Delhi High Court Intervenes to Revive Rare Disease Crowdfunding Platform

In a landmark move to address India’s rare disease treatment crisis, the Delhi High Court has ordered the formation of a four-member expert panel to oversee and revamp the national crowdfunding platform hosted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The platform, designed to support patients with life-threatening rare diseases, has so far failed to mobilize adequate public and corporate donations.

Judicial Trigger: A Mother's Plea for Life-Saving Treatment

The court’s intervention was prompted by a petition filed by the mother of an infant diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)—a genetic neuromuscular disorder that causes progressive muscle wasting and respiratory failure. The child requires Zolgensma, a one-time gene therapy injection costing ₹17.5 crore, available only overseas. Despite being registered on the government’s crowdfunding portal, the family had received negligible financial support.

Justice Sachin Datta, presiding over the case, expressed concern over the platform’s underperformance. Of the 3,981 patients registered, only ₹3.91 lakh had been raised in total—highlighting a systemic failure in public outreach and donor engagement.

Understanding Rare Diseases and Their Costs

Rare diseases, also known as orphan diseases, affect a small percentage of the population but often require high-cost, precision therapies such as gene replacement, enzyme infusions, or biologics. These treatments are typically not covered under standard insurance or public health schemes due to their exorbitant costs and limited availability.

India’s National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD) 2021 aims to address this gap by enabling innovative funding mechanisms, including public donations and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions.

Panel Composition and Mandate

The newly constituted committee includes:

• A Joint Secretary from the Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance
• Representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• Experts in CSR strategy and public health policy

The mandate:

• Boost CSR and public donations through strategic outreach
• Ensure transparency in fund allocation and patient prioritization
• Enhance platform credibility to attract sustained donor engagement

Crowdfunding Platform: How Donors Can Help

The official portal—https://rarediseases.nhp.gov.in—allows individuals and companies to:

• View verified patient profiles with medical documentation
• Donate securely via UPI, net banking, or card
• Receive tax benefits under Section 80G (subject to eligibility)
• Contribute under CSR mandates with official acknowledgment

Why This Matters

India faces a growing burden of rare diseases, with thousands of families unable to afford life-saving therapies. While government schemes offer partial support, crowdfunding can bridge the financial gap—but only if platforms are well-managed, transparent, and widely promoted.

The Delhi High Court’s directive is a critical step toward systemic reform, ensuring that India’s rare disease patients are not left behind due to funding failures.

INDIAdonates Collaborates with Noida-based corporate, Roto Pumps for Infrastructure Development of Greater Noida Government School

Friday, 12th May 2023, marked an important event in Junior High School, Dhoom Manikpur, with the commencement of Infrastructure Development activities in the school. The school students had been putting up with washrooms that were worn and broken, non-hygienic, unclean, and unsanitary. INDIAdonates, supported by Roto Pumps, have taken up a project to reconstruct the washrooms, clean and upgrade them and provide running water. A brand new handwashing station with running water will also be built for the students. Noida-based NGO Sadrag will be implementing the infrastructure development project.
 

An Inauguration Event was held on Friday to mark this important work's initiation and teach the importance of sanitation and hygiene among the students. The Event was attended by Mr. Kuldeep Tiwari, Deputy Manager, Corporate Affairs, and Mr. Anuj Kumar, Executive HR from Roto Pumps, Ms. Anuradha Singh, Trustee, INDIAdonates, as well as Retd. Major General Praveen Kumar, Advisory Board Member at Sadrag. The guests, along with Ms. Shushma Rani, Principal of JHS, Dhoom Manikpur, marked the initiation of the excellent work with a symbolic tree plantation ceremony.

Addressing the students, Ms. Anuradha Singh, Trustee of INDIAdonates, talked about sanitation and hygiene's central role in ensuring children's health, well-being, and good education. The children pledged to practice good hygiene and keep their school and surroundings clean and green.

Earth Day: Crypto Fundraising Platform Launches Carbon Offset Program

In an apparent bid to commemorate World Earth Day, Pledge, a crypto fundraising platform for non-profits today announced the launch of its patent-pending carbon offset initiative, where every crypto transaction made will support verified carbon offset projects.

The mining process connected to how cryptocurrency is logged on the blockchain uses significant energy and contributes to global carbon emissions.

Therefore, PledgeCrypto was inspired to commission the award-winning environmental consulting firm, Three Squares Inc, to conduct a cryptocurrency environmental impact assessment to quantify the carbon emissions of cryptocurrency transactions made on the PledgeCrypto platform, the company said in a statement issued here.

"At Pledge, we fundamentally believe that unlocking crypto donations will provide an abundant new source of funding for nonprofits around the globe, but the process needs to be done in a sustainable way,” said James Citron, CEO of Pledge.

“Inspired by our core values of care and community, we wanted to respond to environmental concerns about crypto, which is why we are proud to lead with the first-of-its-kind patent-pending invention to ensure that every crypto transaction through Pledge will support UNverified projects. This ensures that PledgeCrypto will not only be the most accessible way for donors to donate their digital assets and for nonprofits to receive them, but also in the most environmentally conscious way in the industry,” he added.

Eight of the most used cryptocurrencies were evaluated in-depth to quantify the emissions associated with a single transaction. This in-depth analysis factored in the total estimated energy of the cryptocurrency, matched with published recent transaction volumes.

A weighted electricity emissions factor was derived based on the regional breakdown of transaction locations around the globe. Multiple data sets were also used to ensure optimal data integrity.

While the final emissions will vary based on the energy used, location, and the currency being donated, Pledge estimates that roughly every 100 donations will generate approximately 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. To compensate for this environmental impact, Pledge will cover 100 percent of the carbon footprint of each donation transaction at no additional cost to donors or nonprofits using PledgeCrypto.

Fundraising Platform Pledge Launches 'PledgeCrypto' Allowing Non-Profits to Accept Donations in Crypto

Crypto For Good: Ariana Grande opens #TransDayofVisibility Fundraiser to Crypto Donations with PledgeCrypto

Pledge Fundraising Platform Launches PledgeCrypto for Nonprofits to Instantly Transfer Donations from Crypto to Fiat

Fundraising platform Pledge on Tuesday announced the launch of “PledgeCrypto,” which allows nonprofits to accept crypto donations in over 130 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH), and Tether, and instantly convert them to fiat.  

Popstar Ariana Grande, who has launched her ‘Protect and Defend Trans Youth Fund’ on the platform, has pledged to match up to $1.5 million of her own money in donations.

“Over 300 hundred million people around the world hold cryptocurrency today and want more than ever to support the causes they care about,” says James Citron, CEO of Pledge. “Now we’ve made it seamless for anyone to support the world’s largest network of 2+ million verified charities and for charities everywhere to seamlessly accept cryptocurrencies and further power their mission.”

PledgeCrypto offers a free, fully-integrated fiat and crypto donation platform in the industry, where donations go directly to verified nonprofits. The platform allows a non-profit to start accepting crypto donations in minutes with no technical experience, crypto wallet, KYC or contract required.

