Tag: KoreClient

KoreClient Spotlight: Steve Beaman, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Elevare Technologies

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Elevare Technologies is a technology company aiming to lead the digital economy revolution through Virtualization as a Service (VaaS). They promote and accelerate virtual adoption globally creating custom virtual experiences and worlds for teams, clients, and partners. Businesses can digitize their current physical office and access a digital twin-layout with cutting-edge Web 3.0 solutions.

 

Virtualization as a Service

 

“Elevare Technologies was created to help digitize the American business economy. We are creating a movement from the real world into the virtual world. It is the best of the two worlds. We specialize in offering a digital office system where businesses can build a digital twin of their current physical office and then have a digital office adjacent to it,” said Elevare CEO, Steve Beaman. 

 

The company is developing a powerful virtual meeting solution, the Eleverse. That provides organizations with the ability to connect, collaborate and communicate seamlessly in a secure and private online environment. The technology allows users to conduct presentations and video conferencing while providing a reliable platform for communication and integrating a powerful AI assistant. Similar to familiar video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet, private meeting rooms come with a unique ID code that makes the virtual space secure and private. Without the private meeting code, uninvited individuals are unable to join in, ensuring security for businesses’ sensitive information. 

 

Up to 400 people

 

The virtual meeting can occur in a boardroom setting and be modeled after your real-world conference room. Companies can also leverage the virtual auditorium for large-scale meetings for up to 400 people. There is a smart screen capability currently in the works, allowing you to conduct a full presentation in the virtual space. With an integrated AI virtual assistant named Iris that can help with any questions you have during meetings, the workspace is more efficient and productive. There is even a video conferencing feature that allows you to have video conferencing abilities at your fingertips virtually, enabling users to connect with colleagues across the world digitally. At the same time, virtual office spaces can be located within a virtual office building, allowing companies to interact and network with neighboring individuals and companies.

 

To help Elevare achieve its goals, the company is opting to leverage Regulation CF to nurture relationships with investors. The ultimate goal is to make them brand ambassadors. “Crowdfunding can take you to a whole new level. We believe it democratizes [capital raising] and provides an ability to scale. We believe the technology involved gives the form that people will adopt and the functionality that supports the business needs. And we believe that we’ve developed a solution to accommodate this demand,” added Beaman.

 

Regulation CF (RegCF) Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

 

KoreClient Spotlight: Greg Tucker, CEO and Co-Founder of Spartan Bitcoin Mining

Posted on by Jason Futko

Greg Tucker has been in the publicly traded arena in some form or fashion for close to 20 years. He served as a President/CEO of a publicly traded company for four years and has assisted multiple CEOs and business owners with communications and messaging for well over a decade. 

Press releases, articles, videos, social media messaging, etc. are all strengths of his and multiple companies have benefitted from his ability to get more eyes on a project via effective messaging and communications. He has also been actively engaged in the Crypto market(s) now for well over five years.

We sat down with Greg recently to discuss his company, Spartan Bitcoin Mining, and what people should expect from this new and novel approach to Bitcoin Mining.

Q: Why Bitcoin Mining and why now?

A: Most people don’t realize that Bitcoin is cyclical and has followed a general trading pattern since its inception. We predict that we could be entering the favorable portion of the latest four-year cycle and we feel great about the business model and the long-term potential of what we are doing. 

Q: Okay, so what can shareholders expect from you and your team?

A:  I’ve seen multiple companies over the past few decades throw around the term “shareholder friendly” with ease, yet their actions, more often than not, do not live up to that claim. Eventually, greed takes over and that’s never a good thing. I’m going to be 60 this year. I live frugally. In the back of my mind, I’ve always told myself that when the time came and under the right circumstances, I would ensure that “shareholder friendly: was the mantra that drove every decision from day one on any new business venture. 

Q: Can you expand on that, maybe share some examples of what you’re talking about?

A: Sure. I think a project like this should be a collaboration where shareholders get a vote, they have a voice and they help guide the overall direction of the company. We will provide multiple channels for shareholder feedback and engage with them as often as possible, at least weekly.

Q: Not everyone understands Bitcoin. In fact, most people don’t.  How do you plan to overcome that hurdle?

A: Excellent point and you’ve hit on my number one frustration when it comes to Crypto, but instead of staying frustrated, I did something about it. I’ve created a video series that will be exclusive to our shareholders. We call it “The Crypto Classroom” and as of now, it is up to 40 videos that lay out exactly what Bitcoin is, how to trade in cryptocurrencies, decentralized platforms, etc. It is all taught and narrated by me, ensuring that you learn it the right way and at your own pace.  But back to your original question… The first three videos specifically explain Bitcoin in a way that is easy to understand and we would recommend that everyone watch those three videos before investing in our company. Oh, and by the way, the video series will expand over time so that it becomes a video library of sorts that is always kept up to date and can be referenced at any time by our folks.

Q: Bitcoin has gone through some lean times as of late. What is your plan for situations like that?

A: We will hold in escrow a specific amount for each mining rig representing 18 months of “what if”. In other words, if Bitcoin were to turn south suddenly, we are prepared and will not run the risk of overextending ourselves. That’s just good business sense on behalf of all involved.

Q: I’ve got to say, your approach to doing everything in a shareholder-friendly manner is refreshing.

A: Look, I’ve been around a long time, and not once have I seen a company live up to that claim 100% of the time. We will. And to ensure that’s the case, I’m putting it in print, on audio and video from day one and will continue to do so to hold all of us accountable to living up to these parameters for the long haul both legally and ethically. I firmly believe that if you don’t have integrity, you are lost; you have nothing.

Regulation A Disclaimer

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and 
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

 

KoreClient Spotlight: Inland Mid-Continent Corporation

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Jeff Leenerts is the president of Inland Mid-Continent Corporation, an oil and gas exploration and production company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In his early childhood, Jeff was first introduced to the oil business under his father’s guidance, where he received an inside look at the industry. Inland Mid-Continent Corporation has emerged to leverage the company’s collective experience within the industry and develop oil and natural gas prospects.

 

Inland Mid-Continent Corporation keeps a focus on smaller projects to meet its goals. As Leenerts explains, they aim to “get what’s left out of the ground and make sure we all get the benefit from it.” This means that their operations are more focused on conventional shallow oil and gas formations (< 3,500 ft.) which would require light fracs, if necessary. Their approach is centered around taking advantage of existing conventional resources, as opposed to what larger companies may deem too small or not cost-effective. In addition, there is an ample supply of natural gas and oil in Oklahoma, which allows the company to produce a reliable supply to local refineries and natural gas pipelines. 

 

As the company plans on utilizing Regulation A+ to grow, Inland Mid-Continent Corporation is focused on keeping its expansion within a three-hour radius of Tulsa so that it can effectively and cost-efficiently manage operations. Plus, the collective experience of the team will help the company navigate potential bumps in the road with ease, while also being able to deliver quality results. The company is driven by a low overhead structure, making it possible to operate prudently and cost-efficiently. Through Reg A+, the company is excited to provide opportunities for everyday people to get involved in the ground floor of the company and benefit in the long run as it grows.

 

The company also feels that it is at an advantage because it can incorporate used equipment in good condition to maximize its output while minimizing the associated costs. This allows them to provide more efficient services in a rapidly changing energy sector that is increasingly focused on cost containment. “We all have the same mindset about what we want to do and we’re convinced it’s gonna work and it’s the way forward,” said Leneerts. This drive for efficiency has enabled the company to remain competitive, even in a rapidly changing industry while raising the bar for quality and reliability.

 

Regulation A Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and 
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlights: A Year in Review

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

At KoreConX, we love showcasing our innovative clients, who we believe are making a difference in the world, through our KoreClient Spotlight. Here are just a few of the clients we’ve had the pleasure of working with this past year.

 

Wealthcasa

 

Wealthcasa is looking to change the way everyday investors can access investment properties by leveraging Reg A+. Using its parent company’s experience with development and construction in the greater Toronto area, Wealthcasa aims to develop planned communities in areas such as Florida, Tennessee, and California. Wealthcasa also seeks to offer a rent-to-owner program that will allow people to build equity in their homes over time and eventually purchase the unit or share the accumulated value of the asset. Wealthcasa’s platform provides an accessible way for people to become investors in the real estate market. 

 

Consumer Cooperative Group

 

Consumer Cooperative Group (CCG) is an innovative real estate cooperative focused on creating jobs, generating revenue, and nurturing its local community. Founded by Tanen Andrews, the company has a mission to provide people a chance to be involved in business ownership and real estate investment. The CCG methodology is to purchase real estate, specifically in properties where tenants are already generating revenue, providing an immediate investment return while building a long-term wealth base. 

