Startups are the "Rock Stars of the web, working on the next great thing to change the world as we see it and looking for early funding to get their project off the ground and move to the next level. Startups are the core element in our service and everything is built around them.
Pricing is structured per startup, with different pricing levels depending on how much funding you are seeking for your next stage. Each startup profile can have several entrepreneur profiles linked to them (i.e. the founder team) and one entrepreneur profile can have multiple startups.
The entrepreneur profile is free of charge and can be created at any time. To activate the entrepreneur profile, you need to either create a startup or belong to one. Entrepreneur profiles only become active in the community, after a startup profile is created and approved through screening.
Funders are private investors of varying types. Usually they are called angel investors or partners in venture capital firms. Funders are those who make investments or investment decisions for start-up companies, depending on their interests and expertise.
To qualify as a funder in Grow VC, one needs a professional profile that shows him or her to be an experienced entrepreneur and/or experienced with start-up businesses or investing in early stage companies. Alternatively they can be recommended by two active funder members.
Exactly AS with startups, pricing for the funders is structured depending on the size of the investment budget that a particular funder wants to represent in the Grow VC service. Funder profiles are always represented by individual, real people.
Experts provide services to startup companies: lawyers, accountants, consultants, incubators etc. Experts can be invited by a startup to join that startups profile (for free) to help add credibility to the venture. If invited, they can comment and participate only with the startup that they were linked to.
With the paid expert profile, experts can see all startup profiles in the community and participate in commenting and networking inside the service.