Vice And Heura they have little and much in common. One acts as an alternative to the other, and yet both startups companies that have turned to their clients to attract investments. Both used the same platform to launch marketing campaigns. crowdfunding that make small investors participants in their growth. Heura reached almost 3.4 million euros with contributions from 20 euros. vice leaders 1.5 million after 48 hours.

Heura is run A meat company that produces meat alternative products with 100% vegetable production. Founded in 2017, it has managed to sell its products in 20 countries around the world, and the turnover 31.4 million euros in 2022, 80% more than the previous year. By 2023, the plant-based protein company expects to achieve profitability and double-digit growth.

In less than a year, the company closed several funding rounds. In the latter, the brand wanted to turn fans into investors, and the success was resounding. So much so that it interested 3600 investors, with an average investment of almost 950 euros. But did Eura need to resort to crowdfunding? “Round crowdfunding It’s about building connections with your community and a marketing tool,” he notes. Jose Luis Antunesentrepreneurship expert.

Vice is a hamburger restaurant owned by 2019 MasterChef winner Alex Puig. The company positions itself as a “digital restaurant” and “as something cool that fits and feels comfortable in contrasts, both on the street and at a gala party.” : cheesy but elegant. According to data from crowdcubethe platform he used for his campaign crowdfundingin 2022 issued an invoice for 19 million euros and an operating profit of 98,000 euros.

Independent contacted both companies, but neither had responded to the paper’s questions as of press time.

These new ways of seeking funding are in response to the fact that investments in startups at the end of 2022, it slowed down. In the first quarter of 2023, performance improved compared to the end of last year, but investment is still weak. According to the Bankinter Innovation Foundation, the total investment in the first three months of 2023 amounted to €742.75 millionrepresenting an increase of 8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2022 (687.6 million), but a significant decrease of 40% compared to the first quarter of 2022 (1,226.9 million).

Jose Carlos RomeroProgram director startups from Fundación Innovación Bankinter, explains that this drop compared to the previous year is due to the fact that foreign investors are “little active”. In fact, this segment decreased by 40.7% compared to the previous year. Romero notes that this drop in investment is due to the fact that “we have come out of a period of very strong growth”, moreover, 2021 was a historical record year. Moreover, the lack of investment in startups in the USA, the cradle of digital entrepreneurship, this has also had an impact on Spain, although the ecosystems are different. Fundación Innovación Bankinter Startup Program Director is optimistic and assures that when the economic situation clears up, there will be more investment.

As to how they were funded Heura and WeissRomero explains that this is a way to accelerate growth and even “make it harder for competitors.” He adds that they get exponential growth, as opposed to the more linear growth they get with conventional funding. And the recognition of these two companies with this form of financing was very high. After 23 minutes, Vice got 100% of a million what was asked at least, although the round goes up to 4 million. Heura was also looking for this million, which he received in a few hours.

Antunes thinks these are “good numbers” and notes that, as with Heura, “these are two companies that have external funding that allows them to operate with some stability.” “Both recently raised capital, and the investment round crowdfunding is to strengthen ties with your community and a tool for marketing“, Add. Statement you agree with Enric Serradell-Lopez, Professor of Economics and Business Studies of the UOC: “This strategy positions the brand as more modern. They’re food companies, and that’s how they communicate freshness.”

Serradell-Lopez explains that these companies have already been funded by large investors, and that this way of financing also helps do something more democratic and interest your customers. “Everything fits into this strategy. They do not lose touch with the strongest investors, but keep their finger on the pulse of the small ones,” the professor of the UOC notes.

In fact, Antunes rules out that they resorted to crowdfunding of necessity. “Despite the political and economic situation, access to venture capital is still relatively easy,” he says. Thus, although the data show some slowdown in investment in startups, other sources in the sector agree with Antunes. This is the case Alex Mahavecompany general manager run BookyPets, having achieved an €820,000 capital increase in the last twelve months, rules out that access to financial resources is more difficult now than it was a year ago.

Thus, according to the expert, the goal of both Heura and Vice is to “strengthen ties with their community and make themselves known. It’s a marketing campaign where you don’t spend money, you get it.” “Today, thanks to technology and access to capital, with money and talent, they can copy your product, especially if you are a commodity. But what they cannot copy is your brand and, above all, your culture and community: the sense of belonging, tribe, and identity that you create,” the expert defends.

“Today’s branding can be boiled down to three elements: expressing personality, managing emotions, and advocating a cause. And everything should be made memorable and memorable. Hamburgers with product just like clothes, sneakers or a soft drink. Something else is needed. Without this branding effort, you would not be able to succeed.”, he assures.