Lynn Johannson, Advisor, Sustainability and ESG
January 4th, 2024
Lynn Johannson, President of E2 Management Corporation and Catalyst for THE Collaboration
In a care[...]
Republic Announces $36M Series A to Democratize Access to Investing for Everyone
Republic | Business Wire | March 17, 2021
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Republic, a leading investment platform, announced today it has completed the initial closing of its $36M Series A fundraising. The round was led by Galaxy Interactive with participation by Tribe Capital, Motley Fool Ventures, and Broadhaven Ventures. In addition, Prosus Ventures (formerly Naspers Ventures) made a strategic investment in Republic through a purchase of Republic Notes, a novel digital security. Founded in 2016, Republic and its subsidiaries have raised more than $70 million to fund their ventures.
Republic was founded on the principle that sought-after investment opportunities should not be limited to small, closed networks of investors, and that people should be able to invest in the future they believe in. On the Republic platform, anyone can invest across startups, real estate, crypto, gaming, and small businesses. Republic has over 1 million members, who to date have invested more than $300 million in offerings under Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF), Reg A and Reg D. Republic provides curated deals for investors of all experience levels and interests, while empowering founders with access to a diverse and engaged investor base.
See: Early-stage Investing – The Public gets a Seat at the Table
Republic is a leader in facilitating crowdfunding campaigns for startups and SMBs raising under Reg CF, which allows non-accredited investors to participate in private funding rounds. Earlier this week, the SEC raised the cap for how much can be raised through Reg CF from $1.07 million to $5 million per annual period, enabling founders to raise up to 5x more capital through crowdfunding, while unlocking unprecedented access to deal flow for Republic’s investor community. Republic quickly became the first investment platform to facilitate a $5m Reg CF offering under the new rules. In addition to serving retail investors, Republic recently launched Republic Deal Room, offering investment opportunities for institutional and accredited investors.
One of the first mainstream fintech firms to embrace cryptocurrencies, Republic created the Republic Note, a profit-sharing digital security meant to align the incentives of the community with activity on the Republic platform. Prosus Ventures —the venture arm of Prosus, one of the world’s largest technology investors— is backing the Republic Note, which represents Prosus Ventures’ first-ever crypto digital asset investment.
“Prosus Ventures has a strong history of being an early investor in businesses that target big societal challenges, and Republic has created a platform that has the potential to break down the systemic barriers that exist in the funding process,” said Banafsheh Fathieh, Head of Americas Investments at Prosus Ventures. “Republic’s continued growth will enable more entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups to raise funds beyond the usual gatekeepers, and investors will be able to help businesses they are passionate about when they need it most.”
“We are at the early stages of a multi-decade super-cycle of retail empowerment. Republic is at the forefront of this trend, and there is no team that better understands the intricate web of consumer tech, finance, and regulation needed to bring real innovation to the private investment space. We are thrilled to partner with Ken and team, and look forward to the amazing opportunities they will enable in the years to come,” added Richard Kim, partner at Galaxy Interactive, Republic’s lead investor.
See: Retail investors are becoming more than shareholders
Kristine Harjes, Investment Officer at Motley Fool Ventures, also offered her perspective on the investment, “The Motley Fool has long championed the individual investor, and we feel deeply aligned with Republic’s mission to increase access to once-exclusive private investment opportunities. Motley Fool Ventures is thrilled to support Republic’s efforts to revolutionize the alternative investment landscape through its best-in-class technology and community.”
Republic has recently expanded its reach into new markets through strategic acquisitions, including Fig, a leading video game publisher backed by Spark Capital and Greycroft, Compound, a real estate investment platform backed by NEA, and NextSeed, a crowdfunding platform for local businesses. Earlier this month, Republic announced that it is expanding its crypto offerings and will be hosting digital asset sales on the platform, allowing blockchain projects to sell native digital assets to both U.S. and non-U.S. participants.
Republic CEO Kendrick Nguyen has played a key role in creating more equitable funding and investment opportunities for founders and retail investors alike.
“We have entered a new era of investing, one in which all stakeholders of a business can become shareholders. The support of marquee institutional investors in Republic’s funding round is indicative of the vast potential of our mission: to enable investors everywhere to align their passion with profit,” states Nguyen, who penned a personal letter for the Republic blog about what the future holds for Republic. With this new round of investment, Republic will continue to work towards its mission of democratizing access to investing and giving people the power to invest in the future they believe in.
About Republic
Republic is a leading investment platform that provides access to startup, real estate, crypto, and gaming investments for both retail and accredited investors. Republic has facilitated over $300 million in investments by our global community of over one million members. For more information, visit www.republic.co.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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