Crowdfunding Platform Catapooolt To Launch Maximum Campaigns In An Asian Record Attempt

Catapooolt, India’s most rewarded and industry-backed crowd-funding platform, is all geared up to launch maximum number of crowd funding campaigns in a single day under Catapooolt Changemakers Challenge on May 19th, 2017. Crowdfunding campaigns of around 35 start ups will be launched together on this single day – which besides giving a fillip to innovation in India, will also be an attempt to register a unique Asia Record to be entered in Asian Book of Records.

In collaboration with The Economic Times, the Changemakers Challenge comprises of three rounds – starting with unique Start-up Pitch and Live Crowd funding series, which was successfully executed last month across eight cities. The round two, which initiates now, will be an online crowd funding wherein all participating start-ups get to pitch live to the audience and raise crowd funding. Top 20 startups post this round will then qualify for Round Three – wherein start-ups will pitch to 30 plus participating angel investor networks. All start-ups who qualify for round three will also receive Alpha Cards of f6s – which entitles them availing free services from various international vendors of upto $1 Million each!

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Shabir Momin, Co-Founder, Desired Wings and Share holder of Catapooolt says, “This industry has a lot of potential to successfully drive the innovative ideas and cater to the great minds. The launch of around 30 campaigns on Catapooolt in one single day, we feel marks the beginning of the growth of Crowd funding Ecosystem in India.”

“Subsequent to the successfully execution of Catapooolt Change makers Live Crowdfunding Roadshows, we are now on Online Crowdfunding Round. It is a matter of immense pleasure to augment these budding ideas and see them successfully flourishing. May 19 will be remembered as the turning point in the history of crowdfunding in India”, says Mr Satish Kataria, Managing Director, CATAPOOOLT.

The start-ups which qualify the Round two will be given a representative target of Rs 75,000 to be raised via crowd funding as a qualification. Top 20 start-ups who raise the maximum will qualify for the finale. During the round two, start-ups are catered with the Crowd funding mentors as well including Satish Kataria, MD Catapooolt, Mohammed Sirajuddin, Co Founder DesiredWings & Shareholder of Catapooolt, Abhinav Tandon, Co Founder Creator’s Gurukul, Sudeep Singh, Country Head Start-up Grind, Nitin Bajaj, Country Head f6s, Bhavesh Kothari- Co-Founder TheMentorpreneur, Shraddha Patil-Co-Founder TheMentorpreneur, Rohit Sardana, Head of BWDisrupt, Shivam Ahuja, Head of Delhi Start-ups, Aparna Mishra, Founder Club Cafe Biz. The start-ups benefit from not just from funds raised via Crowdfunding but also in terms of Market Validation, Marketing Buzz, Media Coverage from Partners and Community Building etc.

These 30 start-ups, who have been selected through Live Crowdfunding roadshows across 8 cities, represent some of the best innovation and early stage ideas from these corners of India and belong to multiple domains. While some of them are looking at strengthening agricultural outputs through right consulting interventions, others are seeking to develop unique products such as ultra-charging electric scooters or bringing in ayurvedic innovations to solve medical problems. Each of these campaigns, besides attempting to raise initial funding, would also be testing themselves to get validation from the audiences.

Catapooolt was recently acquired by promoters of Desiredwings making their combined strength a market leader in the space and also enabling them to aggressively foster crowd funding ecosystem in the country.

Promoters of Crowdfunding Platform DesiredWings Acquires Catapooolt

Promoters of Desiredwings.com, a reward based crowdfunding platform, recently acquired Catapooolt.com, India’s most rewarded and industry-backed crowdfunding company. By virtue of this acquisition, together Desired Wings and Catapooolt stand as leaders and the largest crowdfunding platform with various diversified successfully funded campaigns to its portfolio.

Desired Wings is a category agnostic platform facilitating business idea validation and development, help start-ups prefund their future products and services helping them to start and grow without capital investment or fund raising against equity. While both the brands will prevail in the market post this acquisition focusing on different segments of the crowdfunding industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Shabir Momin, Co-Founder, Desired Wings said, “It is a great moment for us, as post this acquisition we have secured the leadership position in the industry and now with the combined strength of both the brands we can grow faster and also help shape this industry. This is an industry which will become the foundation of the start-up ecosystem and help them grow faster. We are witnessing the trends that can put Indian crowdfunding projects on the global map. We have seen how crowdfunding has helped many start-ups come to the forefront and eventually become very successful companies.”.

He further added “Currently the International market size of crowdfunding is $32 billion, Asia has a huge potential of start-ups and entrepreneurs delivering great innovations and concepts to the world. Fuelled by crowdfunding support they can leapfrog to a higher growth trajectory.”

Commenting on the acquisition, Mr. Satish Kataria, Managing Director, CATAPOOOLT said, “I have worked hard along with my team to get Catapooolt to where it stands today. Joining the family and making it more stronger with Desiredwings is a big boost. I see a much larger and structured growth with a new vison which helps us together to cover larger geographies and industry verticals. I am a strong believer of crowdfunding a way to make impossible dreams come true for many by the strength of many”.

Mr. Mohammed Sirajuddin Co-Founder, Desired Wings commented, “We are excited with both the platforms having done some very highly reputed campaigns and brand associations so far. With the two power houses coming together as one consolidated team will change the dynamics and will effectively deliver much more to the future campaigns and start-ups”.

Ravi Kiran, Co-founder of Venture Nursery and Investor of CATAPOOOLT added: Crowdfunding is an evolving model of supporting early stage ventures and we have seen and supported Catapooolt making some bold forays in this domain. Knowing that it’s not easy to push through a new concept in a tough market like India/Asia, we believe that the proposed acquisition of Catapooolt would give the combined platform more operational bandwidth to continue populating this medium and connecting ideas to the communities. We wish Catapooolt all the best in this new journey”.

Crowdfunding companies like Kickstarter, Indiegogo etc. who have helped many companies globally like Pebble, Oculus, Baubax raise millions of dollars have now entered Asian market as well. While regional crowdfunding companies have their own head start over International players the market is far from saturation and the scope to help more and more entrepreneurs is never-ending. While large and established organisations like Sony and few others have also launched crowdfunding projects for some of their products. Crowdfunding is not only for those who need capital as the common myth is, it’s also for those who want to secure faith and endorsements from market along with money to add to their existing confidence and build faster.