Building on the successful campaign launch with Ariana Grande, additional nonprofit launch partners for PledgeCrypto include The Boys and Girls Club of Metro Los Angeles, Big Brothers and Big Sisters LA, Streetcode Academy, Worthy of Love, Safe Place for Youth, CoachArt, Goodie Nation and Taraji P Henson’s Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. Additionally, to compensate for the environmental impact of crypto mining and transactions, Pledge is also launching a feature where every crypto transaction will support verified carbon offset projects via the United Nations Climate Neutral Now Initiative.

PledgeCrypto allows a nonprofit to start accepting crypto donations in minutes with no technology experience required. Any user has the option of either creating a fundraiser page to accept crypto donations for a specific campaign or cause that connects multiple nonprofits or embedding a donation form and button directly on a website, all of which can be accessed through the nonprofit’s Impact Hub.

Kickflow Announces the Launch of Quadratic Funding Platform; Bringing Democratic Crowdfunding to Tezos

Developed based on the Capital-constrained Quadratic Finance model; Kickflow along with its governance token will enable startups in the Tezos ecosystem to crowdfund and receive grants through mathematically optimal algorithms

Kolkata, India, October 1 2021- Kickflow, an alumni of the prestigious Tezos India Fellowship Program, launches its first-ever decentralized, open-source crowdfunding and grants platform. Utilising the concepts of Capital-constrained Liberal Radicalism (CLR) and Quadratic Funding, the platform, along with its governance token, will allow projects to seek funds matched through the mathematically proven algorithm. Commonly used for Public Goods Funding, the algorithm matches community-backed projects to optimal sponsor grants amounts, based on the square of the sum of the square roots of the contributions, received during a stipulated period of time. In turn, this incentive structure pushes power to the edges and away from whales and central power brokers increasing democracy.

Kickflow aims to develop an open-source and community-controlled crowdfunding DAO platform that would help other projects in the Tezos ecosystem grow and also bring attention to the newer projects which often fall under the radar. Kickflow already boasts a collection of young innovative projects and sponsors that are live on the platform, kickstarting the initiative. It also aims to transform itself into a full-fledged support platform for open-source projects on Tezos and provide advanced services like money-streaming based grants. It has on its roadmap the plans to develop a freelance bounties platform, a really helpful testnet token faucet for projects.

According to Crunchbase, global venture funding for 2020 closed out at $300 billion (up 4% year on year), primarily due to the disruption caused by the pandemic, and the resulting shift of major sectors online. Global blockchain technology has seen and will continue to see steady growth, with the industry being valued at $3 billion USD at the end of 2020. Kickflow will enable targeted growth to community-backed projects, reducing barriers to entry and decentralised crowdfunding on Tezos. Kickflow's mechanism uses the concept of match-funding to give proportional power and funding to the public and the corporations involved. It offers a social spin on an otherwise money-centric decision-making framework.

Kickflow can also conduct completely on-chain funding rounds. managed by a decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO). This allows all executive decisions to be made via a token voting system utilizing Kickflow's native tokens, KFL on Tezos.

"We are delighted to welcome a much-needed platform on our blockchain to continue our Tezos vision of empowering the blockchain ecosystem globally. Kickflow has brought forth a solution that will not only enable our platform to help innovators and startups, but also ensure simultaneous social development. With the mechanisms of Liberal Radicalism and Quadratic Funding at hand, we wish to give the start to many overlooked but potential projects in need. We plan to decentralise our future and by giving this power to the public through Kickflow and its native governance token, we are one step ahead.", said Katherine Ng, Head of Marketing, TZ APAC.


"I am personally looking forward to the launch of Kickflow. The project emerged as an idea from TIF (Tezos India Fellowship), and we are glad to have become a part of their journey. From the initial idea to helping them meet their co-founders, to building a fully-fledged product on Tezos. I believe Kickflow will bring a new way of crowdfunding to Tezos, helping hundreds and thousands of projects to source funding and grants for their efforts. That will result in a thriving developer community on Tezos.", said Om Malviya, President, Tezos India.


"We are glad to launch our highly anticipated Kickflow on the Tezos Ecosystem. The self-amending nature of the Tezos platform along with its ever-growing community of bakers on the self-upgradable, decentralised, and growing Tezos platform made it the ideal platform to kickstart the Kickflow journey. There are a large number of projects that are quickly building up on Tezos and we realize that it is about time we have an open-source crowdfunding platform to give these young projects a kickstart. While we are starting out as a platform for Tezos specific projects to get funded, we aim to extend our protocol to include public goods in general, where open-source products and community causes could also raise funds. Tezos and Kickflow have the same foresight regarding the future of the blockchain space and thus, this whole process has been a seamless experience. With Kickflow, we aim to create a great product for the Tezos ecosystem that would help grow as many projects as possible through community contributions", said Anshu Jalan, Co-founder, Kickflow.


With the help of TZ APAC, Kickflow has had a jumpstart into the funding world and will continue to revolutionize it through its KFL governance token and its self-upgrading and self-evolving protocols.


If you are interested in funding exciting projects in development or are seeking funding for your own project,on Tezos, visit https://kickflow.io/

Govt Launches Crowdfunding Website for Rare Disease Patients

Though the country has quite a few online portals for crowdfunding the treatment of patients with disabilities or diseases, for example - Ketto, Milaap and GiveIndia among others. It is for first time that the government of India has also launched a digital portal for crowdfunding patients with medical emergencies as the Department of Health and Family Welfare has launched a Digital Portal for Crowdfunding & Voluntary Donations for the treatment of patients of Rare Diseases in accordance with the mandate of the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021. 

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Dr Bharti Pravin Pawar informed about this first of a kind initiative by government, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today. The digital portal is designed, developed and hosted by Centre for Health Informatics (CHI) of the National Health Portal (NHP).

"In view of the high cost of treatment, resource constraints and competing health priorities, it is difficult for the Government to fully finance rare disease treatments. To fill this gap this digital platform for individual, corporate and other donors has been created by the Government for facilitating voluntary donations for the treatment of patients with rare disease",  said the website homepage.

The Digital Portal may be accessed through https://rarediseases.nhp.gov.in/

To make a donation one has to register if making a donation for the first time. However, having registered once, a person may login with his/her set of credentials and can donate. 

There are about 7000 known rare diseases, affecting around 8% of the world’s population. 75% of rare disease patients happen to be children, mentions the crowdfunding portal.

The Department of Pharmaceuticals has initiated the implementation of Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Pharmaceuticals. The Scheme provides for financial incentives to manufacturers selected under the scheme for domestic manufacturing of various product categories, which also include Orphan drugs. The guidelines for the Scheme are available on the website of the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the tab ‘Schemes’.

CRED Launches Crowdfunding Campaign targets one billion litre of oxygen

CRED, a members only credit card bill payment platform, in partnership with healthcare fundraising platform Milaap, has launched a crowdfunding campaign where members can spend CRED Coins towards oxygen for those who need it most.

Every 10,000 CRED Coin will go towards 1,000 litre of oxygen. Members can participate as many times as they’d like, with no cap on coin spends. Milaap will channel the funds raised to partners and will buy and deploy oxygen concentrators for hospitals and healthcare non-profits across India.

During the first Covid-19 wave, CRED launched a similar initiative where members contributed coins to donate over 300,000 masks for frontline workers.

Update: CRED members can now donate CRED coins towards buying oxygen concentrators for hospitals, healthcare orgs across India. With a goal of 1 billion litres, we’ve partnered with Milaap to ensure contributions reach hospitals in need.

— Kunal Shah (@kunalb11) April 26, 2021

CRED members receive a CRED Coin for every rupee in credit card bills that they pay on CRED. With over 5.9 million members in the CRED community, the campaign aims at raising enough funds to arrange for one billion litres of oxygen.

Those who wish to contribute more can do so on milaap.org/oxygen.

"Starting May 3, daily updates will be published on a microsite in-app until the deployment is complete. The entire value of member contributions will go towards the cause with CRED covering the administrative fees," Cred said.

Those with innovative ideas to make hospitals self-sufficient in oxygen, or convert other containers to transport oxygen, can also email oxygen@cred.club for consideration and support from the CRED Oxygen Fund.

Concordia Ventures: Early Stage Tech Startups Find a Funding Solution With Crypto Investors

Crypto has been making waves over the past week, with Bitcoin setting a new record after Tesla announced they had purchased $1.5B worth of BTC. As a much more affordable alternative to venture capital funding, crowdfunding has evolved steadily over the past few years. With the integration of blockchain, crowdfunding could certainly be pushed to greater heights.

Concordia enhances the odds of a successful crowdfunding campaign for project owners with the help of cryptocurrency. The in-app digital wallet feature allows users to support campaigns in the platform directly with the virtual assets stored and managed in each user’s account.

On the other hand, project owners can look forward to onboarding a new base with customers who happen to be crypto enthusiasts.

Blockchain technology is gaining momentum, providing fresh and exciting new possibilities for people all over the world. It can be applied to multitudes of industries and verticals, and is versatile in use. One of the sectors that could benefit the most from blockchain technology is crowdfunding.

Concordia Ventures announced their plans to make their platform available in the United States, spearheaded by the leading expert in crowdfunding as the CEO, Patrick Calderon. Patrick has been running campaigns since 2010, launching thousands of successful brands on sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

“Jobs act has opened the door for more than 6000 companies that have successfully raised funds via equity crowdfunding. More than 60 million businesses in the United States that might not be good candidates for reward-based crowdfunding campaigns can now find a real solution to their funding needs using Concordia Ventures” - Patrick Calderon, CEO of Concordia Ventures.

Companies interested in listing their project can email us at hello@concordia.ventures.

https://concordia.ventures/

About Us

Concordia Ventures is a crowdfunding platform which focuses on the digital asset and cryptocurrencies space. We allow backers to back subsidize their favorite projects using cryptocurrencies. Concordia Ventures creates an additional funding source that project owners can use to tap into the fast growing cryptocurrency market. Concordia Ventures is produced and owned by The Novum Group. The Novum Group comprises a group of companies which specializes in digital asset space.


View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210217006087/en/

Founded in Lockdown Times, GoPoolit Coined as World’s 1st 'Social Media for Good’

Charities across India, Pakistan, South East Asia and Australia are flocking to a start-up social media platform which is coining itself the world’s first ‘social media for good’.

GoPoolit, which was founded in the United Kingdom over the COVID-19 lockdown by fundraising professionals with decades of experience, provides a new income stream for charities through the thing the world engages with the most: social media.

Instead of prompting users to post ‘asks’ and lobby for funds on behalf of charities, GoPoolit users are encouraged to show off the creativity that they do on their usual social networks.

Users will talk about their lives, celebrate their achievements, and most likely, post adorable photos of their pets. When doing so, users nominate a charity to their post and share it across all their usual social networks from the GoPoolit platform.

Instead of a ‘like’, their friends, family and followers on GoPoolit have the opportunity to pool between 1-10 ₹/¢ etc. to that post, and therefore, that charity. The more viral users go, the more opportunity there is to raise hundreds of thousands in pocket-sized donations for causes close to their hearts – simply by doing what they already do.

During these uncertain times, like most industries, charities and the not-for-profit sector have been feeling an immense amount of pressure. In previous years, conventional methods of fundraising have faltered. A new, innovative approach has struggled to fill that void – until now.

There is an equal demand from social media users for a new platform focused on social good. According to the Pew Research Center, almost two-thirds of Americans think that social media has a mostly negative impact on the state of their country.

With users becoming increasingly disengaged with the policies and practices of many platforms, GoPoolit is the perfect chance to hit the reset button on their digital lives and use social media for good.

From global to grassroots, charities across India, Pakistan, South East Asia and Australia have signed up to join GoPoolit for the December 15th launch date – such as World Vision India, Greenpeace, Habitat for Humanity and SOS Children’s Villages. Over 50 charities will collectively be contacting over 4 million donors in the coming weeks, urging them to use the platform. The Indian Achievers’ Forum has also recognised the potential of the platform, awarding GoPoolit the Indian Achievers’ Award for Emerging Company 2020.

The GoPoolit website and app (iOS/Android) will launch on December 15^th.

Matt Turner, Director of Communications for GoPoolit, said:

Imagine if every post you ever made on Facebook or Twitter could be monetised into micro-donations for a cause you care deeply about.

We’re thrilled that charities from across the globe such as Greenpeace and SOS Children’s Villages believe in our vision of social media for good.

GoPoolit has the potential to revolutionise our digital lives. We’re focusing on micro-donations as we believe that the power is in the pocket change – and that sometimes – the smallest gestures can collectively have the biggest impact.

Fundraising Platform Crowdera helps Kendriya Sainik Board to Raise ₹ 2.04+ Cr to Support Ex-Servicemen

Kendriya Sainik Board, An Apex Body Of Govt Of India, Calls For Fundraising Support Of Prominent Personalities, Influencers, And Corporations

New Delhi, 12th November 2020: Crowdera, the world's only 100% free fundraising and crowdfunding platform for individuals & organizations, partnered with Kendriya Sainik Board campaign ‘Let’s support those who sacrificed their lives and limbs for the nation’. Forces Flag Day Fund For The Welfare Of Ex-Servicemen in the Ministry of Defence.

Kendriya Sainik Board exclusively partnered with Crowdera to garner support on comprehensive fundraising strategies including crowdfunding for their campaigns, corporate fundraising, and team fundraising. Since partnering with Crowdera, on their fundraising platform, Kendriya Sainik Board has to date raised ₹2,04,64,407 and has changed 9,745 lives, while the campaign is still on, for the supporters & contributors. 

Air Commodore Ahluwalia, VSM Secretary, KSB said “We are very proud to be associated with this campaign as many brave and gallantry heroes from the Indian Army have laid down their lives in the service of the country. It’s a great time to come together and join our hands for those who never thought for themselves and are always ready for us. More than 60,000 jawans retire every year as they need to mandatorily retire after service of 15-20 years. Most of them are in the age group of just 35-40 years at the time of retirement. The aim of the campaign is to support and educate the children of retired servicemen, Financial assistance to ex-servicemen in Penury, Support the wedding ceremony of ex-servicemen daughters, he added”.


While exhorting support for the campaign, Chet Jainn, CEO & Founder Crowdera, said "Freedom comes at a price and we need to take some time out to reflect on the liberties we enjoy and take for granted; liberties that are enabled only because of our defence forces. Contributing to this campaign will be our way of showing our respect and gratitude to those who keep us free.”

Kendriya Sainik Board wants to make an appeal to Indian nationals, influencers, celebrities, CEOs, and philanthropists to join them in fundraising for the brave ex-servicemen of our country. Since its campaign launch on Crowdera’s crowdfunding platform, the campaign has raised more than Rs 2.04 crores for the welfare of the ex-servicemen of India, but substantial support is still needed.


This campaign is already being supported by prominent personalities across the nation including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Amitabh Bachchan, Amir Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Pawan Kalyan.

https://gocrowdera.com/KSB/

About Kendriya Sainik Board

Kendriya Sainik Board is an apex body of the Government of India which formulates policies for Resettlement and for the welfare of the Ex-Servicemen of the Indian Army, and welfare schemes for Ex-Servicemen, widows, and their dependents residing in their respective States, UTs, or Districts. The name was assigned to the board in 1975. The Board now functions under the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare in the Ministry of Defence.


About Crowdera-

Crowdera is a SAAS technology company that builds scalable fundraising and syndication platforms and solutions with inbuilt virality creating a network effect. Crowdera offers fee-free online syndicated team fundraising & crowdfunding platform for nonprofits, foundations, corporations, and social innovators serving individuals and communities. The Crowdera difference being that all fundraising and crowdfunding is absolutely free on this platform with no donor dipping. Fundraisers on Crowdera can raise money without losing any commission or fee from donations received. Founded in 2014 from Silicon Valley with a principle that believes in the power of giving to create abundance around us, Crowdera platforms now support charitable fundraising, crowdfunding, corporate & celebrity donation syndication, and employee engagement, in a single value chain.

For more information: https://gocrowdera.com/

Dr. Sabah al-Binali Joins OurCrowd as UAE-Based Venture Partner & Head of Gulf Region

Business Wire India

OurCrowd, the world’s largest global venture investing platform and Israel’s most active venture investor, today announced the appointment of Dr. Sabah al-Binali as UAE-based venture partner and head of the Gulf region.

  
 

Dr. Sabah al-Binali, Emirati investor and seasoned executive, has been appointed as UAE-based venture partner and head of the Gulf region for Jerusalem-based OurCrowd. (Photo: OurCrowd)

Dr. al-Binali will oversee the development of OurCrowd’s business in the region. OurCrowd plans to meet the growing demand for meaningful ties with Israel expressed by the investment and entrepreneurial communities in the UAE and neighboring states following the signing of the Abraham Accords.

 

Dr. al-Binali is a seasoned financial services executive with 22 years of experience in investments and an entrepreneurial leader with a track record of financing, building and exiting companies in the MENA region. He was instrumental in facilitating the sale to Credit Suisse of a Saudi investment bank and the acquisition of the Zawya news agency by Thomson Reuters.

 

OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved said: “Just two weeks after the Abraham Accords were signed, we are pleased to appoint Dr. al-Binali as head of the region for OurCrowd. Dr. al-Binali is one of the first senior Emiratis to be hired by an Israeli firm as a partner. Dr. al-Binali brings incredible energy and skills to our growing business. He will effectively build bridges between the tech and financial communities in the UAE and Israel.”

 

“I look forward to leading OurCrowd’s expansion in the UAE and the Gulf region at this historic turning-point in Middle East diplomacy,” said Dr. al-Binali, OurCrowd Venture Partner and Head of Gulf Region. “OurCrowd’s global platform provides a perfect meeting-point for startups, entrepreneurs and investors from the vibrant tech ecosystems in Israel and the UAE. There are already signs that OurCrowd’s success in Israel, the U.S. and other markets will be extended to include the Gulf region.”

 

Dr. al-Binali has rich experience in governance and company leadership at the highest levels. He previously served as Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Investment and Strategy Committee of The National Investor, Chief Investment Officer and CEO of Credit of Shuaa Capital, Director of the Board at Credit Suisse Saudi Arabia, Vice Chairman of Shuaa Capital Saudi Arabia, Vice Chairman of Gulf Finance Co., Chairman of Gulf Installments Co., Chairman of Zawya, Director of the Board at Visa International CEMA Region, founding CEO and CIO of Saffar Capital and Head of the Treasury and Investment Division at Union National Bank.

 

Dr. al-Binali received his Ph.D. from Columbia Universityand his B.S.E from Princeton University.

 

Founded by Jonathan Medved, OurCrowd, Israel’s most active venture investor, is a global leader in equity crowdfunding with $1.5B of committed funding. OurCrowd will support UAE-based startups seeking growth and development in Israel, as well as leverage its diverse portfolio to enhance business development for UAE startups seeking to collaborate on innovative solutions. OurCrowd plans to open an office in the UAE by the end of 2020.

 

Dr. al-Binali will speak at the UAE Tech Investment Landscape: Introduction for the Israeli Ecosystem on October 13, hosted by OurCrowd and Emirates Angels.

 

About OurCrowd: OurCrowd is a global venture investment platform that empowers institutions and individuals to invest and engage in emerging companies. The most active venture investor in Israel, OurCrowd vets and selects companies, invests its capital, and provides its global network with unparalleled access to co-invest and contribute connections, talent and deal flow. OurCrowd builds value for its portfolio companies throughout their lifecycles, providing mentorship, recruiting industry advisors, navigating follow-on rounds and creating growth opportunities through its network of multinational partnerships. With $1.5 billion of committed funding, and investments in 220 portfolio companies and 22 venture funds, OurCrowd offers access to its membership of 55,000 individual accredited and institutional investors, family offices, and venture capital partners from over 183 countries to invest alongside, at the same terms. OurCrowd’s portfolio is diversified across sectors and stages, ranging from seed and series A through late stage and pre-IPO firms. Since its founding in 2013, OurCrowd portfolio companies have been acquired by some of the most prestigious brands in the world, including Microsoft, Uber, Canon, Oracle, Nike, and Intel. To register and get involved, visit http://www.ourcrowd.com/.

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201005005723/en/

OurCrowd & Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah Create Partnership to Develop Tech Investment Ties Between Gulf Region & Israel

• First announced major alliance between Israeli VC firm and top tier UAE business group
• Jonathan Medved, CEO of Israeli VC firm OurCrowd, signs first partnership MOU in OurCrowd’s UAE expansion strategy
• Abdullah S Al Naboodah, Chairman of Al Naboodah Investments LLC, to lead Phoenix Capital LLC, an entity for development and bi-directional investment

  
OurCrowd, the world’s largest global venture investing platform, today signed a memorandum of understanding with Phoenix, a business development company, to increase business and tech ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. This is the first announced alliance between a top-ranked UAE corporation and a major Israeli venture investment firm. 

Founded by Jonathan Medved, OurCrowd is a global leader in equity crowdfunding and Israel’s most active venture investor with $1.5B of committed funding. OurCrowd will identify and support UAE-based startups seeking growth and development in Israel, as well as leverage its diverse portfolio of 220 companies to enhance business development for UAE startups seeking to collaborate on innovative solutions. OurCrowd’s UAE expansion will be led by Dr. Sabah al-Binali, newly appointed Venture Partner and Head of the Gulf Region for OurCrowd.

Phoenix, spearheaded by Abdullah S Al Naboodah, Chairman of Al Naboodah Investments LLC, will serve as an investment platform for individuals and family offices located in the Gulf seeking opportunities to invest in the Israeli tech ecosystem. Phoenix will enable investors to access OurCrowd’s vast array of tech investment opportunities across a variety of sectors including AgriTech, EdTech, HealthTech, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and more. Phoenix will also introduce OurCrowd to Gulf-based startups with the aim of raising investment through OurCrowd’s platform. Leveraging its cross-industry reach, Phoenix will also assist Israeli-based startups with potential partners in the Gulf region.

Phoenix Chairman Abdullah S Al Naboodah said: “Phoenix will be a bridge, a two-way conduit for both Israeli and UAE investors, as well as startups seeking strategic, business and investment partners in these powerhouse tech nations. This first of its kind major alliance will pave the way for the rapid expansion of business between our two countries.”

OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved said: “OurCrowd is pleased to associate itself with Al Naboodah, a leading and well-regarded business group in the UAE. The signing of OurCrowd’s first MOU in the UAE less than a month after formal normalization between the UAE and Israel shows our deep commitment to building relationships, and growing business in the UAE and beyond.”

Phoenix Chairman Abdullah S Al Naboodah will speak Oct. 13th at OurCrowd and Emirates Angels’ online event: UAE Tech Investment Landscape: Introduction for the Israeli Ecosystem. Click here to register.

About OurCrowd: OurCrowd is a global venture investment platform that empowers institutions and individuals to invest and engage in emerging companies. The most active venture investor in Israel, OurCrowd vets and selects companies, invests its capital, and provides its global network with unparalleled access to co-invest and contribute connections, talent and deal flow. OurCrowd builds value for its portfolio companies throughout their lifecycles, providing mentorship, recruiting industry advisors, navigating follow-on rounds and creating growth opportunities through its network of multinational partnerships. With $1.5 billion of committed funding, and investments in 220 portfolio companies and 22 venture funds, OurCrowd offers access to its membership of 55,000 individual accredited and institutional investors, family offices, and venture capital partners from over 183 countries to invest alongside, at the same terms. OurCrowd’s portfolio is diversified across sectors and stages, ranging from seed and series A through late stage and pre-IPO firms. Since its founding in 2013, OurCrowd portfolio companies have been acquired by some of the most prestigious brands in the world, including Microsoft, Uber, Canon, Oracle, Nike, and Intel. To register and get involved, visit http://www.ourcrowd.com/.

About Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah:

Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah is the Chairman of Al Naboodah Investments Company and Executive Board Member of Saeed and Mohammed Al Naboodah Group. His key responsibilities are managing subsidiary companies and investment allocation in different global funds across several geographies including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, the UK, and the US. Further, he is responsible for creating the vision, strategy, and direction for the Al Naboodah group in various sectors like Construction, Transportation, Travel, and other investments. Abdullah also served on various boards such as the Board Member of the Commercial Bank of Dubai, Board Member of Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Board Member of Dar Al Takaful Insurance Company, Board member of Al Rawabi as well as the Chairman of Al Ahli Club in Dubai and the Vice Chairman of the UAE Golf Federation.

Founded in 1958 by two brothers, the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group is among the most well-respected family company names in the UAE. Employing around 10,000 people of almost 50 different nationalities, the Al Naboodah Group’s core business focus covers civil engineering, building and MEP, in addition to representing a diverse portfolio of global brands in the automotive, transportation, travel, electrical, logistics, agriculture, smart cities, real estate and renewable energy sectors.

Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Holding LLC is the parent company of the Group, and Al Naboodah Group Enterprises was established to oversee the management of the Group’s two main operating divisions – Al Naboodah Construction Group (ANCG), and Al Naboodah Commercial Group (ACG).

Al Naboodah is a trusted brand renowned for the delivery of world-class projects and services and exceeding the quality demanded by its clients. We wholeheartedly engage in sustainability at every level in our organisation, starting from the very top, and we acknowledge the vital role it has to play in any organisation looking to a successful future. For more information visit: https://www.alnaboodah.com/

Medical Alarm Technology Firm GPSOS to Raise up to $600K in Equity

Whanganui based GPSOS Limited first released their medical alarm technology last year, after a friend of the founder, Mark Simmonds, was unable to activate their standard medical alert pendant due to a stroke. In response, Simmonds developed an alarm that was able to travel with you, had two-way talk functionality and fall detection (among other features). A year later, the company is now expanding their influence through equity crowdfunding.

Many of the users of GPSOS are part of the disability community. Recognising this, GPSOS’ Chief Operating Officer Scott Lee has worked to ensure all aspects of the company are accessible. Through Workbridge, an employment agency for disabled people, GPSOS has hired 25 people with disabilities.

“If we’re supporting customers with disabilities, then we must hire people with disabilities. We want to use our company to provide opportunities. Our product has always been about enabling people to be confident navigating the world around them, (and) we want that to be the same in our workplace” says Scott Lee.

“GPSOS represents the future of business in New Zealand: locally founded, authentically inclusive, and customer centered – with world-leading technology to boot.” says Mark Simmonds.



GPSOS is working with equity crowdfunding platform PledgeMe to grow their business and ensure their impact continues to enhance New Zealand’s people and economy.

“We’ve spent almost four years building our technology and our team; now we need the final funds to scale.” says Simmonds.

GPSOS is seeking to raise between $250,000 and $600,000, which represents 9.4%–20% of the company. Shares are $5 each with a minimum investment of $100 for 20 shares. Investors which pledge over $50,000 will receive voting shares.

“Please invest in a company that cares about people, regional employment, and the community. We can do this together.” says Simmonds.

The equity crowdfunding campaign launched on Wednesday 3 June at 4pm here: https://pledgeme.co.nz/investments/406-gpsos-limited

Microlanders Fundraise for PM-CARES Fund With MicroGive - An Internal Crowdfunding Initiative

Over 600 Microlanders came together in an internal crowdfunding initiative to fundraise for the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund to support the fight against COVID-19. An employee-driven initiative, the team mustered INR 33.28 Lakhs for the PM-CARES Fund including the company's contribution, that matched contribution made by employees.

"At times like this, not one, but multiple small and large-scale interventions are needed to support the crisis. MicroGive is Microland's employee-first crowdfunding model that supports Microlanders in fulfilling their responsibilities towards their communities. The crowdfunding was made possible through our award-winning employee engagement mobile app, MicrolandOne, that enables a seamless donation process on a single click for our employees globally," says Karishma Bhuyan, CSR Leader, Microland Ltd.

