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From a clothing company founded with the sole purpose of funding blindness research, to startups working on implants, injectables and AR/VR based vision aids, there is light at the end of the tunnel for those suffering from vision loss or impairment.

In January of 2018, cryptocurrencies big and small took a huge dive in value. People around the world panicked. They didn’t care why it happened. All they thought about was all the value they were losing. You may have felt the same way – but you don’t have to. There are plenty of reasons why a crash shouldn’t make you nervous, and just as many reasons why you should actually be excited about it. Here are a number of them:   You Only Lose Money Once You Sell for Less For many people, especially those who just entered the world of investments and trading, watching the value of your purchased cryptocurrencies spiral downwards can be nerve-wracking. It will feel like everything you’ve planned is all for nothing. However, that’s not true. While you hold those currencies, you hold potential. Markets take dives all the time, and that’s something not unique…

Changing your business model can lead to success. In fact, many recognizable companies have changed their models over the years, leading them to become far more successful. Being able to remain flexible aided them in that success. There are different factors as to why startups fail, which makes having good startup models and the flexibility to use them even more important than ever before. Without a solid foundation in which to base your startup company, finding success will be even harder. It’s a good idea to take a look at some previously tried-and-tested models that can help give you an extra edge when diving into the world of a startup company. We’ll go through 4 such models that may help you in further detail below.   The Marketplace Model This model lets you bring together both the supply and demand into one place. It has great advantages in that there is little to…

Did you know that over $34 billion has been raised via crowdfunding campaigns worldwide? That’s right – crowdfunding can be a great way to raise the funds needed to launch a new business or product, but only if you have the right marketing strategy. The most successful crowdfunding campaigns use buzz marketing to build hype around their campaign and encourage people to pledge. This type of marketing doesn’t cost a ton, but it does have some pretty impressive results when it’s done right. Not got a clue how to generate a buzz or get your campaign to go viral? Don’t worry – we’re here to teach you. Read on for five essential buzz-generating tips.   Release Teasers of Your Campaign Rewards Releasing teasers is a great way to get people excited about your campaign before it even launches. Decide on the rewards you’ll offer, then create text and image teasers to share on your…

For entrepreneurs and small business owners, there’s no better time to secure funding for your startup. Thanks in part to Congress passing the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act in 2012, many startups and investors are working together to achieve greater financial goals. As a result of the new legislation, startups can use a variety of methods, including crowdfunding, to find the right investors. But as private investors have a greater reach into the culture of startups, they have become increasingly careful. Entrepreneurs and small business owners who are looking for startup capital need to understand what private investors look for. Cover these 5 basics and you may just watch the capital roll in. 1. Need and Value Proposition All entrepreneurs and small business owners should be able to look at the market from the perspective of a consumer. Your product or service should address a need. If not, it’s unlikely to attract the attention of…

One unique way to raise money to make your idea a reality is through crowdfunding. According to Fundly, crowdfunding campaigns have raised $34 billion worldwide. They are projected to grow to over $300 billion by 2025. Additionally, Forbes Magazine reported that crowdfunding in the real estate industry surpassed $3.5 billion. These are eye-opening figures that help to show the power of this increasingly more popular way of raising money. But to make the most of this opportunity, you need to know your options! Read on to learn more about the different types of crowdfunding. Donation Crowdfunding This type of crowdfunding raises money by way of — you guessed it — donations. One of the best-known websites for this type of crowdfunding is GoFundMe. This platform allows users to set up an account and accept donations based on helping a cause or charity. This is a common way to raise funds to help…

Do you have a business idea you think would make a lot of money, but don’t have the funds to get it off the ground? You could go down the traditional route of getting a loan from a bank, but there are different ways to get money. Crowdfunding has helped a lot of people fund amazing ideas and launch new businesses and products. As of April 2017 over 350,000 campaigns have been launched on a variety of crowd funding sites. The only trouble with using crowd funding is figuring out how to pick the one you want to use. How to Pick a Crowdfunding Platform If you’re here, you’re looking for a crowdfunding platform for your startup. A lot of factors go into picking a platform, and you need to be aware of them before you make a decision. Are you ready to pick your crowd funding platform? If you follow these tips,…