 

Tech Chain Software

 

Tech Chain Software is a provider of innovative technology solutions that drive efficiency, productivity, and safety in the trucking industry. The company provides a platform to connect truckers on the go to mobile repair services, giving them access to skilled mechanics quickly and conveniently. With Tech Chain’s cutting-edge technology, they can instantly connect drivers with certified mechanics, allowing them to get their trucks back on the road with minimal downtime. Their mobile repair services reduce trucking companies’ expenses and expedite repairs and payment processes. Additionally, Tech Chain Software is also committed to helping local trade schools increase their capacity by providing access to qualified mechanics, enabling blue-collar workers to serve this industry cost-effectively.

 

Orion Capital

 

Orion Capital is a private investment firm that provides equity crowdfunding opportunities to smaller investors. Utilizing Regulation CF, they offer high-quality investments that would otherwise be unavailable to the average person. Through their focus on main street investments, they provide exposure to various industries and strategies while minimizing risk by spreading investment across multiple assets. Their mission is to provide investors with attractive returns while helping to drive innovative solutions and positive change in the world.  

 

Budding Technologies

 

Budding Technologies, Inc. is a company that is changing the way the cannabis industry works. With their use of blockchain technology, they are helping customers verify the quality of the products being sold while also giving businesses valuable data about what products are being used in their area and providing users with insight into what cannabis products may be right for them. By utilizing their Connect dashboard and BudboTrax supply chain management system, companies can keep product information up to date and track the quality of cannabis products. This transparency allows customers to have confidence in the safety and quality of their purchases while businesses benefit from increased sales and reduced waste. 

 

Fist Assist

Fist Assist is a medical device company that has developed a product to help patients with poor arm circulation. The Fist Assist product is a battery-operated pneumatic focal compression device that can be worn for 1-2 hours a day to increase circulation and decrease present and future pain in your arm. The company is raising capital through RegCF to finance its future FDA submissions and commercialize its product. After being designated as an FDA Breakthrough for potential vein dilation to renal failure patients in December 2021, Fist Assist needs to formally show the FDA the complete dataset for eventual DeNovo authorization for the renal failure community. If successful, this device has the potential to significantly change the way physicians treat and care for renal failure patients with better outcomes and fewer costs. 

 

FirstString

 

FirstString is a mobile application that enables college athletes to connect, find jobs and internships, and train for success after college. With FirstString, employers can post jobs and internships and search for qualified candidates. Candidates can create a profile with a video introduction, skills, experiences, and references, allowing employers to get to know the candidate before even meeting them. It makes the hiring process more efficient by removing the outdated paper resumé and allowing student-athletes to display the leadership ability and other skills they bring to the table, even if they don’t have as much employment or internship experience as their peers.

 

Stenergy

 

Stenergy is a company founded by Samuel and Leyla Butero, two entrepreneurs passionate about helping people. After their experience with Leyla’s health issues during her pregnancy, they decided to focus on the development of GluCora. This revolutionary product is a natural supplement that supports healthy glucose metabolism. To rapidly bring this product to market, they decided to utilize Regulation CF and embarked on a journey of inspiring individuals through their mission and shared experiences. Through their funding efforts, Stenergy hopes to create an ecosystem that connects investors and potential consumers with an innovative solution for those facing similar challenges. 

 

Facible

 

Facible is a medical technology company that has developed a technology that takes hospital-grade diagnostics out of the lab and to the point of care. The Q-LAAD technology enables the development of faster and more accurate diagnostic tests that are easier to run, which can expand testing capabilities to underserved and rural areas, urgent care, and other applications. The company found Reg A+ to be the most promising way to bring its vision to market while allowing those who have supported them to invest. 

 

Notarized.com

 

Notarized.com is an online notarization platform transforming how people close real estate transactions, get documents notarized, and sign contracts remotely. Founded in 2016 by Omar Kubba, a second-generation title professional with over 20 years of sales experience in the title insurance industry, Notarized.com has developed a comprehensive suite of online notarization products and services for individuals and businesses. Through Notarized.com, customers can securely sign documents online with the click of a button, collaborate with other parties to get documents signed quickly and get paperwork notarized from anywhere in the world with its remote notary network. 

 

Durable Energy

 

Durable Energy is a company on a mission to make the transition to renewable energy easier and more accessible for everyone. They are focusing on creating more renewable energy-powered EV charging stations in the nation, offsetting the amount of energy produced by solar so that it can be stored and used when needed, and working on hydrogen fuel cells to provide a clean and renewable source of energy for cars and homes. Through Regulation CF, Durable Energy can connect with the end user who will be using these products, enabling them to become early investors in the infrastructure they will utilize.

 

Bullet ID

 

Based in Toronto, Canada, BulletID is a company that utilizes barcode technology to reduce gun violence by tracking ammunition. This company allows law enforcement and military personnel to instantly track essential information about a bullet, such as inventory, ownership history, manufacturer, and type. This is done through a barcode printed into the brass cartridge. With this information, it will be easier for authorities to trace a bullet back to its owner and determine if it was used in a crime. With BulletID, the process is as easy as scanning the cartridge on a smartphone. From anywhere worldwide, law enforcement and the military can see available details within 10 seconds.

 

Healthysole

 

HealthySole is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives by providing them with an easy-to-use, affordable solution to one of the most common problems in the world: shoes and floors that make our feet dirty and unhealthy. Their product, HealthySole PLUS, removes 99% of all germs, bacteria, and other contaminants from the soles of shoes. This is especially important in hospitals, where hospital-acquired infections can cause serious illness to patients. HealthySole helps to reduce the transmission of these illness-causing germs. 

 

McGinley Orthopedics

 

McGinley Orthopedics is a medical technology company specializing in developing and commercializing products that aid in the treatment of orthopedic injuries. During an orthopedic plate and screw surgery, the surgeon typically manually determines the depth of the screw, which can lead to further complications. The company’s IntelliSense Drill Technology® puts sensors in the tools that simultaneously measures depth, telling the surgeon what size screw to use, and has auto-stop features to help prevent plunging past the bone. 

 

Medical21

Medical21 is a company founded by Manny Villafaña, an experienced entrepreneur who has successfully led seven IPOs. The company is looking to innovate how cardiac care and surgical procedures are delivered. Medical 21 has developed a small-diameter coronary artery graft to be used in heart bypass surgery. Instead of harvesting blood vessels from a patient’s legs, arms, and chest, the company has developed a synthetic graft. With Reg A+, the company aims to raise the capital to conduct clinical trials.

KoreClient Spotlight: Wealthcasa

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

For many people, investment properties come with a price tag that is cost-prohibitive to everyday investors. However, as Reg A+ sees wider use in the real estate market, it opens up new opportunities for investors.

 

Wealthcasa also aims to make real estate accessible to everyday investors through a Reg A+ offering. Cesare Bauco, CEO of Wealthcasa, says that “the whole [idea] behind Wealthcasa is to be a vehicle for the average person to get into the [real estate] investment market.” This allows people who may not fit the criteria of a traditional investor to invest in real estate. “Reg A+ was very intriguing when it was brought to light to us,” added Bauco. This gives people who may not have had the opportunity to invest in real estate before the chance to invest in Wealthcasa. “We thought this would be a good opportunity to raise funds that way and bring along Americans that normally can’t get into that.”

 

“Our parent company, located in Canada, is a new home builder by trade, with over 20 years of development and construction experience and 800 units currently under development in the greater Toronto area. We like to position ourselves where we can actually enter the US markets in many areas; we have been scouting opportunities, like Florida, Tennessee, and California,” said Bauco. This experience will lend itself well to developing the planned communities. 

 

Once the first Wealthcasa property has been developed, the company also seeks to offer a rent-to-owner program, giving people other ways to get into the real estate market. This program allows people to rent a home and build equity in the home. Eventually, usually after 5-7 years, they will either have the ability to purchase the unit themselves. Or, if they are not in a position to buy, the accumulated value of the asset will be shared with that buyer-renter.

 

Ultimately, Wealthcasa wants to create a platform for people to become investors in the real estate market by offering an accessible way and a rent-to-owner program that will allow renters to build equity over time.

 

KoreClient Spotlight: Consumer Cooperative Group

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

When it comes to real estate, most people think about buying and flipping properties for a quick profit. But what if you could buy a property, have the tenants already in place, and generate revenue from the time you acquired it? That’s what the Consumer Cooperative Group (CCG) is all about on a larger scale than individual properties. CCG is a cooperative of investors all across America who work together to purchase turnkey properties – including commercial, residential, and industrial – and generate revenue from the outset.

 

What makes CCG different from other real estate investment groups is its focus on education. “We don’t just tell you about our company; we also educate our investors at the same time because it is a requirement that our investors are not passive,” said CEO and Founder of CCG, Tanen Andrews. “There is a level of participation that we require from them because if they have equity they are part owners. So we require them to be active in what we are doing.”.

 

This focus on education means that CCG members are truly invested in the company and its success. “Cooperative members are the ones with the voting rights and the investors are the ones with no board voting rights but they have an opportunity to be a part of the membership to create multiple streams of income,” said Andrews. This allows for a two-way street of investment and education – both parties benefit from each other. But it’s not just about making money for CCG. They also want to make an impact on their local community. “Activating social events and making a change in a community are two separate things and we want to fund social aspirations that we want to see done and we want to be self-sufficient at the same time,” said Andrews. That’s why they focus on creating jobs as well as generating revenue.

 

“This is a multi-phase venture and the initial phase is the real estate. With Consumer Cooperative Group being a real estate cooperative, and we use that cooperative methodology to purchase real estate, pooling the funds of the people who could not traditionally invest in startup companies of this magnitude in exchange for equity,” said Andrews. “In addition to that, now we have access to go to Wall Street and directly list and provide liquidity for them on another level that they were never able to access,” said Andrews. 

 

Owning real estate is a great way to build wealth, but not everyone can or should assume the active duties of a landlord, and CCG takes that element out of it. With tenants already in the properties, they are already generating revenue from the time that they are acquired.”We can buy these turnkey properties and have something to build upon instead of building from scratch,” said Andrews. “Our business plan is wrapped around our community. We are thinking about the financial growth of our market so they can compete. That’s why I love KoreConX. KoreConX is a platform that can be used in conjunction with what we are doing to keep some type of sustainability of our growth and manage what we are doing as we progress to the next level,” said Andrews. CCG wants to make sure they are educating as they are progressing, they are trying to maximize what is already there and build upon that.

 

“We have a Reg A going through the process right now after we went Reg CF first. Most people have never heard of the JOBS Act and most are jumping into traditional capital raising platforms, and I feel that is confusing. What we try to do is focus specifically on the JOBS Act so that we can eventually qualify for listing. We do not want to just make investors and members but we also want to create real entrepreneurs, we want to show them how to create a real viable business and repeat the process,” said Andrews. CCG provides those who did not always have the opportunity the means to be a part of business ownership.

 

Regulation CF Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: Live Retail

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

There are about 5.5 million businesses that operate in the U.S. under the license of a brand, typically franchises like McDonald’s or 7-11 and even real estate groups like Century 21. Because of the nature of the franchise, advertising must follow corporate guidelines and be pre-approved, a process that can be costly and time-consuming for franchisees. In addition, many small franchisees can be faced with budgetary constraints that make the process even more challenging.

 

Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of LiveTechnology Holdings, Wayne Reuvers, described the typical process: “Branded entities and businesses selling branded products account for about $133 billion in media spend every year in the US. If I’m a Nissan [dealership] and I want corporate to support me, I have to build the ads, I pay an agency a fortune, it goes through the approval process and most get rejected, and then it turns around and I can run the ad.”

 

This is where LiveRetail comes in. Offering a free platform for these businesses to easily create and run compliant ads, LiveRetail removes this barrier by helping franchise locations drive higher sales, beating industry benchmarks consistently. Each location benefits from personalized creatives and messaging to effectively reach the target audience.

 

“We’ve turned this entire model on its head. We built a technology that allows us to onboard an entire brand – all of their stores, the brand details, the brand guidelines, the color, the items they want to promote, and everything else – in under four hours”, said Reuvers. Once this process is complete, LiveRetail can easily build a campaign for all the entities, prebuilding an ad for every product using the platform’s CreativeMatrix feature. The ads, compliant with brand guidelines, are sent to local entities. The ads can be posted for free on social media or can be run as ads using the hyper-targeted campaign that LiveRetail develops.

 

“Those who manage or run a franchise, whether they’re an owner or an operator, do not have time to build ads and the cost of getting a local entity to build ads is $400 to $4,000 but they still need to be brand compliant. We get rid of that by providing all the ads free to the entity, ready to run, and they look more professional than hiring a local agency. We remove the biggest barrier to small to medium-sized advertising spend on the internet, which is the cost of producing ads,” said Reuvers.

 

Within two clicks, a franchisee can share an ad on social media platforms like Facebook. They also have the option to subscribe to weekly posts on social media or run the creative as a paid ad. Paid ads can be sent to a hyper-targeted audience, ensuring it is seen by people most interested in the product or service being advertised. This is a game-changer for local franchises.

 

The company is using RegCF to raise capital, and one of the most attractive aspects of the exemption was the number of small business owners and entrepreneurs who are investors. They hope to develop strong relationships with the company’s investors, who in turn have the potential to be powerful brand advocates.

 

Seeking to simplify the creative process behind marketing, LiveRetail is creating innovative technologies aimed at reducing the cost and brand compliance burden for small franchisees and other branded entities. In turn, this will help these businesses drive more traffic to their stores and generate business.

 

Regulation CF Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

 

 

KoreClient Spotlight: Tech Chain Software

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

The trucking industry in the United States is a vital part of the economy, responsible for transporting trillions of dollars worth of goods each year. However, it is also an industry that has been plagued by inefficiencies and low productivity for many years. This is where Tech Chain Software and their ResQ TRX app come in, changing the game for truckers across the US.

 

The ResQ TRX app from Tech Chain Software is designed to help truckers be more efficient and productive, while also reducing downtime. It streamlines the entire repair process, allowing drivers, owners, and fleet managers to request and approve service, monitor vehicle and repair status, and send payments all through the app. This makes it easier and faster for truckers to get their trucks repaired, reducing downtime and helping the industry as a whole run more smoothly. By connecting trucking companies to dedicated services, ResQ TRX also provides new business to the service companies that keep America moving. This makes it a win-win for both truckers and the industry as a whole. Telha Ghanchi, the founder and CEO of Tech Chain Software, is passionate about helping and serving truckers, and ResQ TRX is his company’s way of doing just that.

 

As the owner of a small trucking company himself, he knows firsthand the pain that truck drivers and owners go through when a truck goes down. That’s why he created ResQ TRX, to make it an easier and more efficient process for all involved. From the smallest owner-operator to the largest fleets and logistics companies, ResQ TRX is changing the game for how trucking companies do business. The app helps truckers stay on the road by providing them with access to rescue trucks, mechanics, and other resources when they break down. Additionally, Reg CF benefits the company by allowing them to transform investors into brand ambassadors that truly believe in the company and its vision.

 

Mega carriers make up only a small fraction of the companies in the industry and have access to mega repair centers if their trucks break down. However, since the majority of the industry is made up of small businesses, they are often left relying on Google to find the help they need when their truck breaks down. And in remote places, especially in the US, you need to sometimes look miles away to find a mobile mechanic who can look at the project. Since many truck drivers don’t carry the cash on hand to pay for the services, payment is a significant issue at these times as well as the trust of not knowing the job that the person is going to do to fix your truck. 

 

“Every ten minutes you are late on a delivery it snowballs to how much the consumer pays. If you had three trucks and one of them breaks down you are losing 33% of your business,” said Ghanchi. With the trucking industry relying on invoices to be paid about 90 days after delivery, keeping operations afloat can be tricky when a truck is out of commission. This ultimately affects company owners, customers, and employees who rely on the shipment to be made on time.

 

As the market continues to grow, Ghanchi sees this as having a positive effect on truck drivers. A larger repair market will enhance repair service competition, allowing truck drivers to receive better repair pricing. Additionally, the company hopes to offer its debt function, with which the company will loan out the repair cost, allowing ResQ TRX to pay the mechanic and get the work done much faster to get back on the road instead of saving up money to fix this. This is one way they see they can make a huge impact on the industry. “If the truck is running the cash is rolling and they will have money to pay for [the loan],” said Ghanchi. “Our goal is to lower overall downtime in the trucking industry. We are also working with local trade schools to increase the capacity and mechanics of blue-collar workers. Mechanic shops can not take in more work without the resources so we are helping both sides, both the truckers to get their trucks back on the road quickly so they don’t go out of business and the mechanics so they can better serve this industry through ResQ TRX’s innovative solution.” 

 

Regulation CF Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: Orion Capital

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Orion Capital is a small holding company that specializes in connecting investors with unique investment opportunities. With a focus on the little guy, Orion Capital allows anyone with an appetite for investment to participate in deals they would never have had access to otherwise. With a wide network of seasoned professionals from a variety of backgrounds, Orion can provide expert advice and guidance for nearly any opportunity that comes their way. RegCF is allowing them to offer a vehicle to open up their experience to a wider audience, giving everyday people access to high-quality investments.

 

Eric Shampine, a founding partner of Orion Capital, has been working in the real estate and investment world for years. He is a strong believer in the power of small investments to create big returns. “If you can diversify your portfolio across hundreds of small investments, whatever it may be, it lowers the risk for you and you still get to play in that investment world,” said Shampine. Orion Capital offers investors just that opportunity. By pooling together small investments from a large number of people, they can create a diversified portfolio that minimizes risk while still providing exposure to high-growth investments.

 

One of the key advantages of Orion Capital’s strategy is tapping into a wide variety of different industries and investment strategies. With a large network of contacts, they can quickly identify and assess opportunities as they arise. “We have a lot of different contacts in different industries and we’re always on the lookout for new investment opportunities,” said Shampine. This allows them to be nimble and take advantage of opportunities as they come up, rather than being tied down to one particular strategy or asset class. “While it is a less formal structure it is a very wide net of experience that can be very specific for whatever we come across,” said Shampine.

 

Mainstreet Investing with RegCF

 

Orion Capital is always looking for new opportunities to invest and provide investors with exposure to high-quality investments to diversify their portfolios, and they are now exploring this with a RegCF raise. This raise will allow them to expand their reach and provide even more people with access to these types of investments. “With this latest RegCF raise, the funds are a combination of assets. Initially, we are looking for smaller balance real estate assets that will provide consistent cash flow for the dividend we will be paying out to the investors. As I am building this, that is the first base we want covered to protect our investors’ capital and preserve dividends. Once that core is built up, I will look to deploy capital in investments with slightly higher risk. A little more opportunity for equity growth and scale it up that way, but this is not a fund where I’m looking to have only one or two major investments,” said Shampine. By utilizing RegCF, Orion Capital can provide even more people with access to these types of investments. Through equity crowdfunding, smaller investors can invest for a smaller stake in an investment opportunity traditionally not available to them. 



The firm’s focus is on main street investments for main street investors. Multiple smaller assets diversify the risk; there are good investments to be made in things such as single-family homes, mortgage notes, mom & pop businesses, and other smaller investments people can relate to that provide equity growth and cash flow.

 

Regulation CF DisclaimerThis communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

 

KoreClient Spotlight: Budding Technologies

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Budding Technologies, Inc. is looking to change the cannabis industry with innovative technology and the use of blockchain through its product, Budbo.

 

The Budbo ecosystem consists of three unique products; Budbo App, Budbo Connect, and BudboTrax. Together, these touch all aspects of the cannabis industry from growers and product manufacturers to dispensaries and consumers.

 

The Budbo App features a patent-pending technology that allows cannabis users to log into the application and enter some demographic data that is then used to make suggestions on strains and products of cannabis that would be best for the user. Users are also rewarded for providing this data with cryptocurrency tokens that can be spent on merchandise or accepted by dispensaries. With this technology, new users can feel more confident in choosing the strains and products that would be best for them based on data like their weight, gender, and experience level. After answering several questions on a 1-10 scale, the algorithm can make these suggestions. Pick-up and delivery options are available to consumers with an easy-to-use interface.

 

For dispensaries, growers, and product manufacturers, Budbo Connect enables them to access the data provided by Budbo customers and other third-party APIs. In the Connect dashboard, companies can keep product information up to date so that it can be found by the most appropriate customer. In turn, companies can see what types of products are popular or sought after by cannabis users in their region. With companies able to tailor their inventory to what customers are looking for, they can reduce waste, increase sales, and find the right product manufacturers for these products.

 

Lastly, BudboTrax, is a supply chain management system built on blockchain technology that gives users the ability to track products and lab results so that they can know exactly where their product comes from and if it meets the quality standards that they are looking for. This feature allows cannabis users to be confident in the product by providing much-needed clear visibility into the chain of custody of the cannabis plant and subsequent product.

 

Working together, these three elements create a robust suite of tools to empower the cannabis industry and to serve cannabis users with access to the safest and best product available.

 

To aid in the company’s growth, Budding Technologies, Inc. is using Regulation Crowdfunding to raise funds for their company. “We chose the Reg CF as the vehicle because it’s a grass-roots way to raise capital that is for everybody, and we feel cannabis and our technology is for everybody. What makes the Reg CF so great, is that it allows anyone interested in Budbo, cannabis, and blockchain, to have the opportunity to invest in Budbo and get involved with the company,” said Luke Patterson, the company’s CEO.

 

Budbo is an innovative company that is changing the way the cannabis industry works. With their use of blockchain technology, they are helping customers verify the quality of the products being sold while also giving businesses valuable data about what products are being used in their area and users on what cannabis is right for them.

 

Regulation CF Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: Fist Assist

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Fist Assist Devices, LLC, a medical device company from Las Vegas, NV, is on a mission to increase and improve arm circulation around the world. As the brainchild of Dr. Tej Singh, a vascular, endovascular, and vascular access surgeon trained at Stanford University Hospital, First Assist aims to solve a common problem he saw in many patients needing focal arm circulation benefits. Currently, the Fist Assist is an FDA 510k Authorized, minimally invasive device that a patient would wear on their arms to increase focal arm blood flow and relieve pain. However, the company had also been designated  Breakthrough Device status by the FDA for potential arm vein dilation to assist the renal failure community (Formal FDA submission pending for this Indication ).

 

“Throughout my surgical training, first at the University of Chicago, then at Sanford University, I always thought there had to be a way to make a wearable device that could help patients with their veins, especially on the arms. The basic science, clinical science, and exercise science were all there. When we’re looking at arm veins, we’re thinking of patients who need those veins for their medical care, whether it’s for IV placement, chemotherapy access, or possible dialysis access. Arm veins are really important,” said Dr. Singh, CEO and Founder of Fist Assist. In one study, it was reported that 59.3% of highly complex patients exhibit difficult venous access, meaning that for these patients, who may have heart disease, liver failure, diabetes, or other chronic conditions, healthcare providers often have difficulty when attempting to start an IV or draw blood. This often causes pain and discomfort for the patient, as multiple attempts are often required before it can be successful. 

 

“Right now patients have limited choices to improve arm circulation. If they need a medical procedure and it requires access to their arm veins, they’re at the mercy of whatever arm veins they have that distend. If someone is active and they exercise, they probably have decent veins, but if someone doesn’t have good arm veins, there was nothing out there to help them except a compression ball,'” Dr. Singh added. He continues: “Our device is a battery-operated pneumatic focal compression device that you wear below your shoulder or elbow. It gives intermittent compression to your arm up to a pressure of 60 mmHg and can be worn for 1-2 hours a day to increase circulation and decrease present and future pain in your arm in America. In the rest of the world, it can do vein dilation and help with vascular access based on regulatory approvals,” said Dr. Singh.

 

Fist Assist is currently raising capital through RegCF to finance its future FDA submissions and commercialize its product and expand its availability through direct-to-consumer, direct-to-business, and direct to big box stores. The company is excited about its crowdfunding and its upcoming FDA submissions which Will allow more patients to have this device. Outside of the US, the device has been granted CE Mark and approved to sell in Europe, Canada, Australia, and India as an arm massager, a vein dilation device, and to assist dialysis.

 

Dr. Singh said “After being designated as an FDA Breakthrough for potential vein dilation to renal failure patients in December 2021,  we need to formally show the FDA the complete dataset for eventual DeNovo authorization for the renal failure community. If we clear the final FDA hurdles, one day these wearable devices will be marketed to increase arm vein size to help renal failure patients receive better care, meaning they’re able to get a fistula or get better dialysis because they have a better arm vein. That hopefully will translate into significant changes to the way physicians treat and care for renal failure patients with better outcomes and fewer costs. Helping the global community for improved arm blood circulation is our important Mission and its important”, added Dr. Singh

 

Regulation CF Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: FirstString

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

As father and son, Barry and Tyler Jones share a common goal of revolutionizing the job-seeking and hiring process. Together they founded FirstString, a career technology company that aims to reimagine the hiring process for collegiate athletes, to nurture the next generation of leaders in the workforce. FirstString was founded with the belief that an individual’s skills and professional assets go far deeper than a paper-thin resumé.

 

Barry Jones is a US Army veteran with over 20 years of experience in sales and business development. When he transitioned to civilian life and the corporate world, he first joined pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnston. Seeking to use his creativity to help businesses grow, Barry moved on to work with startup biotechnology companies. After working with startups for over a decade, Barry sought to apply his knowledge to the field of executive recruiting. However, he immediately realized there was something wrong with the way recruiting worked and decided to create an application that would be more efficient for all involved. “The recruiting industry is stuck in the 1990s, it’s so inefficient. I started to develop a mobile application; I had this vision of how it could work and how it could really make the recruiting system much more fair and efficient for everyone involved. Everybody wins,” said Barry of his motivation. 

 

At the same time that Barry was working as a recruiter, Tyler was a student at the University of Georgia, where he was a Division-1 collegiate athlete, running track and cross country. Through his years as a scholarship athlete and team captain, Tyler learned the importance of hard work, consistency, teamwork, discipline, and leadership. But, like many of the 480,000 other collegiate athletes across the US, the dedication toward athletic performance often leaves little time for meaningful summer jobs or internships that fill out a college grad’s resumé when applying to their first post-college job. “Their resumés are so thin, they can’t even compete with someone they sat next to in their chemistry class that got to do summer jobs or internships that lasted months,” added Barry.

