Investing in the best startups is a smart, cost-effective way to invest in innovation. These companies are in need of capital to become disruptors in their industries. What’s more, StartEngine is one of the more popular equity crowdfunding platforms where investors can buy in. In fact, you can even invest in StartEngine itself right now.
The numbers speak for themselves. StartEngine has more than 500,000 users in its growing community. Further, more than $400 million has been raised on the platform for more than 500 offerings.
For this article, we’ll cover seven startups to consider investing in after you perform further due diligence. These startups are among the most-funded equity crowdfunding campaigns, so high investor interest is already present.
Like in public stocks, high demand is also a key driver for share prices. StartEngine Secondary is a marketplace where investors can even trade shares in respective startups on the platform. That alleviates some of the illiquidity associated with private investing.
As always, investors should know the risks of startup investing first and foremost. Once you understand this element, though, definitely take a closer look at these seven names.
- GACW
- MarkSetBot
- IntriEnergy
- PVpallet
- Covira Surgical
- LUUM
- Daxbot
Equity Crowdfunding Opportunities: GACW
First up on this equity crowdfunding list, GACW is a Phoenix-based company that has developed and patented the Air Suspension Wheel (ASW). Basically, this company is reinventing the wheel for industrial use. What makes the ASW unique is that it’s not made of the classic rubber used in tires. Instead, it’s made of steel with in-wheel pneumatic suspension; the ASW is an airless mechanical wheel that lasts much longer than the competition.
The problem with rubber tires is multi-dimensional. For one, they can harm the environment when disposed of, not being recycled and releasing chemicals when burned. Traditional tires are also expensive to use and can be subject to serious problems like overheating.
The ASW, however, has a plethora of advantages. Specifically, it’s targeting the mining industry (which has a high turnover of tires ) but can also be used in construction, agriculture and more. The Air Suspension Wheel is also more eco-friendly, made from steel and lasting as long as the vehicle itself. GACW projects that its wheel can save about 8% fuel, reduce rolling resistance by 30% and have “up to 40% higher payload capacity.”
The target here is the $30 billion Off-The-Road (OTR) market. The global tire market is also expected to grow to $322 billion by 2022. A minimum investment in GACW right now is $248.50.
MarkSetBot
Next up on this equity crowdfunding list, MarkSetBot is revolutionizing the multi-billion sailing industry by providing a solution to race management with its robotic buoys. These robotic self-propelled buoys simplify race management on the water and at the same time enhance the experience of all participants. This product could well be the future of sailboat racing.
By using a smartphone interface, these robotic buoys can be adjusted fast and easily to wind changes, repositioning themselves using remote technology without needing an anchor. Further, MarkSetBot is also exploring additional applications of deploying, operating and monitoring their aquatic drones in other industries. These industries may range from surveillance and entertainment to weather monitoring and more.
With the capital it receives, this company intends to explore more scalability options and increase production to meet increased demand from sailing clubs around the world. Further, the benefits of its technology are plentiful; these robotic buoys reduce environmental emissions, eliminate the need for mark-setting boats in race management, minimize fuel consumption and much more.
The target here is the global leisure marine market, which was valued at more than $110 billion in 2019. A minimum investment in MarkSetBot is $250.
Equity Crowdfunding Opportunities: IntriEnergy
IntriEnergy is a climate technology company aimed at addressing climate change by disrupting the solar industry. Zero emissions are highly needed to achieve clean energy solutions. As we all know, solar energy can help reach zero emissions goals and “mitigate the negative effects of climate change.”
The solar industry is estimated to be a $150 billion market and experience rapid growth of 20% per year. Further, IntriEnergy has patented innovations that are far more effective than other current solar cells. The company estimates that its technology can create 60% more energy than traditional solar cells, improving performance and further legitimizing solar energy as an option for the future.
IntriEnergy’ patented technology has three key advantages. First, there’s the increased power output. Second, it can reduce global CO2 emissions at a higher rate. Finally, it can also reduce the cost of electricity. The company intends to license this tech to two main groups: vertically integrated PV cell and panel manufacturers who are “seeking a competitive advantage” and non-integrated cell manufacturers “competing to provide their customers a high power, cost-competitive cell.”
