Microcosm - 2nd Seedrs crowd-funding round

From a business point of view - very clever. How will you manage privacy?

The merchant/brand tool would only access public items.

It's a convenience and value play.

They could trawl through 100 public forums and still miss things, or they could pay and get it wrapped up nicely into a single interface and miss nothing.

But it wouldn't be "pay to access private forums".

Knew you had a good plan for it. Thank you.

Can you share with us some of the reasons for the increased valuation so that we can make a more considered decision as to whether we avoid dilution or indeed invest further? Some metrics would be very helpful.

A separate thread that only you can post in may be best for this so that it doesn't get lost in the noise of this thread.

VB addressing this question, from this thread, some weeks ago.

http://www.lfgss.com/thread108508-3.html#post3710147

That post is hardly enough to justify making a significant investment is it?

Your question seems to ask two things:
1) What has changed that justifies the increased valuation?
2) What has changed that justifies further investment?

I agree that the cited post doesn't answer both parts, it only answers the latter part.

But I do think it's been answered already, and to avoid re-hashing the same points I'd still point at the answer I already wrote for #1: http://www.lfgss.com/thread108508.html#post3656819

Is there a very specific thing that you want to know that isn't answered already? Or rather, if I've not answered already could you re-phrase so that I know how to answer.

I must have missed the earlier post somehow so thanks for that.

I think what I want is a numbers based view on how the valuation was arrived upon. If you make the forum software at a cost of x and LFGSS makes y a year then how many LFGSS's do you need for a ROI. When you say there are other communities waiting to join, who are they? How large are they? What is the projected revenue?

Those are the sort of things I think need addressing in this funding round.

I believe in you and want to make an investment but I'm finding it hard to reconcile it with myself based on so little actual information. Is there a pack or something for current investors? Will there be something more significant on the Seedrs listing?

The Seedrs listing is actually less dense and informative than things I've shared in this thread. It is, more terse, and perhaps vague... addressing a larger and less-informed audience in fewer words.

Seedrs provide a Q&A framework for details, but the pitch is very much space-constrained to try and focus on the idea + team, and not a specific set of questions.

We do have projections, of course. And we know what parameters are key to our success, how our outcome is affected by those parameters changing.

There is an issue though, we would be in a difficult place if I started sharing our sales pipeline, the names and nature of those potential customers, the details of the projections, and other business sensitive data to a public forum.

I am happy to share on a confidential basis, hence our running an open office. I'm also happy to share the pitch deck that we've drafted. As well as the projections, and to talk through the key parameters that affect the outcome of the business. The pitch deck I'll share online, the projections in person so that we can explain the understanding of the market, and those key parameters.

As for the question of how many LFGSS's... we operate on the basis of the long-tail and the question doesn't fit well.

LFGSS exists within the top 1% of forums, we're aiming for the larger market of smaller forums. Number of sites is less important than total active users on the platform, so instead of a few LFGSS size forums, we're going for many smaller forums.

I actually foresee that LFGSS would be reduced in size and stature post-Microcosm. As the polo crowd would find it very easy to split out their part and have tighter control. That is our model though, by embracing this we end have more active users and sites on the platform.

As a ballpark guide, a figure of 1 million registered users would generate enough active users to result in a profitable revenue and should be achievable in less than a 36 month time-frame.

I'm afraid that I don't know how to translate that into a ROI for your investment. Yes it would multiply the value of the investment, but the 'R' implies a return, an exit event... and I am not well-placed today to project the timetable, form or terms of such an exit event that could answer that question.

And finally, all of the above is subject to the reality that this remains an early stage business and that the future is unknown regardless of how good our experience and projections are.

Just a couple of quick questions:

1. Is the public launch still scheduled for the 5th? and do you know what time it might hit the website?

2. is allocation on a first come first served basis or is there some kind of pro-rata based on total commitments made?

Stuart

The public launch is still on for the 5th.

We believe it launches at either 9am or 9:30am, but Seedrs will need to verify this as it's their process.

The allocation is first-come-first-served.

The email that I got today said 9:30.

I will be rather miffed if it turns out to be 9:00...

If Seedrs are saying 9:30am then it is 9:30am.

They're the ones with the launch button.

And if they've communicated 9:30am, then I'm considering it verified.

Coolio,

thanks both

Ah, I have the go live button.

Fun!

9:30 it is... the Thursday public launch is exactly 48 hours after the private launch this morning, and I shall hit the button in 6 and a half minutes.

Countdown Theme - YouTube

Hmm... I've found it but i can invest as much as i want.

Did you press the right button?

You can only invest up to the amount you were notified about during the first 48 hours, the private portion.

Then when it's public, you can up your stake.

Is that the issue, or are you not able to invest the amount you were notified of?

I'm logged in, added funds, where's the contribute bit?

You can only invest up to the amount you were notified about during the first 48 hours, the private portion.

Then when it's public, you can up your stake.

Is that the issue, or are you not able to invest the amount you were notified of?

I have put the amount in that I was emailed about but it didn't restrict me to it.... i could have typed in any amount up to my investment limit (about £2,500)

I typed in £500 and clicked next and it still didn't restrict me. I didn't press confirm investment but assume that it would have allowed it.

Seems you can up your stake now.

I've just confirmed that too... also didn't press submit, but seemingly possible.

And hippy, it's a big orange button that says INVEST

Seems you can up your stake now.

I've just confirmed that too... also didn't press submit, but seemingly possible.

And hippy, it's a big orange button that says INVEST

Interestingly, now i've committed to the amount required to retain my stake, it won't let me add anything else to the pot. I assume this won't restrict me come Thursday!?

Ok - if I currently have a 0.5% stake, can anyone tell me what this will become after dilution if I choose NOT to avoid dilution....

There is no orange button, unless you count the background on "Social & Collaborative"

Ah, right, found it. Stupidly it's not present in "Your Investments" you have to go to the main list of seedr companies. Bollocks to ya

This link takes you directly there:
http://bit.ly/invest_in_microcosm