Celebrating 200 Charts: Kingscrowd’s Community Investment Trends

CHART OF THE WEEK 📈

By Teddy Lyons | Read

This is Kingscrowd’s 200th Chart of the Week! We would like to thank our subscribers for continuing to engage with our content. To commemorate, we take a look back at the most popular raises that Kingscrowd users have invested in. All of this data was anonymized and aggregated. No private individual portfolios were looked at.

• StartEngine leads the way with our users with $1.42M invested. StartEngine has raised 9 (!) times in the equity crowdfunding market and is a juggernaut in the space. In total, 624 Kingscrowd users are investors in StartEngine.

• We at Kingscrowd are proud that many of our investors are also our customers. In total, $1.15M investments into Kingscrowd by our users has been tracked.

• Monogram is a high-profile ECF company given that it IPOed in May 2023 and was also popular with Kingscrowd users, raising $704k with 322 investors. The company develops surgical robotic arms for knee and hip replacement surgeries.

• LiquidPiston, creating next-gen combustion engines, had nearly $700k in investments across 248 Kingscrowd users.

• Knightscope, one of the first IPO darlings of the ECF industry, raised $682k over 248 investors.

• Finally, Wefunder, the other leading crowdfunding platform, raised $584k over 263 investors. 

• Future Cardia, Unbanked, and R3 Printing raised $315k, $238k, and $183k, respectively, from KC users.

See below for our investment teams’s analysis on our latest roundtable 👇️

INVESTMENT ROUNDTABLE

By Sam Fiske / Watch

This week on the Kingscrowd Investment Roundtable:

• We unveil our 200th chart, revealing the most popular startup investments among Kingscrowd users.

• We break down key updates to Elemeno Health, including new leadership, VC funding, and what investors should know about liquidation preferences.

PITCH REVIEW 💸

By Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau \ Deal Report

Brief: Lodestone Biomedical develops implantable biosensors that provide real-time data on tumor changes, helping cancer researchers accelerate drug discovery. By offering continuous monitoring, these biosensors address the inefficiencies of traditional methods, which are often slow and lack timely insights. This technology enables researchers and pharmaceutical companies to make faster, data-driven decisions, enhancing the development of effective cancer treatments.

Key People: Lodestone Biomedical is led by CEO Solomon Diamond, a Dartmouth engineering professor with over 20 years of experience in biomedical research and product development, driving the company's technological advancements. Director of Immunology Arti Gaur, an expert in cancer biology and biomarkers, leads preclinical studies, while Director of Nanotechnology Hye Jung Han, PhD, specializes in biomaterials and nanoparticle development for Lodestone's biosensor technology.

Summary

Here's what we like: Lodestone Biomedical can take advantage of the $2.5 billion U.S. drug discovery market, which is expanding at 14.9% annually due to increasing demand for advanced cancer research tools and personalized medicine. The company’s real-time tumor monitoring technology aligns with these trends, offering a unique competitive advantage through implantable biosensors that provide continuous, real-time data on tumor changes. This specialization strengthens Lodestone’s appeal to research institutions and pharmaceutical companies.

The company has secured partnerships and funding from prestigious institutions like Dartmouth and Yale, validating its technology and establishing a strong foundation for growth. Lodestone has generated $2.6 million in revenue from NIH and CRI-funded projects, demonstrating its ability to attract significant financial backing and drive product development. The company raises at a reasonable valuation of $12.5 million.

Financially, Lodestone reported a 102.77% year-over-year revenue increase, growing from $472k to $957k. While its current cash position indicates the need for additional capital, Lodestone’s partnerships, niche market positioning, and revenue growth highlight its ability to capitalize on market opportunities and effectively scale operations

Here's what we don't: An investment in Lodestone Biomedical at this stage is still a risky bet. The biosensor market is highly competitive, with established players like Nanostring and Luminex commanding larger market shares and customer bases, creating substantial barriers to entry.

Leadership concerns also arise, as the part-time role of the CEO may impact strategic decision-making and operational efficiency, hindering the company's ability to adapt to market demands. Additionally, Lodestone relies heavily on a few key partnerships, making it vulnerable to potential disruptions in these relationships. Expanding its customer base beyond niche markets will be critical for long-term sustainability.

Financially, Lodestone's limited cash position of $430k and a monthly burn rate of $60k raise concerns about its ability to sustain operations without securing additional capital. This funding gap could stall product development and growth.

LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS

Would you invest in Cube Click?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👍 (13)

 🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 👎 (9)

22 Votes

INSIDE STARTUP INVESTING

This week, Chris talks to the founders of Meat N' Bone, a company that's redefining the meat retail industry. Learn how co-founders Luis Mata and Gabriel Llaurado are leveraging their unique omnichannel strategy to deliver unparalleled quality and variety directly to your kitchen.

STAFF PICKS 🌶️

Blind Barrels

Blind Barrels connects whiskey enthusiasts to exclusive, hard-to-find craft whiskeys through curated tasting kits. The company offers a unique double-blind tasting experience featuring rare whiskeys sourced from their native states and selected by renowned critic Fred Minnick.

• Valuation Cap: $10 million

• Minimum Investment: $100

AquiPor

AquiPor specializes in permeable pavement technology, offering sustainable solutions for urban stormwater management. Serving municipalities, developers, and contractors, the company addresses issues like runoff, pollution, and infrastructure strain caused by impermeable surfaces. AquiPor’s innovative pavement allows rainwater to pass through, reducing flooding, replenishing groundwater, and supporting environmental sustainability while alleviating urban stormwater challenges.

• Pre-Money Valuation: $55.5 million

• Minimum Investment: $498

Better U

Better U provides holistic treatments for mental and physical health challenges, including talk therapy, ketamine-assisted therapy, clinical weight loss, sexual health, and functional medicine. The company addresses the growing need for effective mental health solutions, offering rapid relief through innovative therapies like ketamine-assisted treatment. By combining quick symptom improvement with comprehensive care, Better U empowers individuals to overcome mental health struggles and enhance their overall well-being.

• Pre-Money Valuation: $29.9 million

• Minimum Investment: $245

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