For this pick of the equity crowdfunding opportunities, the minimum investment is $199.68.
PVpallet
Next up on this equity crowdfunding list is another solar play. PVpallet intends to disrupt the solar industry by providing recyclable, reusable and collapsible shipping containers for solar panels. These containers are made from recyclable Type 2 HDPE plastic and have an efficient design to transform the solar supply chain, “making it friendlier for the environment and more economical for the solar industry.”
For one, PVpallet address the enormous wood waste in this industry. PVpallet is a sustainable way of shipping solar panels versus typical wood pallets and can be reused more than 20 times, reducing costs. The design of the pallet provides extra protection for the solar panels when they ship as ell, causing less damage and resulting in more usable panels.
This startup expects full production to start in the first quarter of 2022. The minimum investment in PVpallet on StartEngine is $400.
Equity Crowdfunding Opportunities: Covira Surgical
Covira Surgical is the next entry on this list of equity crowdfunding opportunities. The company provides a solution to surgical infection prevention.
Postoperative infections have some severe risks, sometimes causing prolonged hospitalization, readmissions and even death. The cost of these postoperative infections is not negligible, either — they’re estimated to cost the U.S. healthcare system about $34 billion each year.
Covira Surgical is focused on developing novel therapeutic alternatives to prevent these postoperative infections. Its platform technology is called Pi-PEG. Covira’s Pi-PEG platform helps suppress bacterial virulence while maintaining other bacterial functions. Pi-PEG is also non-systemic, non-toxic and biologically inert thus lowering the chance of potential side effects. Its top three indications are surgical site infection, anastomotic leaks and sepsis. These indications make for a market of $8.2 billion in the States.
This firm is planning to file an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the next 14 months. The minimum investment in Covira Surgical on StartEngine is $250.
LUUM
LUUM is the next startup on this list of equity crowdfunding opportunities. Essentially, this company is about beauty via artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. LUUM makes a robot for applying eyelash extensions, providing the world’s first automated eyelash-extension experience and simplifying the application process.
According to the company, traditional eyelash application sessions are extremely tedious and can take up to two hours. LUUM, however, reduces that time to minutes. Sure, manually applied extensions look just as great, but they also require too much time.
The lash extension services market is estimated to be around $20 billion. LUUM’s technology is both quick and safe as well. Plus, the firm already has a partnership with a top U.S. cosmetics brand.
At present, LUUM is only taking appointments and generating revenue from this technology at its Oakland Lash Lab using its prototype machine, Jaclyn. The machine is one of three LT-2 prototypes, with the others named Kate and Farrah. As far its business plan goes, LUUM intends to lease its machines to partners, generating both an upfront fee as well as revenue share with each use of the machine.
The minimum investment in LUUM on StartEngine is $250.80.
Equity Crowdfunding Opportunities: Daxbot
Last up on this list of equity crowdfunding opportunities, Daxbot is a maker of an interactive urban food delivery robot that customers will likely love.
Why a food delivery robot? Well, the food delivery market is projected to reach $200 billion by the year 2026. On top of that, $1 billion will be related to robotics deliveries.
Daxbot food delivery robots focus on human-robot interaction. They’re styled to be as friendly as a pet and designed to move safely in urban spaces. Daxbot robots can go up to three miles round trip, but they’re also highly functional in other ways, opening doors and navigating at night, for example. These robots can serve in other applications such as on golf courses and in assisted living facilities, too. These two markets are estimated to be worth some $200 million and $600 million, respectively.
At present, Daxbot is actively launching bots in California, Washington D.C. and Georgia. The minimum investment in Daxbot on StartEngine is $169.50.
On the date of publication, Stavros Georgiadis, CFA did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
Stavros Georgiadis is a CFA charter holder, an Equity Research Analyst, and an Economist. He focuses on U.S. stocks and has his own stock market blog at thestockmarketontheinternet.com. He has written in the past various articles for other publications and can be reached on Twitter and on LinkedIn.
