Welcome to SoKap. Welcome to Crowdfunding 2.0.

Most great startup companies start with the same question: "Why doesn't the world have _____?"

The most important piece to this question, however, is that blank space.

Why doesn't the world have an online music purchasing device?  Apple answered that question.

Why doesn't the world have a way to connect with friends and family through the Internet? Facebook answered that question.

Why doesn't the world have a platform that connects marketers and funders with projects?  SoKap is answering that question.

Welcome to SoKap. Welcome to crowdfunding 2.0.

David Geertz, Founder and CEO of SoKap.

SoKap is a crowdfunding and project distribution platform that allows marketers and funders to connect with project owners.  SoKap allows project owners to raise funds, build markets and distribute goods and services across the world.

But like all great startup ideas, SoKap didn't intend to go in that direction.  SoKap was originally built by founder and CEO David Geertz to aid in the distribution of films.  Geertz noticed that many contracts in the film industry were just too big.  So, he decided to allow people anywhere to buy distribution levels at a much smaller price.  In other words, with SoKap, everyone could have a slice of the movie pie.

While testing the platform, Geertz and his SoKap team realized that the main beta testers were entrepreneurs.  That's when the company decided to expand beyond the film industry.  Now, SoKap is open to any project-based entrepreneur (no matter what industry they're in) looking for crowdfunding opportunities.  According to the Financial Post (Canada), "Crowdfunding, which started out mainly as a way for writers, film makers, artists and musicians to raise money, is shaping up to be the next big financing model for entrepreneurs — and the model is rapidly evolving."  SoKap has taken advice from its entrepreneurial beta testers and has implemented much of their feedback into the company's founding principles.

"Our biggest focus is to lower the barriers to entry," says Geertz of the SoKap venture.  "We want to have the mark to dictate whether a product should be made or not.  Not everyone will succeed, but we need to let the market speak to that."

Although SoKap has only been in the works for about 30 months now, the company already has a few success stories under its belt to boast about.  In fact, the company was recently featured on the front cover of the Financial Post in Canada and was recognized as a game-changer in the film industry at film finance conferences.

So why is SoKap standing out so much?  For one, the company is beginning to revolutionize an industry.  But the platform is also revolutionizing the way that crowdfunding works as well.  SoKap is one of the only crowdfunding platforms that does not require a sale of equity.

"We need to prepare for a fight moving forward," says Geertz of this business decision. "We provide a solution that doesn't require equity.  Sure, we are fans of the JOBS Act, but we also know that it's not for every business.  We don't require a sale of equity and that's rare in this type of business.  But, we are staying true to our project.  We believe in it and will stay the course.  That's true, gritty entrepreneurship."

How does David Geertz Think Big? “I come from a problem-solving world.  I come at things from solving solutions and take a 10,000 feet view and remove all clutter and intermediaries.  I ask how we can balance and value our work.  If we can do that, we eliminate the two main rules of failure: fear and greed.  I always ask how I can eliminate that.”

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Senator Jerry Moran Helps to Unveil Startup Act 2.0

We first heard about Senator Jerry Moran's (R-Kan.) stance to help support entrepreneurs and foster innovation and technology throughout the Midwest (and beyond) at The Gigabit Challenge Finale back in January.  And last week, Senator Moran joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) along with Steve Case (President Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness) and Robert Litan (Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation) to unveil Startup Act 2.0.


Startup Act 2.0 is a bipartisan legislation aimed at jump-starting the economy through the creation and growth of new businesses.  The legislation sets out to prove the critics wrong: Congress can get something done during an election year by coming together to strengthen the economy and create jobs. 


According to a press release that was sent out last week, the Startup Act 2.0 will do the following: 


Startup Act 2.0 picks up where the JOBS Act left off by doing more to create an environment in which entrepreneurs can succeed. Research has shown that for close to three decades, companies less than five years old have created almost all of the net new jobs in America—averaging about 3 million jobs each year. Startup Act 2.0 creates new opportunities for America-educated, entrepreneurial immigrants to remain in the U.S. where their talent and ideas can fuel growth and create American jobs. The bill also alleviates regulatory burdens that make it more difficult for businesses to expand and create jobs. Finally, Startup Act 2.0 makes changes to the tax code to encourage investment in startup companies.


Startup Act 2.0 builds upon the original Startup Act introduced by Sens. Moran and Warner in December, and it has been strengthened by including widely-supported provisions of S. 1866, the AGREE Act, introduced by Sens. Coons and Rubio in November. Many of the principles included in Startup Act 2.0 are based on the research and analysis of the Kauffman Foundation, and are supported by President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

For more information about Startup Act 2.0, watch the video below: