Crowdfunding site CircleUp raises its own $7.5M Series A

May 7, 2013 @ 8:34 am By CFI Correspondent |

In a push to grow their crowdfunding platform CircleUp has raised $7.5 Million in a Series A round of investment. Led by Union Square Ventures (USV), other participants included Google Ventures, Maveron and Rose Park Advisors. It is notable that Rose Park Advisors participated in this round as this is the investment vehicle for Clayton Christensen, the… Read More

Valuation “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for Early Stage Consumer

April 11, 2013 @ 11:57 pm By Ryan Caldbeck |

At CircleUp, an equity crowdfunding site, we accept fewer than 2% of the companies who apply to raise capital on our platform. While there are a myriad of reasons why we pass on companies, one that always pokes its head up is valuation—that is, we are pessimistic that the company will successfully raise capital on CircleUp at the… Read More

Read more in: Strategy | Tagged circleup, equity, ryan caldbeck, valuation

Why Steve Rattner is Wrong on Crowdfunding

March 27, 2013 @ 9:35 am By Ryan Caldbeck |

Steve Rattner, former Obama “Car Czar” and prominent financier, recently wrote an article in the New York Times denouncing the JOBS Act as, “a hodgepodge of provisions that together constitute the greatest loosening of securities regulation in modern history,” saving his most scathing criticism for the legalization of equity based crowdfunding. Mr. Rattner raises many valid concerns, some that… Read More

Read more in: General News | Tagged anti, circleup, ryan caldbeck, steve rattner

The Disruptive Power of Equity Crowdfunding

March 2, 2013 @ 2:50 am By Forbes |

Online marketplaces have already eliminated so much inefficiency in our world. Dating (OK Cupid, Match.com), restaurant reservations (OpenTable), buying most physical goods (eBay) and countless other marketplaces serve both sides of the marketplaces (i.e. buyers and sellers) and provide value- typically making it more efficient to transact (or date!). Other marketplaces are eliminating inefficiency we… Read More

P&G Taps Crowdfunding to Scout for Startup Brands

January 29, 2013 @ 5:35 pm By BusinessWeek |

For small companies selling consumer products such as makeup or snack food, a partnership with a big multinational company can mean the difference between obscurity and becoming a household name. How does a small brand get a behemoth’s attention? CircleUp, a crowdfunding website that connects startup consumer brands with investors, wants to be part of… Read More

CircleUp serves small food producers healthy portions of investment

January 11, 2013 @ 2:58 am By VentureBeat |

I am a total health-food nerd. I love comparing notes about vegetable-based snacks, and granola sends me into spasms of excitement. The health-food, slow-food, boutique/artisanal/local-food movement is taking off. More and more people nationwide are swapping potato chips for kale chips and awareness about healthy eating practices is not only spreading but also trendy. Today,… Read More

Read more in: Crowdfunding Portals, General News | Tagged circleup, food, health, ryan caldbeck

The Crowdfunding Crowd Is Anxious

January 5, 2013 @ 6:42 pm By NYTimes.com |

RYAN CALDBECK was stumped. A director at a private equity firm, he was taking part in a panel discussion at a consumer goods conference last summer in New York when an entrepreneur raised his hand with a question: Where could a young company with just a few million dollars in sales go for money to grow. Mr…. Read More

Circle Up Founder: Crowdfunding helps create efficiency in the market

November 14, 2012 @ 9:07 pm By JD Alois |

In an article on Forbes, Circle Up founder Ryan Caldbeck, reviews the cost of capital in different forms. He articulates that debt financing has been hard to come by in past years. Especially for smaller firms. He furthers this by highlighting the caveats of personal guarantees; bank covenants and perspective equity participants may bring to… Read More

Read more in: Featured Headlines, General News | Tagged circle up, ryan caldbeck