Apart from this financial support, Microland is also working relentlessly at grassroot level with partners by providing relief kits containing essentials like groceries and masks to needy families in an identified set of high-need localities.

About Microland:

Microland's delivery of digital and 'Making Digital Happen' allows technology to do more and intrude less. We make it easier for enterprises to adopt nextGen Digital infrastructure. We enable this using our expertise in Cloud and Data Centers, Networks, Digital Workplace, Cybersecurity and Industrial IoT. Ensuring the embrace of brilliance is predictable, reliable, and stable.

In the COVID impacted world, Microland is making digital happen for enterprises with a laser focus on services that are more relevant to our clients and prospects than ever before:

• Modern Workplace services: Enabling working from home via VDI, desktop-as-a-service, uni?ed end point management and collaboration tools roll-out & adoption


• Network services: Supporting new normal of working by designing, deploying and scaling network infrastructure including VPN and Software defined LAN & WAN rollouts.


• Cloud Services: Accelerating digital transformation journey by enabling hybrid cloud deployment to support critical workloads and ensuring business continuity.


• Smart security Operations centre: 24x7 Operations centre monitoring all points along a digital journey ensuring that clients are covered in their pursuit to support a world in transition

Incorporated in 1989 and headquartered in Bengaluru, India, Microland has more than 4,500 digital specialists across offices and delivery centers in Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and North America.

Read more here: https://www.microland.com/

Disability Employer Downlights to Raise upto $300K through Equity Crowdfunding

Downlights Limited, which has recently raised $100,000 through wholesale investors, says they will go out to their crowd for their next capital raise. They are aiming to raise funds to move from their home into a factory, and increase their production and impact.

“We believe crowdfunding through PledgeMe will provide Downlights with an opportunity to bring in broad members of the community that share the same inclusive views as we do.” says founder Jennifer Del Bel.

Ms. Del Bel started Downlights when she met Emma Sykes, a woman with Down syndrome who struggled to find employment after completing her high school education. Since they started making candles together, Downlights has captured national media attention and the eye of major international celebrity, George Takei.

Downlights has also established the Downlights Charitable Trust with $1 from every candle sold being donated to NZDSA (New Zealand Down Syndrome Association) and RECREATE NZ, organisations which empower disabled youth through employment and skill-building opportunities.

Downlights is seeking to raise between $150,000 and $300,000 which represents 15.2%–26.2% of the company. Shares are $0.75 each with a minimum investment of $300 for 400 shares. Investors will receive non-voting shares, and those that pledge over $25,000 will receive voting shares.

PledgeMe founder, Anna Guenther, says the campaign aligns well with the platform’s values. “The growth of Downlights has a direct impact on the disability community. PledgeMe loves supporting companies that do good and do well, and that’s why we’re very excited to be working with Jennifer and her team on this campaign”.

“Downlights has impacted so many lives and brought good to so many people. We remain future oriented”, says Ms. Del Bel. Downlights has forecasted a 58% year-on-year growth pending the success of their equity campaign.

"In times like this, we feel our work is more important than ever. We believe we need to be building local, investing local and building companies that make a more inclusive society." says Ms. Del Bel.

The equity crowdfunding campaign was launched publicly at noon on Monday 23 March here: https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/investments/390

Downlights was first launched in 2018 in Beachlands by Jennifer Del Bel, Tony Sykes, and Emma Sykes. Jennifer already had 6 years of experience in the soy candle business with her company Illumina (later rebranded to Downlights). She met Tony and Emma Sykes, and they decided to embark on a joint venture together in which Emma would hand-pour high quality soy candles and sell them at a market. The market was a sellout and Downlights became an established company.

Downlights’ primary mission is to support young adults with Down syndrome and intellectual or learning disabilities.

About PledgeMe

PledgeMe provides a platform for Kiwis and Aussies to go to their networks for funding, and has raised just under $49 million for over 1400 campaigns in the past seven years. It is the only combined equity and project crowdfunding platform in the world.

Water Saving Shower Maker Altered Joins Hands With ‘Kickstarter’ For Second Campaign For the 'Altered'

Altered, partnered with the world’s most successful crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, to go viral with the brand’s second campaign through the platform; a unique initiative that seeks to highlight a novel new product – Altered: Shower.

On December 3rd at 7 PM, Altered launches this one-of-a-kind campaign to crowd fund the Altered: Shower, so you can enjoy a great shower with 75% less water! Altered aims to raise Euro 40,000 through this latest campaign. The brand has developed this exceptional new technology for showers - the Dome®. It creates a rotating water dome, tearing water apart into very large drops at high speed. It gives you the coverage, pressure, and heat that you want for a nice shower. Just with 75% less water. This is great for you – and even better for the planet!

[caption id="attachment_138934" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Altered - Shower[/caption]

The Altered: Shower follows global standards and installs literally in seconds in showers across the globe. It is a way for everyone to be part of the solution. An average household will save 28.168 liters of water, 1407 KwH, 4920 kg of CO2 and, last but not least, €393 every year with this technology.

“We truly believe this is the simplest and best sustainable shower to date. And it is very important because by 2025 WWF has pointed out that 75% of the global population may face water shortage. Also, scientists now agree we have at most 10 years before the effects of climate change are irreversible,” remarks Mr. Mikael Abbhagen, Founding Partner, Altered, Sweden. “By creating very simple solutions, that everyone can use right now, we can have an impact on water stress and climate change – today,” he adds.

Some of the company’s clients include brands of the stature of The Taj group of hotels, Emirates, Unilever and Burger King, to name just a few.

You can follow and take part in the campaign through the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alteredshower/altered-shower-an-exceptional-shower-with-75-less-water

ABOUT ALTERED

Founded in 2016, Altered is a Swedish innovation company using proprietary technologies to develop products that reduces the use of water and energy with 85-98% without sacrificing user experience, functionality or design. Altered was co-founded by Professor Kaj Mickos, innovator of the revolutionary Altered:Nozzle, Johan Nihlén, CEO and Mikael Abbhagen, Head of Design. Thus far, Altered has raised over € 2million in multiple rounds of funding.

Altered presently has four products in the market – Altered:Nozzle Dual Flow Pro, Altered:Nozzle Dome, Altered:Tap and the Altered:Soap. Over the next few years, Altered will be developing its tap range as well as a new shower range for the market and launch five more products by 2020. It is focused on five key market segments – Online and Retail Customers; HoReCa; Offices & Public Areas; Governments; and Utility Companies. Simultaneously, the company will focus on expanding its presence in its key markets – the US, GCC, Scandinavia and India by building awareness and strengthening its distribution network. Altered products are of premium quality that lasts – tested up to 60,000 cycles at KIWA laboratories.

ABOUT KICKSTARTER

Kickstarter is a platform that helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality. To date, tens of thousands of creative projects — big and small — have come to life with the support of the Kickstarter community. Kickstarter is an enormous global community built around creativity and creative projects. Over 10 million people, from every continent on earth, have backed a Kickstarter project.

