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Regenerus supports innovative crowdfunding platform

A Liverpool-based entrepreneur has launched a crowdfunding platform with a difference in the city.

Annie O’Toole of Juxdit, who normally helps companies with their online crowdfunding strategies and campaigns, recently staged Merseyside’s first-ever offline crowdfunding equivalent, sponsored by the Plus Dane Group via its Making Business Work programme.

This event – promoted as a ‘lock-in’ under the banner of ‘The Real Life Crowdfunding Company’ – was held at the Constellations venue in Liverpool’s Baltic Creative area

It brought together city companies and individuals looking to invest in new opportunities with three small businesses looking for financial support to get them off the ground.

It was attended by a number of well-known businesses including Parr Street Studios, Sound City, Phom and Agent Marketing.

According to Annie O’Toole the evening proved a major success, with all three would-be entrepreneurs who pitched at the event leaving with the seed funding they required.

She said: “I’m delighted at how well the lock-in went. It proved that our community wants to support and fund smaller businesses and projects.

“It reinforces my belief that by bringing potential funders and small businesses together in the same room we’re creating relationships that are stronger, longer lasting and more beneficial to everyone involved”

Juxdit itself has received advice from award-winning, Bootle-based business support agency, Regenerus.

Chief Executive, Cate Murphy, said: “We believe that Juxdit has filled an important gap in the market by helping local businesses to perfect their pitches to crowdfunding sires, and we’ve already linked Annie up to some of our other clients.

“Now the company has gone one step further with an offline version of their core service which we believe has a great future.”

Annie O’Toole added that following the very positive response to the inaugural lock-in, Juxdit will be looking to organise further similar events and to expand the scope of its operation to other cities.

“it’s clear that there is a real demand for events that link up ‘the crowd’ with those people seeking some pump-priming to get them off the ground,” she said.