Crowdsourcing is a way to get more ideas and feedback from your customers and employees. Crowdfunding is the process of raising money from a large number of people, usually through the internet. Crowdsourcing and crowdfunding can help you raise funds, get information about what your customers want to buy or how they want to meet their needs, or generate new ideas for improvements to existing products or services.
1. BetSperts Inc.
BetSperts Inc is a crowd-friendly platform that connects entrepreneurs with investors. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and was founded in 2019 by Jack M. Wintz.
BetSperts Inc allows individuals to make investments in startups based on the quality of their business idea rather than the merits of their offering or track record. The company uses its proprietary technology, which it calls the “smart contract protocol,” to facilitate this process between investors and entrepreneurs.
The company’s website is currently in beta, but will be launching soon. Once launched, users can register for free and start investing in startups. The company will charge a fee of 10% of each investment made by its users.
2. Franshares, Inc.
Franshares, Inc. is a global crowdfunding platform that connects startups with investors. The company provides access to capital for technology companies and offers its clients access to investors, opportunities for investment diversification and significant cost savings over traditional financing methods.
In addition to helping startups get funding by connecting them with investors online, Franshares also offers its clients training on how to raise capital from angel investors and VCs as well as discounts on related services. fundraising (such as legal advice).
3. CFX Markets
CFX Markets is a global financial technology company that provides a suite of products and services to the global trading community. CFX Markets is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices in New York, London and Sydney.
CFX Markets clients include some of the major banks, asset managers, hedge funds and proprietary trading firms. Its product portfolio includes market data solutions (including real-time streaming data) as well as post-trade management systems for equities and fixed income securities.
In addition to its focus on providing state-of-the-art technology solutions for trading operations worldwide, CFX Markets also offers advisory services focused on helping clients create more efficient trading environments.
4. Neopende
Neopenda is a digital platform that allows you to create your own online retail store. As an entrepreneur, Neopenda can help you sell products, take orders, and manage inventory from one location. If you have great ideas for new products, Neopenda can help you find manufacturers who can make them for you. They also offer custom integration services to integrate your existing online store with their system to make it easier for customers to purchase products from both places at once.
The best part of this platform is that it doesn’t matter how many products or brands are involved in the sale; As long as they are listed on the Neopenda site, all of them will all be displayed in your store! This makes managing different product lines much easier than before as everything will be neatly organized in one place rather than having to open multiple websites simultaneously or keeping track manually (which often results in errors).
5. Public Good Software, LLC
Public Good Software, LLC is a software company that builds software to help people and organizations solve problems and make decisions. The company was founded in 2015 by Michael Collins, who was previously CEO of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE).
Public Good Software’s mission is to “transform every business into an impactful organization by making it easier for businesses to identify opportunities for social good.” The Good Good Audience Platform uses machine learning algorithms to identify social causes that align with company values and interests. These causes can then be addressed through strategic initiatives such as employee volunteer days or charitable donations.
6. Hennessy Capital, LLC
Hennessy Capital, LLC is a private equity firm investing in the healthcare industry. The company was founded in 1999 by Paul Hennessy and has over billion in assets under management.
The firm focuses on investing in three main sectors: medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Hennessy Capital has offices in New York, Boston and San Francisco as well as Chicago, which is its headquarters office.
Hennessy Capital’s investment team has over 100 years of collective industry experience. The company has also made investments in a wide range of healthcare businesses, including Intuitive Surgery, Medtronic and Covidien.
7.Techorian Ventures, Inc.
Founded in 2011 by Andrew Hargadon, co-author of The Innovator’s Solution, Techories is a Chicago-based startup accelerator that helps early-stage businesses grow and scale. The company has six main programs:
- The Seed Accelerator, which provides a ,000 grant for pre-series stage startups;
- The Accelerate Program (formerly known as the Accelerate Fund), which provides up to 0,000 for post-series stage startups;
- Mastermind Session Series (offered every six months), in which industry leaders give presentations on topics including fundraising, marketing, and sales;
- Startup Academy (offered quarterly), an immersive program focused on sharing best practices across all areas of business;
- Campus Club (offered three times a year), which brings together entrepreneurs from all industries to share ideas and network with each other; and finally
- Yachtclub (in partnership with Pritzker Group Venture Capital Partners) is designed specifically for CFOs of technology companies looking to gain exposure and experience within venture capital firms.
8. Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc.
Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc. is a private equity firm investing in the energy and industrials sectors. Since its founding in 1995, Prairie Capital Advisors has invested in more than 50 companies and raised over billion in capital through two private equity funds: Prairie Capital Fund I and Prairie Capital Fund II.
Prairie Capital Advisors is a global investment firm investing in the energy, industrial and financial sectors. Since its founding in 1995, Prairie Capital has invested in more than 50 companies and raised more than billion in capital through two private equity funds: Prairie Capital Fund I and Prairie Capital Fund II. Prairie Capital Advisors is based in Chicago, Illinois with offices in Dallas, London and Houston.
9. Acquired World
VestedWorld is an online platform that allows you to invest in startups. It offers a variety of investment opportunities, including equity-based investments and debt offerings.
Vestingworld was created in the hope of providing investors with more opportunities to diversify their portfolios while supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs. The Company aims to provide investors with a range of investment opportunities, including equity investments and debt offerings.
The platform offers several types of funding options for startups:
- Seed Stage Funding (up to ,000)
- Early stage funding (,000 – million)
- Mid-management funding (> million)
10. Cresset Capital Management LLC
Cresset Capital Management LLC is a venture capital firm that invests in seed, growth stage and growth stage companies. The company is based in Chicago, Illinois and was founded in 2013. CRESSET Capital Management LLC uses virtual reality technology to help clients explore new ideas for their business.
Cresset Capital Management LLC provides access to capital and strategic support to companies looking to expand their business. The company is based in Chicago, Illinois and was founded in 2013. CRESSET Capital Management LLC uses virtual reality technology to help clients explore new ideas for their business.
11. End Engine, Inc.
At FinEngine, we invest in companies that are building the new economy and providing solutions to great market opportunities. We look for companies with strong management teams and promising technologies that can scale.
We have invested in over 80 companies since our founding, including:
- Dartmoor Energy Solutions – a provider of natural gas infrastructure services to the electric utility industry with offices in Chicago, IL; Louisville, KY; Houston, TX; San Diego, CA; Denver, CO
- EXEBLOCK Technology Inc – An Ethereum blockchain based platform and exchange for digital assets based out of Chicago IL
- Kiburr – a cloud-based platform that automates the digital asset management process through a single solution designed specifically for Chicago-based financial institutions
12. Antares Capital LP
Antares Capital is a private equity firm that invests in early-stage technology companies. He has invested in over 200 companies to date, including Brightcove, Gigya and Olark.
The firm’s partners have decades of experience investing in technology and other industries. They have helped build top brands like LinkedIn, PayPal/eBay, Workday and Zendesk among others.
Investors in Antares include leading venture capital funds Sequoia Capital (which also invests in B2B SaaS company XACTLY) and New Enterprise Associates (which also invests in B2B SaaS financial services Procore).
13. The Innovation Factory
The Innovation Factory is a nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurs and startups in Chicago and the Midwest by providing funding, mentorship, and resources. The Innovation Factory’s mission is to help entrepreneurs build successful businesses.
The organization is made up of three programs: Accelerator, which provides startup growth funding through three phases; Incubator, which provides a workspace for start-up companies; and Capital Link, which connects investors to startups.
As part of its efforts to support entrepreneurs through every step of their journeys, The Innovation Factory recently launched its first-ever edition of Startup Journey – a podcast series curated by Chief Strategy Officer Jonathan Miller that features interviews with local innovators from across industries discussing the challenges they overcame on their own startup journeys as well as tips for overcoming similar challenges today.
Conclusion
Crowdfunding is a great way to raise money for your business or organization. It can also be a source of funding for personal projects and adventures. Crowdfunding has been around since the early 2000s and has grown rapidly since then. With new rigs popping up every day, it’s worth researching the options available in Illinois before deciding where to start.