Got a medical project that needs funding? Kickstarter may not work -- but MedStartr, which launches July 11, might.
The well-known Kickstarter, which lets users fundraise online through "crowdsourcing," has helped thousands of artists solicit funds from strangers to get their projects off the ground.
But though Kickstarter has been used to rattle cups for movies about medicine, "medical and safety-related products" are among its prohibited categories (though some med apps have managed to get an exception).
Enter MedStarter. They're new, but they already have at least a few customers who tell MobiHealthNews that Kickstarter turned their med projects away -- including pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Jen Dyer, known online as the EndoGoddess, who is raising money to launch her diabetes app through MedStartr.
Dyer's MedStartr page shows how it works: Users can make online payments, and Dyer offers tiered premiums for contributions -- ranging from "Access to the Endogoddess App for Android or iPhone immediately " for $2.00 contributions to listing as a sponsorship partner for the high-rollers.
MobiHealthNews reports MedStartr has been gearing up the way startups usually do, presenting at industry events and forming partnerships. In addition to letting the public pitch in through the website, the company also hopes to benefit from the new, generous crowdfunding standards of the JOBS Act. In a reply to a recent Forbes article, MedStartr founder Alex Fair says, "we need to wait for provisions of the JOBS Act and CROWDFUNDER sub act... since our funding is Donation, Reward, Event, and Partner-based, at present we are within the existing legal infrastructure. As the rules become available, we will review and determine if equity-based rewards are going to be enabled."
So soon enough, in addition to contributing to MedStartr users, you may be able to invest in MedStartr itself.