Do you have an incredible business idea but need some cash to put your idea to work? Are you buried under student loan debt with high interest rates, stuck in a vicious cycle of only making interest payments?  Do you want to go back to school or acquire a new skill such as coding or graphic design?  Are you tired of borrowing from other people to fund your education and business ventures? 

What if you could borrow from your older, more mature, more successful, future self?  That’s right - Upstart.com, a business founded in 2012 by some inventive ex-Googlers, gives you the opportunity to borrow from your future self.  In exchange for a small percent of your income over the next 5-10 years, Upstart’s backers will provide funding for a business, a student loan repayment, or specialized classes.  And if you hit the Mega Millions sometime in the next decade, don’t worry.  There is a cap on how much income Upstart will ask you to share.

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How is Upstart.com different from other crowd-funding platforms, such as Kickstarter.com? Upstart.com uses a proprietary statistical model to predict the "Upstart’s" income potential over the following decade.  The model looks at factors such as education, major, age, and credit history to determine a “funding rate,” which is effectively the amount you can raise (for example, $10,000) for each 1% of income shared.  Though the venture is relatively new, more than 250 Upstarts have already been offered over $3 million.

Backers can search for Upstarts by interest area (from business to the performing arts) as well as level of education and use of funds (from starting a business to becoming an athlete).  While Upstart targets an 8% annual return for its investors, the true appeal I see is that income-sharing agreements allow the investor base to diversify away from financial capital and into human capital.  In other words, rather than holding only stocks and bonds in their portfolios, Upstart investors also have a claim on those ideas that are not yet born.

 

So ask yourself, is money holding you back from pursuing your dream or creating a buisness that could change the world?  Do you need someone to invest in your potential, product, or passions?  Create a profile on Upstart.com to raise funding, receive mentorship, and increase your connections.

bSmart tip: Backers can provide mentorship, ideas, and connections, as well as funding.  So create your UpStart profile wisely if you need funding.  Visit www.upstart.com for more information.

 

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