Kickstarter Meets Sharktank: New Platform Changes Perceptions About Supporting Millennial Startups
GenYrator is the First Mission-Driven Equity Crowdfunding Platform That Combines Real Returns with Real Impact by Investing in the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Los Angeles, CA – GenYrator, a millennial focused and founded equity crowdfunding platform, has launched its private beta concentrating initially on startups from USC, the alma mater of co-founders Sean Nasiri and Jay Roth. The GenYrator platform looks for emerging generation-y founded businesses with revenue that are not quite ready for institutional investors, and encourages regular people to get involved to fill that gap.
The company is currently being advised by notable figures from both the startup and USC communities. Current advisors include famous venture capitalist and USC Trustee Mark Stevens, former Managing Partner at Sequoia Capital, as well as Alex Cappello, former President of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors who also served as the only two-time international chairman of YPO. Other notable advisors include Rob Ukropina, former CEO of Overnite Express, who also served on USC Board of Governors, and Ryan Meyers, Managing Director of General Assembly LA and former CEO of AlumniFunder.
GenYrator has recently achieved proof of concept by helping two companies close their recent rounds. First is wearable technology startup, Loopd, with noteworthy lead investors Tim Draper and Marc Benioff, which closed out its $1M seed round. Second is triple bottom line Hawaiian water bottle company, Waiakea, which closed out its $1.6M dollar Series-A. GenYrator has since opened up its platform to all, but still requires a private beta access code to view deals. It is currently featuring a selection of promising USC-founded companies in “preview mode,” with more being added over the next couple of months.
“The problem GenYrator is solving,” explains Nasiri, “is that too many good millennial founded startups end prematurely or stagnate because they lack the support they need to grow.” In the entire United States, there are only around 260,000 active angel investors, contributing roughly $20 billion dollars annually . “Your average twenty year old simply has not been around long enough to build out a network of experienced individuals who can provide capital and guidance.” GenYrator aims to take crowdfunding into the mainstream and increase the number of active accredited investors. By taking targeting local communities and affinity groups, GenYrator makes the investment process personal and encourages regular people to participate.
Millennials now have the largest presence in the workforce , but according to the Huffington Post, they are facing the worst job market in more than twenty years . “We are starting businesses out of necessity. There are just not enough opportunities out there for people our age, and we need the support of all generations to create more jobsand grow the economy,” Nasiri explains.
While GenYrator is currently focused on startups from USC, it plans to grow beyond just a university platform. “The long-term vision of GenYrator is to establish itself as the premier destination for the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders,” says Nasiri. “I think people from all different backgrounds will be pleasantly surprised by the value and impact they are able to provide a young startup.”
To get involved, please sign up at www.GenYrator.com.
About GenYrator: True Angel Investing
Founded with the mission to generate a more prosperous future through supporting entrepreneurship, GenYrator is the online platform that brings the benefits of the Silicon Valley ecosystem to the mainstream. GenYrator’s online community enables all interested parties, provided they are accredited in accordance with current regulatory guidelines, to directly participate in promising millennial founded businesses. Beyond simply crowdfunding, members and other supporters can lend guidance and mentorship. Please visit GenYrator.com for more information.
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