Talino Venture Labs, an award-winning global venture studio for inclusive fintech, has raised $1.25 million from cross-border venture capital firms and angel networks as it launched an equity crowdfunding campaign in the United States.
The funding round was led by Wavemaker Labs, a next-generation corporate innovation fund investing in North America and Southeast Asia; Foxmont Capital Partners, a multi-focus venture capital firm dedicated to Filipino-founded startups, supporting them with capital and network through the different stages of development; Johnsen Global Business Ventures, a management consulting and venture capital firm operating across various geographies; and Manila Angel Investors Network (MAIN), the largest committed private investors network in the Philippines.
Talino also showed a strong opening at the launch of its equity crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder.com, recording commitments of over $270,000 from almost 100 investors and appearing as a top trending startup on the platform as of press time.
Winston Damarillo, CEO of Talino Venture Labs, said, “Talino started almost three years ago with the mission to become a venture studio for inclusive fintech, and we’ve been very fortunate to have worked with industry leaders in Southeast Asia, in the Middle East, and in the United States to bring financial inclusion closer to underserved markets. While our venture studio has already been able to raise $7 million in venture capital for our portfolio companies and operate profitably with over $2 million in revenue since 2019, our latest funding round and our equity crowdfunding campaign signals a new chapter in Talino’s history.”
“Now, we’re making Talino itself accessible to retail investors who want to invest in innovation with impact. For as little as $100 on our Wefunder campaign, they can be part of our journey to empower the emerging middle class with inclusive fintech innovation. This is closely aligned with our own mission of inclusive finance as we make financial opportunities available to more people around the world.”
Equity crowdfunding: Democratizing access to investment opportunities
Equity crowdfunding, also known as Regulation Crowdfunding, became possible through the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act in the United States, which was signed into law in 2012 to boost the capability of smaller businesses to attract investments beyond those currently allowed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The JOBS Act lowered reporting and disclosure requirements for companies with less than $1 billion in revenue and enabled smaller businesses to advertise securities offerings. More importantly, the legislation allowed greater access to crowdfunding and expanded the number of companies that can offer stock without going through SEC registration.
As a US-registered company, Talino leveraged this opportunity to engage its partners, clients, stakeholders, and supporters in investing early in Talino and being a part of the company’s growth.
“Our equity crowdfunding journey has been very fulfilling for the entire team so far, and we are just getting started,” Damarillo shared. “As a venture studio with a robust and proprietary tech stack, Talino has the ingredients to keep building inclusive fintechs that can really disrupt markets and make a difference in the lives of underserved and underrepresented customers. The community’s support and the transparency required of equity crowdfunding have strengthened our commitment to bring inclusive fintech solutions to markets that need these most.”
Talino will use funds raised for technology R&D and working capital as it builds repeatable, scalable, and profitable inclusive fintechs in underserved markets around the globe. Its award-winning startups currently serve at least 10 million customers within the United States and Asia corridor, and these have been recognized by global institutions such as UNICEF, the Asian Development Bank, and the U.S.’ Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
To learn more about Talino’s equity crowdfunding campaign, visit www.wefunder.com/talino.venture.labs.
To learn more about Talino Venture Labs and its portfolio, visit www.talinolabs.com.
