Renowned VC Arlan Hamilton, Fashion Mogul Chris Burch and Acorns Chairman Walter Cruttenden Among 30 Investors Backing Fintech Firm’s Mission to Democratize the IPO
Crush Capital, the pioneering fintech company behind upcoming interactive streaming series “Going Public,” announced a $3.25-million Seed round to accelerate the show’s development and advance its goal of bringing IPO investing to everyday Americans. More than 30 investors participated in the oversubscribed round, including Arlan Hamilton, managing partner of diversity-focused VC fund Backstage Capital, Chris Burch, co-founder of iconic fashion brand Tory Burch, and Walter Cruttenden, the co-founder and chairman of micro-investing app Acorns.
“There has never been a better time for a series like ‘Going Public,'” said Darren Marble, series co-creator and co-CEO of Crush Capital. “Retail investors deserve an opportunity to gain ownership in the companies whose growth they are largely responsible for, and we intend to deliver this change through ‘Going Public’.”
Hosted by Lauren Simmons, the youngest-ever female trader on Wall Street and only the second Black woman to have held that role, the 10-episode series will follow five diverse entrepreneurs striving to list their companies on Nasdaq. In a streaming series first, viewers will not only follow the entrepreneurs’ dramatic journeys to potential stock market listings, but will also be able to invest in any of the IPOs while they watch. Alongside Simmons, “Going Public” will feature a cast of renowned business leaders including Priceline’s Jeff Hoffman and Schmidt’s Naturals founder Jaime Schmidt.
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Co-founded by Darren Marble and Todd Goldberg, Crush Capital is the only company in the U.S. to have signed a distribution deal for an original series that allows viewers to invest in IPOs. It will use the Seed round funds to finance production, operations and marketing for “Going Public,” which is slated to premiere to Entrepreneur.com’s audience of 14 million unique monthly viewers in the summer.
“Darren and Todd founded Crush Capital with a vision to democratize the IPO, something that inspired me almost instantly,” said Walter Cruttenden, chairman of Acorns. “Their commitment to diversity and inclusion aligns with my core beliefs and will be on full display throughout their show ‘Going Public’.”
“Going Public” will be produced by Emmy-nominated production studio INE Entertainment, founded by Eric Day and Mark Koops, whose credits include “MasterChef” and “The Biggest Loser”. ROTH Capital Partners, an investment banking firm, will conduct due diligence, price and underwrite the featured deals.
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