FightMe, the video challenge app launches its crowd funding scheme. The pioneering challenge-based app aimed at creating social movements through meaningful video interaction, has today launched its first crowd-funding scheme, which signals a tipping point for app development funding.
Following its successful launch last year, the London based app is using the world’s leading investment crowd funding platform, CrowdCube, to raise and additional £480,000, to market the product and build a much wanted android version of the app.
- The social movement app raised £800k towards the end of 2013 by HTG ventures and The Reuben Brothers, and Summly investors the Khalili brothers.
- They already have celebrity leverage with partners like champion free-runner Tim Shieff and Pussycat doll Jessica Sutta.
- FightMe has unlocked the concept of challenges and social movements, and is now looking to raise more money, focusing on improving it’s engagement and viral growth engines.
- It also aims to expand their content offering through increased marketing activity as well as expanding into the US market. Funds will also be used to roll out key features in 2015 and the hiring of new team members.
- Skateboarders, parkour enthusiasts, rappers and poets are amongst an infamously engaged community currently using the platform and FightMe aims to harness the passion of these groups to power ‘the weconomy’.
- From engagement socially to investment globally, FightMe is asking like-minded individuals to use the crowd-funding platform to invest in the future of social interaction.
Breaking down the barriers between brands and creators
FightMe is part of the new wave of social platforms that are breaking down the barriers between brands and users. Rather than users interacting with brands merely through likes or comments alone, the platform will in the future monetise it’s highly engaged audience through a number of different revenue streams.
FightMe’s recent partnership with disruptive animal rights charity, PETA, demonstrates the apps ability to harness a social community to spread a brands message to a global audience. The ‘I’d Rather … Than Fur’ challenge is a first-of-its-kind online video protest aimed at spreading the charities anti-fur message and encourage people from all over the world to join the war against fur. This will be the first in a long line of brand partnerships that aim to change the landscape of brand and user interaction.
30 seconds to spark a revolution
Through a quick and simple smartphone app, FightMe makes capturing and sharing video fast, easy and relevant. Users have thirty seconds to create a video about whatever they want and can either start their own video challenge or join in one that is already live, like PETA’s latest anti-fur protest. Through FightMe’s unique nomination feature, users are also prompted to take their challenge to the wider network of friends and followers through social profiles, SMS, Whatsapp or within FightMe directly.
Joelle Hadfield Co Founder of FightMe commented: “This funding isn’t just about raising capital, it’s about like minded individuals joining in our cause and support our expansion. We are a collaborative platform so we want collaboration to be part of everything that we do. From developing new features for the platform to raising global finance to fund our movement, we’re inviting people to join in and part of our company.”
Jamie Lorenz Chairman and Founder of FightMe added: “FightMe focuses on ‘real’ social interaction online. Many of us have talents or activities we would like to share or try, and simply showcasing these on Instagram, YouTube or Facebook has little purpose and can be quite intimidating. FightMe creates a friendly environment based on its ‘joining in’ mechanic, giving purpose and context to each video. Strength comes in numbers and the support of others participating in a challenge gives freedom of expression away from judgment.”