3 Crowdfunding Platforms to Help your Business

You always need money to start your business. Of course, an idea and a well-thought-out technology for its implementation are also necessary things. But a talented person is able to come up with a dozen good ideas, each of which has a chance to become world-famous. But if there is no money, you will not move one step towards your business dream. Crowdfunding is changing the game. It is a way to get investments for your project without bank loans and to borrow money from relatives.

If your business becomes extremely successful, it will be great to share the joy of your victory with someone you love. If you don’t have such a person yet and you’re done trying, we suggest that you give dating services a try. There is a dating platform reviewer called HookupGeek, and it analyzes all the aspects of online dating sites imaginable. Thanks to it, you’ll find the most reliable service to find this significant someone.

So, here is the list of the crowdfunding platforms that are bound to take your business to the next level:

1. Kickstarter

This one is the most popular crowdfunding resource now. Kickstarter is one of the thousand most visited sites in the world - and this is a very good indicator, which suggests that Kickstarter is really useful.

Kickstarter has served as the basis for the creation of other similar crowdfunding sites. Kickstarter collects money to implement specific ideas and not to finance the companies that already exist. If the declared amount has not been collected for a certain period, then all the money received will be returned back to investors. This is one of the mandatory laws of Kickstarter. The term for fundraising and the minimum amount required is determined by the author of the project.

2. IndieGoGo

This is another popular international crowdfunding platform. Here you can raise money for charity, launching your own business, implementing any interesting idea. Unlike Kickstarter, IndieGoGo transfers to the project author all funds raised by a certain deadline, even if the amount is not sufficient. Only the size of the commission changes: if the goal of the fundraising project is reached, the resource keeps 4% of what you’ve gotten. But if not, then 9%. The IndieGoGo service extends to approximately 200 countries of the world, so the resource can be called the most international.

One of the main differences between IndieGoGo and other similar resources is that the rating of projects is not compiled manually, but the automatic calculation is used. The algorithm analyzes the level of activity of authors and investors, the number of updates, comments, etc., and based on this, a popularity rating for projects within IndieGoGo is compiled.

By the way, IndieGoGo has recently launched a new fundraising area. Now you can raise money there to finance various life events: large family celebrations, weddings, medical operations, contingencies, etc. But if you have nobody to have a wedding with and try out this new IndieGoGo feature, you can find the person perfect for you thanks to the HookupGeek. This service analyzes the reliability, prices, quality of different dating services. This way, you’ll undoubtedly find the right person for you!

3. RocketHub

Here you can raise funds for projects related to art, business, science, as well as for socially important goals. The principle is the same as that of IndieGoGo - how much money is collected is exactly how much you get. But if the entire amount has not been collected, then you should pay a larger percentage of the commission. All the information on the projects (including how much money has already been raised, which people donated money, etc.) is publicly available for each user.

RocketHub is perfect for beginners. Even if you do not know what crowdfunding is and how to work with it, you can use the services of the school, which was created with the RocketHub resource. You will be told what you need to write in the application, how to organize a fundraiser, what are the features and nuances of RocketHub, and crowdfunding in general. So, you can achieve maximum results on your project.

To conclude

If you have wonderful ideas or an already completed project in which you believe, and you need finances for its development, be sure to use these services. Good luck with all your unique business!

Social Entrepreneurs collaborate for PregRX, world’s first paper-based Pee & See pregnancy product

In the lead up to International Women’s Day 2019, on the 8^th March, Gurgaon-based Deep Bajaj, Founder of PeeBuddy, India's First Design Patent Protected Female Urination Device for women, and the Sirona range of Unique Intimate & Menstrual Hygiene Products, has launched yet another breakthrough innovation, this time in the home pregnancy testing space. Called PeeBuddy PregRX, the product will be one-of-a-kind unique funnel with strategically-integrated HcG test strip.

With PregRx,women can now
simply pee and instantly check their pregnancy status. Not only does it
eliminate the need for any plastic bottle/tumbler/dropper, but also makes for
an easy-to-use and eco-friendly home testing process for pregnancy.

Deep has collaborated with ImpactGuru.com, India’s largest crowdfunding platform for personal causes, in a bid to facilitate a larger conversation around women’s health & hygiene, and to ensure successful market distribution for PregRX. Details of the PregRX fundraiser can be found here: https://www.impactguru.com/fundraiser/help-deep-bajaj

Making of PregRx

The current process of home pregnancy
testing is very cumbersome, wasteful, and regressive. A lady is expected to sit, pee, and capture urine in a
bottle/tumbler, before using a dropper and putting a few drops onto a plastic testing
cassette. The current process leads to plastic overuse, for every pregnancy
test involves plastic in some form or the other. The use of so many elements
also makes home pregnancy testing uneconomical, while impacting the accuracy of
the results. Most women also find the current process extremely nauseating.

Deep
Bajaj, Founder – PeeBuddy: Sirona,said, “As
a start-up, we exist to solve intimate and menstrual hygiene issues that Indian
women face, but which are either not discussed or not addressed. We
successfully solved the issue of wiping dirty toilet seats with PeeBuddy, which
sold a million units, and have also introduced many category-defining products
under the Sirona range. These include India’s first herbal feminine pain relief
patch which frees women from hot water bottle/pain killers, Sirona Disposal
Bags for clean & discreet disposal of sanitary products, Sirona Tampons both
with and without an applicator, Sirona Menstrual Cups, etc.”

“In one of our focus groups, young
mothers shared their stories about home pregnancy testing and called it
cumbersome & annoying! We decided to look deeper into the process and realised
that we could significantly streamline it by integrating HcG test strips with PeeBuddy,
thereby simplifying the entire process in terms of usage while reducing
wastage. With PeeBuddy PregRx, women
would now simply be able to test pregnancy anywhere without needing any other accessory,”
Deep added.

Utilization
of funds through crowdfunding

Deep said, “The product is ready and has already been tested extensively. However, as this product is for all women, we need everyone’s help to spread awareness about this innovative solution. The funds raised through crowdfunding on ImpactGuru.com would be used to develop other variants and a part of it would also go towards marketing.”

Khushboo Jain, Co-Founder and COO, ImpactGuru.com said,

Crowdfunding has evolved to become an important medium especially for social innovators in creating awareness and raising funds for various causes. We at ImpactGuru are thrilled to help PeeBuddy PregRX in a bid to impact the lives of millions of women in India and abroad. I hope that many people especially women come forward to support this wonderful cause and help make it the leading product in this category.”

About PeeBuddy: Sirona  

Sirona is an award-winning intimate & menstrual hygiene product brand providing solutions to ‘ignored & unaddressed’ feminine hygiene woes and wellness-related problems. Formally incorporated in 2015 by Delhi-based entrepreneur Deep Bajaj (Founder) & Mohit Bajaj (Co-Founder), Sirona was an outcome of the numerous bad experiences that the women around them suffered, in terms of basic and intimate hygiene issues that remain largely unaddressed in a country like India. The company is widely popular for being the maker of India’s first portable, disposable & highest selling female urination device, PeeBuddy.

