MyMiniFactory, the printables community of 3D printing retailer iMakr, has been growing rapidly in the two years since it was founded, publishing some of the most popular 3D printable designs on the web with its network of talented designers. Various features, like the ability to tip designers and its 3D scans from around the world, have also made it an exciting alternative to other 3D printable sites. Overall, the MyMiniFactory story is a pretty exciting one, as you can see from the diagram below. And, today, iMakr Founder and Executive Chairman Sylvain Preumont has announced a soon-to-be launched crowdfunding campaign that will let the community itself own a piece of the 3D printables site.
In an email to the MyMiniFactory community, Preumont writes, “Today I am excited to let you know that we will soon be launching an Equity Crowdfunding campaign in partnership with Seedrs. Through this you will be able to own your very own piece of MyMiniFactory. This is going to be big, and I want you to be a part of it.”
While the Seedrs campaign has not yet been launched, the crowdfunding campaign will allow backers to invest in the company via the crowdfunding site, as opposed to a traditional stock exchange. Though we’ve seen a number of crowdfunding scams in the past on traditional crowdfunding sites, Seedrs is actually regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, the British equivalent of the SEC. This puts it under the same jurisdiction as other financial institutions in the UK, making it just as legitimate as an investment platform as any other. The advantage that a site like Seedrs has over a traditional stock exchange is that those who might not have access to a stock broker to invest in companies that they’re interested in. Only companies that meet their crowdfunding goal can actually be funded and Seedrs claims to have put a number of measures in place to ensure safe investing. Given iMakr’s track record, they won’t likely have the same issues that other, smaller businesses might present on a crowdfunding platform and could even prove to be a great investment. Not to speak for him, but I bet 3DPI’s Davide Sher is considering investing in this campaign 😉
It’s still a new platform, so the potential pros and cons may yet to be fully demonstrated, so, if you’re interested in MyMiniFactory when it does go public, make sure to read all about the Seedrs platform here and sign up to hear when MyMiniFactory launches their campaign.
Correction 6/9/15: I originally compared Seedrs to other crowdfunding platforms, that have allowed companies take money from investors without delivering a product. Seedrs, however, appears to be much more regulated and controlled than non-equity crowdfunding sites.
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