 

“By the time I walked across the stage to receive my degree, I was still competing. People would ask me, ‘what are you going to do now?’ I would tell them I didn’t know because I didn’t have the time to really figure it out yet, I had been competing,” said Tyler. Post-graduation, Tyler jumped on the first job offer he received from a wealth management firm. “In the interview, they make it sound like it’s sunshine and rainbows. Quite frankly, I jumped the gun. I didn’t know what to expect or how to negotiate and the right questions to ask. I realized very quickly that being bolted behind a desk just wasn’t for me but I didn’t want to feel like a quitter so I stuck it through,” he added. And, as COVID-19 became a factor, Tyler experienced firsthand what it was like to feel exposed and helpless in a competitive job market. 

 

Having experienced the challenges of the hiring and job-seeking market, Barry and Tyler realized that many qualified and overlooked student-athlete candidates have extraordinary talents and passions for their work, so they worked to develop a system that would enable new college graduates to win job interviews far outside of their experience level but within their skill level. Together, their mission is to help college athletes identify the right career trajectory so that they can build fulfilling and rewarding careers.

 

As Tyler and Barry began to build FirstString, they had the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, and show that there is so much more to a job candidate than what is on their resumé. FirstString is the first mobile application that enables college athletes to connect, find jobs and internships, and train for success after college. 

 

With FirstString, employers can post jobs and internships and search for qualified candidates. Candidates can create a profile with a video introduction, skills, experiences, and references. This allows employers to get to know the candidate before even meeting them. It makes the hiring process more efficient by removing the outdated paper resumé and allowing student-athletes to display the leadership ability and other skills they bring to the table, even if they don’t have as much employment experience as some. 

 

The pair had several large investors in their app that they ultimately turned down because of unfavorable terms. However, having received significant interest in the app from day one from everyday people, the father-son team feels RegCF can be a very powerful capital-raising tool for them. This ability to find investors who are equally as passionate about their mission highlights what the JOBS Act is all about. With RegCF, they can offer equity in FirstString to anyone, not just wealthy accredited investors.

 

Barry and Tyler Jones are changing the game when it comes to job seeking and hiring for student-athletes. With FirstString, they are providing a platform for athletes to connect and find jobs. This is just the beginning for the Jones duo and their goal of easing the transition for college athletes from school to employment.

 

Regulation CF Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

 

KoreClient Spotlight: Stenergy

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

When Samuel and Leyla Butero decided to start their own business, they knew they had to offer a product that would make a difference in people’s lives, and with Stenergy, they hope to do just that. Stenergy is a health and wellness company that manufactures GluCora, a natural supplement that supports healthy glucose metabolism, and has received approval from Health Canada, the Canadian equivalent of the US Food and Drug Administration. In this recent interview, Samuel and Leyla shared their story of entrepreneurship and why they chose to do a Regulation CF campaign for their business.

 

Working as consultants for EastGate Biotech, a Canadian pharmaceutical company that creates insulin drug delivery technologies for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, Samuel and Leyla discovered GluCora, a product the pharmaceutical company had decided not to focus on while it developed its core product lines. Leyla, who has long struggled with blood sugar levels, saw the potential of the product and the couple negotiated a licensing agreement with EastGate to be the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of GluCora in the US, Canada, and Central and South America, with first rights to the rest of the world. 

 

The active ingredient of GluCora is the Banaba plant, native to Southeast Asia and known as the crepe myrtle tree in the US. Banaba produces corosolic acid and has demonstrated the ability to improve the metabolism of glucose. The plant has been used for hundreds of years in traditional medicines, but GluCora makes it available in a product that has been approved by the Canadian health regulatory agency and that is available over the counter. Samuel said: “That it’s been shown to be effective and do what it says it’s going to do is really important and we feel that sets us apart from a lot of other natural supplements. We’re not paying a doctor to do an infomercial and say that it works. That’s a very common marketing gimmick, in our opinion, that a lot of supplements use. Health Canada is a third-party, objective health agency from a country that is widely respected for healthcare.”

 

For both Samuel and Leyla, the journey with GluCora has been deeply personal. When Leyla was pregnant with the couple’s first daughter, doctors would tell her that she had high blood sugar, despite avoiding foods that would cause this. They felt an intense stigma–as soon as a doctor saw Leyla’s weight, the doctor would attribute it to poor eating habits and no exercise, even though that was an inaccurate assumption. “We started to do our due diligence and our research and felt that this was something experienced by a lot of women that were having this same issue. Doctors weren’t hearing them,” said Samuel. “With our second daughter, I gained 90 pounds, I had gestational diabetes, and I could not control the weight. No matter what I did, the weight was just coming on,” added Leyla. Additional issues continued post-partum and she sought the help of her doctor, who, unfortunately, was not listening to the concerns that Leyla expressed. “No one would hear me.” 

 

It was at this point that the couple discovered GluCora. “Leyla started taking GluCora and within two weeks, lost 14 pounds,” said Samuel. She was feeling better and had more energy, and the couple realized that bringing GluCora to market was something they would have to do themselves. “I had been doing side hustles before that was even a word,” Samuel said of their journey to become entrepreneurs. “I had also worked in venture capital and private equity for some time, so I knew what it took to put a business together. The number one thing I always noticed from the successes versus failures was that successful businesses have a revenue-generating product or service that is scalable and works. That’s what we feel we’ve discovered in GluCora. We know there’s demand out there from people who have no place to turn to.”

 

To further expand the company, Stenergy has opted to raise capital under the Regulation CF exemption. “The biggest attraction to Regulation CF was visibility and building an ecosystem of not only investors but potential consumers, giving a way to legitimately raise money and work with our investors who are not only excited about the company but a product that could change so many people’s lives,” Samuel finished.

 

By utilizing Reg CF, organizations like Stenergy can bring their product to market quickly and efficiently while interacting with their potential consumers. This provides a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs like Samuel and Leyla Butero to connect with their target market and get the funding they need to bring their products to life.

 

Regulation CF Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: Brent Fawson, COO of Facible

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Working at Facible, Brent Fawson believes that the company is poised to leave a lasting impact on lives around the world by making medical diagnostic testing more accessible. We sat down with Brent and talked to him about the medical industry, his company, and capital raising in the medical field.

Q: Tell me a little more about your company. How do you impact the Medtech space and the customers you serve?

A: Facible Diagnostics is a diagnostics company that uses our revolutionary Q-LAAD technology to take hospital-grade diagnostics out of the lab and to the point of care. Legacy diagnostic technologies often require a tradeoff between speed, accuracy, and ease of use. Q-LAAD technology enables the development of faster and more accurate diagnostic tests that are easier to run, and don’t require complex machinery so they can be run outside of a hospital laboratory making hospital-grade diagnostic testing available anywhere. It’s ideal for underserved and rural areas, urgent cares, physician’s offices or even the home.

Q: What excites you most about your industry?

A: I think with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, we have all seen the limitations with some of the legacy technology platforms. To have a revolutionary technology at the forefront of the industry is very exciting. I feel we are just scratching the surface of understanding and using medical data to improve our lives. There are companies out there, like Apple, that are beginning to use this data for research purposes. We can create richer data sets to understand and address big challenges we all face. With the COVID crisis, we have all seen not only current deficiencies in diagnostics, but also an unprecedented investment at the same time which will work to improve our lives.

Q: How do you see the LSI MedTech event having an impact on your company?

A: We are really excited to meet with like-minded people who understand the value a company like Facible can bring to the world through their partnership. We have a unique vision to offer investors and partners and love to collaborate and explore the endless possibilities of where our technology can go.

Q: Now that your company will be using Regulation A+ for your next offering, how do you see this helping your company?

A: A startup like Facible is always at risk of choosing the wrong funding pathway. Biotechnology development is expensive and it’s easy to start chasing money to keep the company going. You then run the risk of partnering with investors with different goals, objectives, and understanding of how best to use the funds provided.  We feel that because our technology is so revolutionary, we want to see our vision realized and Regulation A+ is the best path toward making that happen. This also is a great way to allow people that have supported us all along to finally be able to invest in our future.

Q: Why do you think education on RegA+ places such a vital role in expanding access to capital for medical companies?

A: Right now, there are very traditional ways to raise money. It’s such a well-worn path, it’s great to have these other alternate options out there and understand them. As we started looking at Reg A+ a couple of months ago, we knew nothing about it. It’s vital that entrepreneurs understand all of their options for capital to allow their company to be as successful as possible. Along with that, Reg A+ is so new that there are not many people that really understand how it works. It’s only through talking to people like Oscar (CEO, President, KoreConX) and Doug (Senior Principle, Regulation D Resources) that we have been able to understand it.

Q: What effect do you think Reg A can have on Medtech companies in general?

A: Medtech development is expensive. For a small company who has great ambition, amazing science, but few institutional connections it can be nearly impossible to fund a company. To have access to a broader capital market allows us to sell our vision directly to investors that understand and appreciate the impact that these emerging technologies can provide.

Q: What advice would you give a young Medtech entrepreneur as they begin their journey through capital raising and building their company?

