Income is an alternative investment platform and mobile app that allows investors to invest in loans worldwide. They democratize alternative investing through a novel use of technology and implementing security features previously only available to institutional investors. In October 2021, they raised €350,000 from 48 investors on SeedBlink, in a total round of €1,3 million led by Tolaram Fintech.
Kimmo Rytkönen, founder and CEO of Income, talks to us about his experience of raising with SeedBlink. Learn about the Fintech’s experience raising with SeedBlink, and the key to the success of its round.
What does “success” mean to you and Income?
Success has many areas, and I believe everyone has their own definition. For me, a successful life means being active, building businesses and having a happy family life. For Income as a company, the definition of success is simple. A successful business creates wealth for all stakeholders.
Tell us about your capital raising journey before SeedBlink?
The capital raising we did before SeedBlink was a pre-seed round of about €1 million that we raised from a group of angel investors. The funds were used to launch the Income platform and hire the initial team. I also put a large part of my own funds into the pre-seed and seed round project.
When you joined SeedBlink, why did you decide it was the right time for a funding round?
We had already decided to do a seed round when Seedblink contacted us. We had already finished building the platform and we’re looking for funding to complete some development and continue growth. Building a platform that focuses on investor safety costs significantly more than building a standard platform. Therefore, funding is essential if we want to offer investors the best possible product.
What other ways of raising capital did you consider?
We talked to several VCs and private investors, but it was clear to us that we would need not only money but also publicity. The great thing about co-investment platforms is that it’s a way to attract customers. And that’s exactly what we saw when we launched our SeedBlink round.
Why did you choose SeedBlink? Why did you think we were the right partner for your business?
The team at SeedBlink contacted us in a very professional manner and after looking at SeedBlink’s profile, we thought it was a good fit for us. Since both platforms are relatively young, we thought it would be great to try SeedBlink and we can say that we are very glad we did.
How did your main investors see this way to close the round?
I think they were happy with the results of SeedBlink and the positive publicity we received. This type of capital raising is not that different from other funding sources in terms of the amount of work you have to do for it.
Tell us what it was like to run a financing round?
Running the financing round was like any other fundraising; we had to be active in our community as well as in SeedBlink’s investor community. After the launch, everything happened very quickly, and SeedBlink organized several pitch events for investors, which we found very useful for the round momentum.
What advice would you give to a tech entrepreneur who wants to scale with the help of co-investment platforms?
As I mentioned earlier, you should consider the publicity and awareness factor when looking for funding sources. SeedBlink and other investment enabling platforms offer additional value compared to other funding sources.
Running a round is still not a simple fundraising process. The platforms perform due diligence and investigate the viability of your business before listing it. So you should be prepared to put in work before and during the round lifetime. Also, be prepared for delays. These are normal in any funding round, so it’s better to start early.
