When it comes to startups, it doesn’t matter how great an idea is if there’s no capital to turn that idea into reality. Many solution-oriented concepts never take off because founders struggle to secure funding. This is the problem Krishan Arora set out to address. Through the power of equity crowdfunding, Arora sheds light on why modern startups require financial control for long term success.
Modern crowdfunding has been around for about 25 years, most commonly in the form of supporters investing capital into a company in exchange for company rewards or prototypes. While that model is still going strong, Title III of the JOBS Act opened up the world of equity crowdfunding. With equity crowdfunding, anyone can invest in startups they believe in, in exchange for company equity. It is a way to meet both investors and startups where they are. Equity crowdfunding offers an affordable means to build equity in private companies for the individual and brings startups much needed capital.
Arora Project’s primary goal is to connect potential investors with high-growth startups looking to further scale. In college, Krishan studied economics at Harvard and coordinated TedX talks. He was also Apple’s Harvard representative for a year, which gave him important insight into Apple’s digital marketing impact. Using these skills, Krishan began to look at crowdfunding from a new angle. When investors are paired with successful companies, everyone benefits.
Krishan recognized the potential in equity crowdfunding when he started running campaigns for his friends to raise money for their businesses in 2016. The methods he used consistently saw results that exceeded their initial goals, and Krishan knew he could use them to make an even bigger impact. With any big idea, you not only need to make sure it is solving a problem, but you first need to test it to see if it works in the real world. With Krishan seeing how vital his work was, he decided to go all in.
Krishan plans to help as many startups as possible secure the funding they need to change the world. People often confuse the feelings of excitement and fear, causing them to miss opportunities. In business, fear often means you have a new idea to consider, so Krishan likes to stop and consider these feelings often. This helps Krishan and the team at Arora Project continue to find innovative ways to serve as many startups as possible as equity crowdfunding gains momentum.
For a business to succeed, your product or service needs to provide a solution. Even if what you’re doing has been done before, coming at it from a different angle will set you apart from those who came before you. Aurora Project is empowering people and businesses to find new ways to raise money by giving power back to the people. People often think that a positive mindset is all they need to run a business, but mindset will only get you so far. Of course, you want to have a winning attitude, but you also need the fortitude to learn and talk to experts, and the hustle to keep trying new angles. “There are platforms you can go to when you want to raise capital, but the odds of success are only as good as your campaign. We deliver a service unlike anything else out there. It’s specifically designed to get these campaigns in front of as many eyes as possible,” he says.
With his own entrepreneurial spirit, Krishan has always been drawn to people who want to forge their own paths. Instead of letting good ideas fall through the cracks because founders are unable to secure funding, Aurora Project is committed to creating campaigns that deliver results. They bring them to everyone, including people who have nearly written off the idea of building an investment portfolio because they thought it was unattainable. With affordable investment options, Aurora Project is building up more of the kind of companies we want to see in the US.
“I think that most people can agree that they want to feel more in control of their financial situation. They don’t want to have to rely on banks for loans or even their one stream of income from their job. The more we can diversify our own revenue streams, the more confident we can feel about our situations,” says Krishan.
Arora Project is breaking down the old methodology surrounding investment and funding. By doing away with antiquated ideas toward raising capital, they offer a platform for both companies and investors to thrive. “We’re growing our team to keep up with the demand for campaigns that deliver results. This takes a lot of creative energy, and we’re welcoming new members to our team and making sure they have the training and resources necessary to create scroll-stopping campaigns,” says Krishan.
This article was written in cooperation with Christian Hampton.