A: You must have a good plan. You need to be willing to test your ideas with the right people so that you understand what value to bring. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with people who are willing to be critical. I have seen many companies try to move without fully vetting their vision. And beyond that, really try to understand what it’s going to take to bring your product to market. It’s an expensive and challenging process so make sure you go in with your eyes wide open.

Regulation A Disclaimer

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following apply:

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: Notarized.com

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Notarized.com is a company that provides on-demand traveling notary services nationwide to businesses and individuals, as well as offering remote online notarization services in a convenient and secure way to sign documents online. Their system is encrypted with the highest level of security, and all documents are certified and legally enforceable. Recently we spoke with Notarized.com CEO Omar Kubba about the company and what they hope to accomplish with their RegCF offering.

 

With a passionate team, Notarized.com wants to change how people view closings. Streamlining the notary order process, Notarized.com makes it easy for busy people to find a notary, schedule an appointment and get the job done quickly. Notarized.com also offers a cloud-based notary solution that is convenient and easy to use for scheduling a remote online notarization. This process protects your confidential information and electronic signature with encryption and offers a legally binding document. Customers can sign documents electronically from anywhere in the world at any time, or they can schedule a traveling notary on demand to come to them, documents in hand. 

 

A remote online notarization solution allows the entire document signing process to be seamlessly conducted in the cloud, eliminating paper, hassles, and wasted time while saving money. This is an excellent solution for title companies, independent escrows, real estate professionals, lenders, and attorneys.

 

Omar Kubba founded Notarized.com in December 2016. As a second-generation title professional with over 20 years of sales experience in the title insurance industry, Omar is a multiple award-winning sales executive ranked in the top 1% of title professionals in the nation. “My firsthand experience in the industry highlighted inefficiencies that could be solved with a signing solution. I started the company to create a better process,” said Kubba. Notarized.com has been entirely self-funded since its inception in 2016. Notarized.com only began the journey of capital raising because they have an extensive plan to expand the company to serve their clients better. “Because of what we were trying to offer, we decided to raise capital to bring that dream to fruition,” said Omar.

 

In the future, Notarized.com aims to expand its product and service offerings to clients, increasing the number of verticals it operates under. In their roadmap is a complete overhaul of the online notarization experience to include a sophisticated, innovative, and revolutionary remote, online notarization platform, and mobile app, a secure e-signature solution, nationwide deed preparation software engine, a Notarized.com certified training program for notaries, and a contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform that empowers users to manage every stage of business contracts, among other additions to its suite of capabilities. 

 

To help achieve these goals and facilitate the capital raising process, Notarized.com has contracted 21st Century Capital to guide them through the process of capital growth. With 20+ years of capital experience, 21st Century Capital has a track record of delivering results to the companies they work with. 

 

Notarized.com has chosen to raise the capital for its expansion via the crowdfunding provisions of the JOBS Act and is using the KoreConX All-In-One Platform. “Notarized.com has an opportunity to present itself to a huge group of worldwide investors and let these people get in on the ground floor. While I still raise capital the traditional way, [RegCF] has changed my way of thinking about raising capital,” said David Bernard, Notarized.com advisor.

 

Regulation CF Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following applies:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: Durable Energy

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Durable Energy is on a mission to expand access to renewable energy and electric vehicle (EV) charging across the country. Partnered with  dealerships, parts companies, and other key service providers in the automotive industry, Durable Energy is decentralizing energy so everyone can have access to clean energy and offset their utility bills. We recently spoke with Xavone Charles and Anastasia Rivodeaux about the mission of Durable Energy and how Reg CF is helping them get there. 

 

Improving EV Infrastructure with Durable Energy

 

Currently, 60.8% of all electricity in the US is generated from fossil fuels. The output of this electricity production is 1.55 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, which contributes significantly to global climate change. Renewable energy only accounts for 20.1% of the total energy produced, in part because of its perceived cost.  So increasing the accessibility and affordability of renewable energy sources can help to make renewables more competitive, thus reducing reliance on carbon-heavy sources. That’s the vision of Durable Energy, a company dedicated to transitioning the way we live, starting with EV.

 

Durable Energy believes in a 3 step plan to achieve its goal of energy decentralization:

 

  1. They are focusing on creating more renewable energy-powered EV charging stations in the nation, not only in the city but in rural locations and at businesses like dealerships. This will help increase the number of EVs on the road and provide people with a place to charge their vehicles when they are away from home.
  2. They are working to offset the amount of energy produced by solar so that it can be stored and used when the sun isn’t shining. This will help to make renewable energy more reliable and allow it to be used even when, and where, the weather isn’t cooperating. While southwestern states may have an abundance of sunlight, with this technology, that energy can be stored and transferred to the East Coast, where they have more of a need for it.
  3. Hydrogen systems are the future of cars and homes. By focusing on hydrogen fuel cells, Durable Energy will be able to provide a clean and renewable source of energy that can power both homes and vehicles. This will help to reduce reliance on fossil fuels as well as help reduce emissions from cars and trucks.

 

Changing EV with Reg CF

 

With Durable Energy, any dealership can open its own charging facility for private and public use. People could pay for a membership to have a certain amount of energy per month. “We are a part of a global transition. Everyone in the renewable energy space is trying to figure out how to tackle this large hurdle. Through Regulation CF, the end users who benefit from this technology can be a part of this as well,” said Xavone Charles from Durable Energy.

 

Through RegCF, Durable Energy can connect with the end user who will be using these products, enabling them to become early investors in the very infrastructure that they will utilize. “The existing grid is pretty much a monopoly. We’re building the new grid, the new infrastructure, and the new principles, and we want people to be a part of it. Our goal is to make EV transition in the US possible,” said Anastasia Rivodeaux of Durable Energy.

 

Regulation CF Disclaimer

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation CF under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following apply:

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

 

KoreClient Spotlight: Bruce Lewis of BulletID

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Bruce Lewis is a serial entrepreneur who has had his share of successes and failures. He is now 82 years old and has started a new company that he’s made his life’s mission. Through this venture, BulletID, Lewis aims to reduce gun violence by tracking ammunition. We recently got to sit down and speak with him about his work with BulletID and how JOBS Act regulations will help his company grow.

 

With his years of experience growing companies and his entrepreneurial spirit, Bruce Lewis is confident that BulletID will be able to make a difference in the fight against gun violence. Lewis is no stranger to hard work and determination, and he hopes his latest venture will be successful in positively impacting the world. As an entrepreneur since childhood, Lewis has always had a knack for starting and scaling businesses. He has tried various ventures, some of which have been more successful than others. However, he has never given up and always maintained the entrepreneurial spirit he received from his father and grandfather. 

 

One of Lewis’ earliest and most successful businesses came from a restaurant equipment supply company that he owned and operated after he married his high school sweetheart. By acquiring the 45 companies that supplied his restaurant supply company with unique products, Lewis was able to create a company that would eventually grow to 100 million in sales and over 1,000 employees by 1988. One of these companies was an early adopter of placing UPC barcodes on items, and his partners put it out in the rest of the world, while Lewis implemented it in Canada. BulletID would eventually utilize this barcode concept. 

 

Lewis was devastated after hearing the heartbreaking story about a four-year-old killed by a stray bullet at a birthday party; he knew he had to make a difference. In 2016, Lewis started BulletID to reduce gun violence by tracking ammunition using the same barcode technology originally designed to let supermarkets better manage their inventory. Through this company, law enforcement and military personnel can instantly track essential information about a bullet, such as inventory, ownership history, manufacturer, and type. This is done through a barcode printed into the brass cartridge. With this information, it will be easier for authorities to trace a bullet back to its owner and determine if it was used in a crime. Additionally, it makes it easier for the military to track their ammunition, especially when hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ammo is scrapped each year because of poor tracking capabilities. With BulletID, the process is as easy as scanning the cartridge on a smartphone, and from anywhere in the world, law enforcement and military can see available details within 10 seconds. 

 

“Criminals never leave the gun behind, but they do leave the shell cases behind. A homicide detective can scan [the casing] and it tells them who owns it. It’s a miracle but it works,” said Lewis of how BulletID can be used by law enforcement. Lewis hopes that by tracking ammunition, law enforcement and military personnel will be able to reduce gun violence by keeping ammunition out of the hands of criminals or easily identifying suspects in a gun-related incident. 

 

Lewis is hopeful that BulletID will successfully make a positive impact on the world and plans to make this his mission for the rest of his life. He, and his team, are filled with energy and excitement for what they’re building. And, with the help of JOBS Act regulations like Reg A+, BulletID continues to raise the necessary capital to accomplish this goal. As he says, “the technology is there. Governments just need to embrace the technology.”

 

Regulation A Disclaimer

 

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following apply:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: Peter Kassel, CEO and Co-Founder of HealthySole

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Peter Kassel is the CEO and co-founder of Healthysole, a remover of 99.99% of infectious bacteria, viruses, and spores that are tracked on your shoes. As the co-founder of HealthySole Peter has been with the company for its entire journey, which began in 2011. We recently sat down with Peter to discuss his company, the growing Medtech space, and the use of capital raising in this field.