Crowdfunding Platform Crowdera Raises Pre-Series A Funding from a Marquee Group of Investors

Crowdera, a fintech startup based in California and India, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding as a part of its current Pre-Series funding round. The marquee investors who have put their faith in the cloud-based fundraising platform are - Anil Advani, the Silicon Valley startup attorney, Pramod Jain, Amrendra Reddy and Manish Satnaliwala, angel investors from Singapore, Anand Daga, SME IPO specialist from Central India, and couple more unnamed investors from San Francisco Bay Area.

Founded in 2014 by Chai Atreya and Chet Jain, Crowdera is a cloud-based fundraising platform which offers a comprehensive fundraising framework for non-profits and social innovators to raise funds without any form of donor dippings. It facilitates all aspects of the online fundraising ecosystem including donation buttons, cross-site donation widgets, websites (CMS), P2P campaigns, donation management, and much more.

Talking about the funding received and the support of such industry leaders, Chet Jain, CEO and Founder, Crowdera said “A start-up is either built to sell or built to last. I chose to build a company that can last at least 30-40 years. Hence, I always knew that we would have to put a lot more sweat in the game before we started accepting investor funds. It took over seven years of research and over three and half years of hard work to establish Crowdera as a viable for-profit business model that makes money without dipping into the donor dollars. We are not in for a sprint for quick successes; we are a marathoner. Hence, we believe in building best practices in fundraising which will allow us to help several causes for next several decades”.

The company plans to use the funds raised to propel the early stage growth and amplify the overall impact by enhancing the product, and scaling customer success activities.

On making the investment, marquee investor Anil Advani said, “The not-for-profit online fundraising campaigns are being run on social networks and donations too, are being made on mobiles. The digital era has thus, empowered the fund-seekers and the donors alike.I believe Crowdera will benefit from this paradigm shift and emerge as a leading crowdfunding platform.Most fundraisers need help in execution of their campaigns and here Crowdera, with its value-added services, has emerged as the trusted partner in helping fundraisers chart their journey."

The fundraising platform has already made its mark amongst the fund-raisers with eminent personalities like Social Worker Padmashri Dr.Suneetha Krishnan for Prajwala, Filmmaker Rajat Kapoor, ABBF founder Divyanshu Ganatra, Gurcharan Singh of Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma fame and Rhea Mukherjee, ex-VP of Radio Mirchi,already opting for Crowdera to raise funds for their causes and ventures.

So far, the company has supported over 2300 campaigns funded by 5,500 donors from 35 countries and currently operational in 200 countries by virtue of its payment gateway partnerships.

Crowdera is getting ready for its series A funding by early next year.

Crowdfunding in India

In India, Crowdfunding is not as popular as in the US, nevertheless there are many new and emerging crowdfunding platforms such as Ketto, Milaap, Impact Guru, Desiredwings, Bitgiving and FuelADream.

In April, Chinas Xiaomi launched Mi Crowdfunding in India to provide a dedicated space to products or ideas that still need money to go into mass production and finally launch in open markets. Notably, Xiaomi’s been crowdfunding out-of-the-box products for years in China, giving birth to various devices outside of the mainstream.


Last year, Desiredwings, a reward based crowdfunding platform, acquired Catapooolt.com to together become the largest crowdfunding platform with various diversified successfully funded campaigns to its portfolio.

According to SEBI, the investment knowledge of Indian citizens is not at par and hence popular models like equity crowdfunding and investment crowdfunding are not so popular in India. Last September, SEBI had asked crowdfunding platform to include a disclaimer stating that crowdfunding platforms are neither stock exchanges nor authorized by the capital markets regulator to solicit investments.

Crowdfunding Platform Crowdera Raises Pre-Series A Funding from a Marquee Group of Investors

Crowdera, a fintech startup based in California and India, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding as a part of its current Pre-Series funding round. The marquee investors who have put their faith in the cloud-based fundraising platform are - Anil Advani, the Silicon Valley startup attorney, Pramod Jain, Amrendra Reddy and Manish Satnaliwala, angel investors from Singapore, Anand Daga, SME IPO specialist from Central India, and couple more unnamed investors from San Francisco Bay Area.

Founded in 2014 by Chai Atreya and Chet Jain, Crowdera is a cloud-based fundraising platform which offers a comprehensive fundraising framework for non-profits and social innovators to raise funds without any form of donor dippings. It facilitates all aspects of the online fundraising ecosystem including donation buttons, cross-site donation widgets, websites (CMS), P2P campaigns, donation management, and much more.

Talking about the funding received and the support of such industry leaders, Chet Jain, CEO and Founder, Crowdera said “A start-up is either built to sell or built to last. I chose to build a company that can last at least 30-40 years. Hence, I always knew that we would have to put a lot more sweat in the game before we started accepting investor funds. It took over seven years of research and over three and half years of hard work to establish Crowdera as a viable for-profit business model that makes money without dipping into the donor dollars. We are not in for a sprint for quick successes; we are a marathoner. Hence, we believe in building best practices in fundraising which will allow us to help several causes for next several decades”.

The company plans to use the funds raised to propel the early stage growth and amplify the overall impact by enhancing the product, and scaling customer success activities.

On making the investment, marquee investor Anil Advani said, “The not-for-profit online fundraising campaigns are being run on social networks and donations too, are being made on mobiles. The digital era has thus, empowered the fund-seekers and the donors alike.I believe Crowdera will benefit from this paradigm shift and emerge as a leading crowdfunding platform.Most fundraisers need help in execution of their campaigns and here Crowdera, with its value-added services, has emerged as the trusted partner in helping fundraisers chart their journey."

The fundraising platform has already made its mark amongst the fund-raisers with eminent personalities like Social Worker Padmashri Dr.Suneetha Krishnan for Prajwala, Filmmaker Rajat Kapoor, ABBF founder Divyanshu Ganatra, Gurcharan Singh of Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma fame and Rhea Mukherjee, ex-VP of Radio Mirchi,already opting for Crowdera to raise funds for their causes and ventures.

So far, the company has supported over 2300 campaigns funded by 5,500 donors from 35 countries and currently operational in 200 countries by virtue of its payment gateway partnerships.

Crowdera is getting ready for its series A funding by early next year.

Crowdfunding in India

In India, Crowdfunding is not as popular as in the US, nevertheless there are many new and emerging crowdfunding platforms such as Ketto, Milaap, Impact Guru, Desiredwings, Bitgiving and FuelADream.

In April, Chinas Xiaomi launched Mi Crowdfunding in India to provide a dedicated space to products or ideas that still need money to go into mass production and finally launch in open markets. Notably, Xiaomi’s been crowdfunding out-of-the-box products for years in China, giving birth to various devices outside of the mainstream.


Last year, Desiredwings, a reward based crowdfunding platform, acquired Catapooolt.com to together become the largest crowdfunding platform with various diversified successfully funded campaigns to its portfolio.

According to SEBI, the investment knowledge of Indian citizens is not at par and hence popular models like equity crowdfunding and investment crowdfunding are not so popular in India. Last September, SEBI had asked crowdfunding platform to include a disclaimer stating that crowdfunding platforms are neither stock exchanges nor authorized by the capital markets regulator to solicit investments.