our team to get invaluable feedback from potential future retail investors like yourself, and to continue building our global community of people who want to democratize access to investment and funding worldwide. We’re doing it through WeFunderbecause it allows anyone, anywhere to own a part of Untapped.*
Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia are the future of profitable and impactful investing. Those of us already investing, building, and working here know how many lives can change for the better, if there was just enough money to do it…
The money exists.
The talent and potential exist.
We’re bridging the gap.
The Untapped team invites you to join us on our mission to reshape how profitable investing is done in emerging markets globally, increase access to growth capital everywhere, and create opportunity for the next billion entrepreneurs.
Investors of the first $200,000 into the WeFunder campaign will receive a cash value of 5% of their equity investment deposited into their account when the Untapped investment platform launches in 2022. We appreciate you being part of The Nest network as it grows — and want to make sure you’re the first to claim it.*
$1,050,000 from 20 investors in just 34 days: Amount raised in our first equity fundraise. Shoutout to our early believers — Murti Hussain, Ali Moiz, Gary Ford and Nancy Ebb, Eric Klose (Ground Squirrel Ventures), DF Impact Capital, Vishal Agarwal and Raj Kulasingam (V&R Ltd), George Strompolos, Brad Jenkins (Seed Round Capital), Joe Hill, Miraj Sanghvi, Vivek Garg, Jason Woloz, and the Stonks Fund!
$1,000,000: Amount we are now opening up to equity investors around the world via crowdfunding on WeFunder, to take part in the transformation of financing in emerging markets globally.
SIXTY-SEVEN: Bugs fixed on our new website since its launch earlier this week. Well done to our Product team — Vincent, Ayad, Mark, and Kennedy!
THREE: New Operating Partners signed in October to receive Smart Asset Financing from Untapped. Look out for our announcements introducing them soon…
ONE: Electric motorbike already in the hands of a rideshare driver in Mexico from our recent deal with Flexclub. Scroll down to meet Edward!
Thursday, November 4 — The Nest on Clubhouse — “Is Crowdfunding the Future of Financing?”: According to Yahoo Finance, the current total value of equity crowdfunding deals rests around $1.7 billion annually, and that number is expected to rise to $5 billion by 2022. For startups that don’t fit the typical VC mold, especially in emerging markets, traditional methods of raising capital can be costly and even inaccessible.
However, as a new alternative investment approach, crowdfunding allows everyday investors to accelerate the growth of startups worldwide. On this episode of The Nest on Clubhouse, we’ll ask, is crowdfunding the future of financing? And how can startups successfully crowdfund from big and small investors alike? Register to join us here.
Find out more about our Smart Asset Financing™ investment platform and how it works at www.untapped-global.com (check out our new site)!
Find out more about our crowdfunding campaign and invest early on WeFunder to get 5% in credit when our platform goes live in 2022.*
Questions about our crowdfunding campaign, Smart Asset Financing™, or Untapped in general? Just hit reply, or join one of our public Q&A sessions.
Keep well and see you out there!
P.S. Edward pictured below has been an UberEats courier in Mexico for the past 16 months. Thank’s to Flexclub’s vehicle subscription model, Edward can now hit the road in his brand new Citio electric bike!
*Disclaimer: We are ‘testing the waters’ to gauge investor interest in an offering under Regulation Crowdfunding. No money or other consideration is being solicited. If sent, it will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities will be accepted. No part of the purchase price will be received until a Form C is filed and only through WeFunder’s platform. Any indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.