Q: Tell me a little about your experience, company, and your company’s impact on clients and the Medtech space.

A: I have been working in the Medtech space for ten years as CEO and co-founder of Healthysole. Ten years ago, my family started this company on the simple concept that shoes and floors are dirty. We are now hoping to make a significant impact on the Medtech space. My family and I decided to address this issue when a family member acquired a near-fatal infection during a standard medical procedure. While Hospital Acquired Infections and Infection Control are prevalent issues, we found that shoes and floors were regularly overlooked as potential contributors to the problem.

Once we pivoted our product towards the Medtech and healthcare space, top leaders in the field contacted us to test their hypothesis and push the narrative of better protecting the patient and healthcare provider. We see that there is greater value and response for this product within the healthcare setting and beyond. We view the product as simple as washing your hands for the soles of your shoes. When people wash their hands with greater frequency, the environmental presence of pathogens decreases; HealthySole PLUS safely and unobtrusively applies the same principle, only to the soles of shoes in just 8 seconds. This helps limit the pathogens on one of the dirtiest parts of a hospital, shoes. HealthySole can be implemented to lower the amount of infectious pathogens responsible for hospital-acquired infections by addressing and limiting pathogens on your soles.

Q: What excites you most about the sector?

A: It’s one of these examples of a market sector where innovation has very little potential of downside. When working in the Medtech space, you’re trying to improve the experience of patients and healthcare professionals while lowering the chance of infection, better preventing illness, and reducing the spread of germs in facilities.

Q: How do you see the LSI Medtech event having an impact on your company?

A: We have been around for ten years. Once we proved out the device and had momentum, we felt we had a viable tool. Groups that adopted our product to deal with disease infection rates from patient to provider saw the benefits. At the very same time, all these world-shattering events kept occuring, putting a startup like ours at a disadvantage. When we want to put out our results, there’s lots of international news and we are unable to rise above the noise. LSI gives us the opportunity to speak directly to the medical community at large about the threat shoes and floors pose and how HealthySole PLUS can easily and effectively address it.

Q: Now that your company will be using Reg A+ for your next offering, how do you see it impacting your company?

A: It’s night and day. Medtech companies have a very hard time raising money, you need the talent to sell it, but you also need capital to support those sales efforts. Capital is needed for manufacturing at a greater scale, international advertising, researching, and Reg A+ helps us do all these things.

Q: Why do you think education on topics like regulation A+ play such a vital role in expanding access to capital for Medtech.

A: Every human interacts with a medical device, in a multitude of ways, numerous times throughout their life. Medicine is something every human must encounter. As a society, we want better outcomes, and this will never stop. We see during unprecedented events like COVID that the healthcare systems are incomplete. They work during times of calm, but can find it difficult to adapt to rapid change. Investing in a simple, yet effective product within the Medtech space provides an excellent prospect for investors, giving them the opportunity to financially benefit while changing the world of medicine to improve health outcomes all around the world.

Q: How do you see Regulation A+ impacting Medtech companies?

A: I see it transforming medicine as we know it. Medical innovations such as products, procedures and software come with a high cost and a number of difficult regulatory hurdles, leading to large investors’ hesitancy. With Reg A+, we can spread the risk and the reward so the general population can put their money towards a future they want to see. I see the renewed access to capital and alongside the ability for everyday investors to invest in products they believe in, changing the medical industry for years to come.

Q: What advice would you give a young MedTech entrepreneur as they begin their journey through capital raising and building their company?

A: It’s similar to being an entrepreneur in any company. You will need more capital than you expect because the world of medicine moves very slowly. Anything you do will take three times longer, and if it takes three times longer, it will be three times more expensive as well.

 

Regulation A Disclaimer

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following apply:

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: Dr. Joseph McGinley, Founder and CEO of McGinley Orthopedics

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Joseph C. McGinley. M.D., Ph.D. is a highly accomplished musculoskeletal intervention and sports medicine physician with over 15 years of experience in the field. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Physiology and an MD from Temple University. He completed both his residency and fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. McGinley became the founder and CEO of McGinley Orthopedics, a company that designs, develops, markets, and sells orthopedic medical devices.

We recently sat down with Dr. Joseph McGinley to ask him about his company, the industry’s future, and raising capital for a Medtech company today.

Q: Can you tell me a little about your experience, your company, and your company’s effect on patients and the Medtech space?

A: My background is originally in mechanical engineering and I then went on to obtain a  medical degree and Ph.D.. Following that, I attended Stanford University for both my residency and fellowship in musculoskeletal radiology. After my fellowship, I transitioned into private practice in Casper, Wyoming, where I reside today. My passion for problem-solving and engineering inspired us to create our products. The idea was founded and conceptualized at a dinner meeting with colleagues when I was still in medical training. A surgeon was discussing a case about a teenager with a wrist injury. To repair it,  a screw was inserted, and it inadvertently plunged the bone, subsequently tearing the tendon on the far side of the bone. He reported that due to the inaccuracies of the depth measuring process, surgeries may result in incorrect screw sizes.  We knew if we placed sensor technology in the surgical tools, we could improve the surgical outcomes and reduce the occurrence of these all too frequent results.

The current standard of care when in orthopedic plate and screw surgeries is to manually measure depth and “feel” when to stop on the far side of the bone. This process is prone to errors that can be costly and impact patient outcomes. The IntelliSense Drill Technology® improves the level of care by putting sensors in the tools that simultaneously measures depth, telling the surgeon what size screw to use and has auto-stop features to help prevent plunging past the bone.  It makes it easier for the surgeon to expedite the procedure and improve the patient’s care level. The IntelliSense Drill® has been on the market for 7 years and is currently being used in operating rooms across the country.  As a company, we have continued to create products with the mission to improve the standard of care in orthopedic surgeries. Today our company boasts of over 137 patents in various stages of development.

Q: What excited you the most about this sector?

A: For me personally, it is all about making a difference in patient care. As a physician, we usually help patients on a one-on-one basis. Technology such as the IntelliSense Drill ® improves patient care and outcomes on a much larger scale impacting patient care worldwide. Many of us at some point may also find ourselves on the other side of that care. It is great to help provide a solution to enhance many lives globally.

Q: How do you see the upcoming LSI Medtech event having an impact on your company? 

A: We’re excited to be back at LSI. Last year was our first time attending the meeting, and we met many interesting people in diverse business sectors. It made us think about our company, improve ideas, and how to best set up success. There are a lot of innovators at the conference and I have learned from their expertise. We will use the platform of LSI to reach a variety of unique investors that can help change the standard of orthopedic care and improve the quality of care given to patients with their investment. All our investors are part of our team, and we are looking to tap into the experience of those involved. We are also excited to have a platform to share and get the word out about our products. Because we are addressing a real need in orthopedics, we know our message and goals will resonate with many in attendance.

Q: Since you are using Regulation A+ for your next offering, how do you see that fundraising style impacting your company?

A: We are new to Regulation A+. This opportunity will give us access to a broad investor base and allow us to promote our products on a larger scale. We are excited to share our products with new investors through this platform. Reg A+ allows for us to raise capital without losing control of the company.  It is an exciting time at McGinley Orthopedics. The influx of funding into our company will afford us the opportunity to grow and reach more patients with our technology. The funds will not only benefit our current technologies but allow us to bring to market numerous additional products in our pipeline.

Q: Why do you think education on the topic of Reg A+ plays such a vital role in expanding access to Medtech companies?

A: Until recently, I did not have a full understanding of Reg A+ and how it could help our company. I am excited to share what I have learned about its benefits to educate other companies about this approach. In the investment world, we are not used to a privately held company being able to solicit on a large scale. This approach levels the playing field while benefiting the company and the investor by eliminating the middleman. It has also opened doors to additional resources that I know would benefit other medtech companies.

Q: How do you see Reg A+ impacting the Medtech industry?

A: I think we are at the tip of the iceberg regarding Reg A+ in the Medtech industry. It gives companies the ability to access capital in an early stage a lot more easily. I think we will see an increase in adoption and a shift in private equity to Reg A+ in the future. You will see companies like ours reap the benefits, and it’s great for the entrepreneurial world.

Q: What advice would you give a young Medtech entrepreneur as they begin their journey through capital raising and building their company?

A: I would say it’s hard, and it requires dedication. If you want to be successful, you must think outside traditional approaches. Don’t eliminate any possibility and think of what works best for you. There is no easy path to success. We are an innovative company and sought unique ways to innovate while raising capital.  We innovate with our products, innovate with our sales, and innovate with how we raise capital including this new approach with Reg A+. It will be hard work, but hard work is part of the journey. Try to get varying perspectives, understand the pros and cons, and do what is best for your company.