Anyone who follows Gary Vaynerchuk online knows that he’s a zealous proponent of voice technology–both audio content like podcasts as well as tools that run on voice commands, like Amazon Alexa. Vaynerchuk’s bullishness is borne out by how things are shaping up in the real world. Both investors and consumers appear to have taken a liking to voice of late, and that’s a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon. One of the things voice is making easier is consuming online content. That’s thanks to services like Curio, which employs voiceover artists to convert journalistic pieces from premium publications into narrated audio. These narrated articles are then organized into user-tailored playlists based on topic, and packaged into a $8-a-month subscription.   The service has its origins in lessons the founding team drew from its years spent in media. “From my previous role as a strategist for the BBC, I knew…

Remote work is here to stay. Employees and employers have tasted the benefits of a digital workspace — and they’re not going back. In the United States alone, nearly 4 million people (around 3%) now work remotely. 50% of the US workforce has a job that could be done remotely. That same study showed that 80%+ employees would like to work remotely. But remote work isn’t just American-based. Now, improved technology is making it a global trend. It’s time to invest in technologies and systems that facilitate the mobile workstation. But maybe you’re skeptical. If so, let’s explore the benefits that your company could be missing by not embracing the digital workspace. 1. Flexibility The digital workspace offers employees the ultimate flexibility — without sacrificing a company’s ability to meet goals. Employees can work where they want to, on their preferred devices. Those who don’t need to stick with a schedule can even work when they want to. Because of…

If you’re looking to start a business now, you need to know what’s happening in the startup world now. Historical information and last year’s news will only get you so far. Investing in the success of your startup means being informed about the latest startup trends. Let’s touch on this year’s top seven, and then you smarty-pants entrepreneurs can go make the most of them. Infinite Competition The Internet is making it easier for no-name competitors from around the world to break into your local marketplace and swipe your marketshare. If you’re local, make sure you don’t skimp on investment in local SEO, and always be on the lookout for partnerships with other businesses to grow marketshare on the ground. Regardless of whether you’re local or not, you need to keep an eye on the technology that is really raising the bar when it comes to key areas of your…

Founded in 2016 by Mary Biggins and Katie Ghelli, MealPal (formerly known as MealPass) has facilitated more than 2 million reservations for lunch, and is already in 10 cities worldwide: NYC, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, SF, Miami, London, Toronto, and Sydney. In February this year the company announced $15 million in Series A financing led by Comcast Ventures, the venture capital affiliate of Comcast Corp., with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Haystack Partners, and NextView Ventures. SnapMunk spoke to MealPal co-founder Mary Biggins. Can you describe Meal Pal in five words? I can do it in four words. Eat intelligently and affordably. What makes MealPal stand out from the noise? For most meals, consumers are looking for three things: great food, efficient to get, and affordable. With MealPal, we partner with great restaurants, making lunch efficient and affordable so that people can go into a restaurant, skip the line, pick…

Applying more intelligence and innovation to the way we source, manage, apply and analyze the energy used to power our planet is one of the most important tasks we could hope have taken on by our brightest entrepreneurs and startups. With help from folks like University of Missouri System, UMSL Accelerate and Capital Innovators, the future of energy innovation looks like a bright one.  Ameren Accelerator is a partnership between the University of Missouri System, USML Accelerate and Capital Innovators, and Ameren (a Fortune 500 utility company), intended to assess, mentor, and invest in energy technology startup companies. The entity is based out of St. Louis, and is ranked the 3rd best accelerator by Entrepreneur Magazine. The creators of the accelerator look to invest $100,000 in five to seven companies each year. Recently the Ameren Accelerator selected several companies to be part of their latest batch of startups to receive…