Raise Rundown | A year in review
Investors, fellow founders and friends,
It’s Wes Belden the co-founder and CEO of Raise Financial with our third “Raise Rundown” a.k.a our company’s monthly update.?
This update is a little different than our last. We wanted to share what we accomplished in 2023 and what we are primed for in 2024.
What we accomplished in 2023:
??New Spaces & New Faces: Last year we hired two new team members — Kathryn our operations manager and Kelsey a junior developer. Before hiring them, we moved to a new office in Midtown.
??Barclays Startup Academy: Raise, along with 20 other fintech companies from across the globe, were selected out of more than 2,200 applicants to participate in Barclays Rise Academy. The startups graduated from the 3-month cohort at the end of September.
??Trees Planted: We launched a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant a tree for every person who signs up for Raise Investment’s waitlist. It’s our way of showing our commitment to building more sustainable financial futures. We’ve already planted more than 1,200 trees. ??Check out our video?
??NYC Techstars Pitch Competition: I had the opportunity to pitch Raise Financial alongside 5 other founders at Techstars event, during New York Tech week.
??NEXT Award Finalist: Raise was a finalist for Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s fintech startup of the year award.?
What are going to accomplish in 2024:
??Launched 2020 | ?? Version 2 - February 2024
Raise Education is a shareable 529 college savings account.
??Relaunch our Scholar Raise as Raise Education: In February, we will officially relaunch our first product, Scholar Raise as Raise Education. In addition to a new name, customers can expect a sleeker interface and new features.
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???Under Construction | ??Beta - Fall 2024
Raise Investment will do for stock ownership what the mortgage did for homeownership.?
??Launch Beta: We plan to have an MVP ready by the end of Q3 and launch beta with select waitlisters, friends and family, and investors.
??Customer Discovery: We are going to talk with 1,000 potential customers to further tailor this platform to their needs.
??Fundraising: We are raising a seed round to support the development of Raise Investment and grow our team.
How you can HELP us accomplish our goals:
??Take our short survey: We are building Raise Investment intentionally which means we need opinions. Take our short online survey or share it with a friend, so we can build smart.
?Who should fill it out the survey??
??Sign up for Raise Investment’s waitlist: It’s free and we promise we won’t spam you with emails. Plus, we’re planting a tree for every person who signs up.
??Start a Scholar Raise account: Show your child you love them this Valentine’s Day Season by starting a 529 college savings account for them. Ask your relatives to contribute to their college education instead of buying sugar or stuffed animals.
Don’t have a kid of your own? Start an account for a kid you care about — niece, nephew, sibling, godchild, grandchild — and kick it off with a contribution.
???Give us guidance: As we prepare for a 2024 fundraise, we are looking to connect with fellow founders, investors and experts who may offer advice on our raise.?