 

Regulation A Disclaimer

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following apply:

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: Brent Fawson, COO of Facible

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Working at Facible, Brent Fawson believes that the company is poised to leave a lasting impact on lives around the world by making medical diagnostic testing more accessible. We sat down with Brent and talked to him about the medical industry, his company, and capital raising in the medical field.

 

Q: Tell me a little more about your company. How do you impact the Medtech space and the customers you serve?

A: Facible Diagnostics is a diagnostics company that uses our revolutionary Q-LAAD technology to take hospital-grade diagnostics out of the lab and to the point of care. Legacy diagnostic technologies often require a tradeoff between speed, accuracy, and ease of use. Q-LAAD technology enables the development of faster and more accurate diagnostic tests that are easier to run, and don’t require complex machinery so they can be run outside of a hospital laboratory making hospital-grade diagnostic testing available anywhere. It’s ideal for underserved and rural areas, urgent cares, physician’s offices or even the home.

 

Q: What excites you most about your industry?

A: I think with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, we have all seen the limitations with some of the legacy technology platforms. To have a revolutionary technology at the forefront of the industry is very exciting. I feel we are just scratching the surface of understanding and using medical data to improve our lives. There are companies out there, like Apple, that are beginning to use this data for research purposes. We can create richer data sets to understand and address big challenges we all face. With the COVID crisis, we have all seen not only current deficiencies in diagnostics, but also an unprecedented investment at the same time which will work to improve our lives. 

 

Q: How do you see the LSI MedTech event having an impact on your company?

A: We are really excited to meet with like-minded people who understand the value a company like Facible can bring to the world through their partnership. We have a unique vision to offer investors and partners and love to collaborate and explore the endless possibilities of where our technology can go.   

 

Q: Now that your company will be using Regulation A+ for your next offering, how do you see this helping your company?

A: A startup like Facible is always at risk of choosing the wrong funding pathway. Biotechnology development is expensive and it’s easy to start chasing money to keep the company going. You then run the risk of partnering with investors with different goals, objectives, and understanding of how best to use the funds provided.  We feel that because our technology is so revolutionary, we want to see our vision realized and Regulation A+ is the best path toward making that happen. This also is a great way to allow people that have supported us all along to finally be able to invest in our future.

 

Q: Why do you think education on RegA+ places such a vital role in expanding access to capital for medical companies?

A: Right now, there are very traditional ways to raise money. It’s such a well-worn path, it’s great to have these other alternate options out there and understand them. As we started looking at Reg A+ a couple of months ago, we knew nothing about it. It’s vital that entrepreneurs understand all of their options for capital to allow their company to be as successful as possible. Along with that, Reg A+ is so new that there are not many people that really understand how it works. It’s only through talking to people like Oscar (CEO, President, KoreConX) and Doug (Senior Principle, Regulation D Resources) that we have been able to understand it.

 

Q: What effect do you think Reg A can have on Medtech companies in general?

A: Medtech development is expensive. For a small company who has great ambition, amazing science, but few institutional connections it can be nearly impossible to fund a company. To have access to a broader capital market allows us to sell our vision directly to investors that understand and appreciate the impact that these emerging technologies can provide.  

 

Q: What advice would you give a young Medtech entrepreneur as they begin their journey through capital raising and building their company?

A: You must have a good plan. You need to be willing to test your ideas with the right people so that you understand what value to bring. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with people who are willing to be critical. I have seen many companies try to move without fully vetting their vision. And beyond that, really try to understand what it’s going to take to bring your product to market. It’s an expensive and challenging process so make sure you go in with your eyes wide open.  

 

Regulation A Disclaimer

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following apply:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;

 

  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;

 

  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and 

 

  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

KoreClient Spotlight: Manny Villafaña, CEO and Founder of Medical21

Posted on by Oscar Jofre

Manny Villafaña has a long track record of innovation in the medtech space, delivering solutions to improve cardiac care and surgical procedures. In his latest venture, Manny is creating a product that will change the way cardiac bypass surgeries are performed, improving patient outcomes.

 

We sat down with Manny to discuss his company, the medtech space, and how Reg A+ is helping Medical 21 raise money.

 

Q: Can you tell me a little about your company and how it impacts customers and the industry as a whole?

 

A: Medical 21 is the 8th company in a series of companies that I have formed since 1972. The first company I started was a company that made the first long-life pacemakers and was called CPI/Guidant, which was eventually sold to Boston Scientific. Each company has been focused on improving the technologies used in caring for cardiac patients.

 

Medical 21 has developed a small diameter coronary artery graft to be used in heart bypass surgery. Instead of harvesting blood vessels from a patient’s legs, arms, and chest, we developed this synthetic graft. Rather than pulling the needed vessel from elsewhere in the body, surgeons can pull it out of a package. This is an enormous market, larger than all the pacemakers, heart valves, and defibrillators combined. We are at the stage where we are seeking regulatory approvals to begin clinical trials domestically and internationally. 

 

Q: Besides not having to harvest blood vessels, what is the benefit of this synthetic graft?

 

A: Medical 21’s technology helps doctors not need to open up a patient’s body to take vessels out of the legs or arms during bypass surgery. For the patients, this can reduce pain while decreasing infections, and saving the hospital time and money. As a result, more patients can be safely treated in less time.

 

Q: How did you get into creating products for the cardiology field?

 

A: I answered an ad in the papers in the early ’60s for medical sales put out by the world’s largest x-ray company, Picker X-Ray. Their subsidiary, Picker International, was an export agent for small American companies exporting pulmonary, cardiac, and x-ray products. One of the products I was involved with was pacemakers made by Medtronic. Three years later, Medtronic’s CEO flew to New York and hired me.  I began to learn more and more about the heart through the transfer. With a history of heart attacks in my family, I’ve always been interested in the heart and was personally motivated since my father and brothers died from heart attacks. I am also self-taught. When I see a problem, I go after it. I am always aiming to create a product that can help others.

 

Q: What excites you most about this space you are in?

 

A: This is the most exciting work we’ve ever done because it covers so many people, surgeons, and types of surgeries. Our present work is focused on cardiac bypass, but the graft has the potential to be used throughout the body for a variety of applications. With about 800,000 to 1 million bypass surgeries on the heart each year and each patient receiving 3 to 4 grafts, there is a huge market where we can take care of so many patients globally. We are fortunate; because of our track record in the cardiac space, surgeons across the globe are excited to help us. We’re developing a product that’s incredibly needed.

 

Q: How do you see the LSI MedTech event having an impact on your company?

 

A: We were honored to be invited to the conference by Scott Pantel and his team. At the conference, there will be the best selection of financial people and young entrepreneurs looking to learn what the next step is. We are also bringing in one of our advisors, formerly with the Mayo Clinic, to talk about what is happening in the medtech field and what we are doing at Medical21. It’s an excellent opportunity for our company.

 

Q: Why do you think education on the topic of Regulation A+ plays such a vital role in expanding access to capital for MedTech companies?

 

A: In the environment of the 21st century, we must see how we can reach a wider audience for both financial needs and tap into the market of people who want to participate but are excluded by traditional private funding routes. Historically, these people could not invest until the company went public, leaving them unable to get in at an earlier stage. This provides everyday people the ability to invest in technology in the medtech space that will impact many people globally, especially when health is such a personal matter. The government gave these investors the ability to participate from the beginning, whether they were accredited or non-accredited individuals.

 

Q: Now that your company is using Regulation A+, how do you see that helping your company, and what impact do you think Reg A+ will have on other medtech companies?

 

A: We need capital, and it’s not easy to initially jump to IPO’s, even though I’ve done seven previous IPOs. Reg A+ can allow us to raise enough money to begin clinical trials. Reg A+ is a step in a company’s financing as it grows, and a successful offering shows that your company can get it done and raise a large sum of money by reaching a large audience. RegA+ is essential for the future of the medical device industry because medical companies need financing for an extended period of time before the product is approved and sold. Before it can get to the point of sales, medtech relies on private investors for development and clinical trials of life-saving products. 

 

Q: What advice would you give a young medtech entrepreneur as they begin their journey through capital raising and building their company?

 

A: I often give a talk entitled “The Trials and Tribulations of the Entrepreneur.” I offer many bits of advice, and one of those is that before you even begin, you need to overcome simple life challenges to become an entrepreneur. In the medtech space, you have to be a “superman or superwoman” because, in addition to developing new technology, you need to do clinical trials in a risk-averse regulatory environment that makes things difficult. However, at the same time, risk must be taken. The greatest hazard in life is not taking risks; you cannot achieve anything if you don’t take risks!  Thank you! Manny

 

Regulation A Disclaimer

This communication may be deemed to be a solicitation of interest under Regulation A under the Securities Act of 1933, in which case the following apply:

 

  • No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted;
  • No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of its acceptance given after the qualification date;
  • A person’s indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind; and 
  • An offering statement, which would include a preliminary offering circular, has not yet been filed with the SEC.

 

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