Online investment platform Republic says it has hired the inventor of the hashtag, Chris Messina, to lead the charge for west coast business development.
Republic is a multi-vertical online investment platform that offers securities crowdfunding for early-stage investments, real-estate, gaming, crypto, and more. Messina is expected to boost Republic’s business development to connect entrepreneurs to the Republic ecosystem. Republic founder and CEO Kendrick Nguyen calls Messina “one in a million.”
“His years of experience building startups, advising companies and advocating for the future of technology are unmatched. He will deliver world-class guidance to our startup founders as they take advantage of Republic’s equity crowdfunding offerings.”
Messina is credited with introducing the hashtag to Twitter – a feature that is now widely utilized by Twitter’s millions of users. Since its introduction, the hashtag has been adopted by Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more. Messina is also the top-ranked product hunter on Product Hunt, part of AngelList – Republic’s sister platform. Messina is well-known in Silicon Valley, having worked at both Uber and Google, and is a regular speaker at tech-focused conferences.
Messina commented on the announcement saying he has been committed to openness and transparency in technology throughout his career, and the vision for Republic is perfectly aligned with these values:
“Republic has made financing tomorrow’s great companies simple, straightforward and accessible to millions of people who previously had little to no access to the success of these compelling investment opportunities. I’m looking forward to being a part of the Republic story.”
Since platform launch, Republic has facilitated more than $300 million in funding. Recent improvements to the exempt offering ecosystem in the US, including raising the funding cap under Reg CF to $5 million, have increased investing on the platform. The platform has global aspirations as the transition from analog venture investing migrates to online investment platforms with many securities offerings available to non-accredited investors.
