NanoVest, an online platform aiming to unify entrepreneurial communities, announced last week that significant updates to its site will be introduced Nov. 1.

The online platform that connects startups to local investors and the general public already hosts 195 companies across the nation. It anticipates that number will increase following the upcoming updates.

“The fundamental issue in entrepreneurial communities is a lack of engagement and exposure,” said NanoVest CEO Aditya Badve.

“I think RTP has a really good chance at being the next big entrepreneurial hub,” he continued, “but you have to build that community; you can’t just expect the people to come.”

Badve said he believes NanoVest will provide the engagement and exposure necessary for startups to succeed.

NanoVest: What it offers

  • Support your community.

Invest in companies that promote growth and positively impact your community. Discover new ideas, connect with entrepreneurs, and share in a company’s success. Expand your reach depending on where and who you want to invest in.

  • Learn how to invest.

As a new investor, you will have access to company information, risk analysis, and like-minded investors. Our unique service allows investors to search for companies based on investment criteria, receive data for smart investments, and track and receive updates on new opportunities.

  • Invest in the next Facebook.

NanoVest curates opportunities in your area and around the country. Engage in pre-seed financing of companies and share in their success. Capitalize on the benefits of high-risk investments with increased transparency and confidence.

  • Build the next Google.

Leverage the experience and resources of your community to drive your company’s growth. Find the financial support your company needs by matching with interested investors. We empower you to stay local or expand your network nationwide.

Source: NanoVest

With the U.S. experiencing a general decline in rates of new business startups over the past 20 years, entrepreneurship has been on the decline, according to a 2014 Hathaway and Litan study.

NanoVest aims to change that.

“Our country and our entrepreneurs need a tool like NanoVest,” said Cameron Cushman, NanoVest advisor and entrepreneur from Fort Worth, Texas.

“With their passion, the team they have around them and the good start they’ve already gotten, they are poised to make a big splash.”

Cushman co-founded 1 Million Cups, a nationwide meet-up designed to educate, engage, and connect entrepreneurs with their communities.

The young startup was not always on pace for such success.

Sifron Benjamin, chief technology officer of NanoVest, described multiple challenges the startup has faced since its May 2016 birth, including working with federal regulations, pivoting its business model and turning down long-term security.

“Aditya and I both deferred our full-time job offers on the same day,” Benjamin said. “We were all-in.”

Badve justified the decision, stating, “I knew that if I had taken the full-time job, I would have regretted it the rest of my life.”

“I would rather try NanoVest,” he continued. “If it fails, it fails, but at least I tried.”

With strong leadership and a clear direction, Gregg Gerdau – NanoVest advisor and managing partner at Matador Advisors – said he believes the startup is far from failing.

“I can easily predict that Aditya and Sifron will be among the most successful entrepreneurs UNC-Chapel Hill has produced,” Gerdau said.

“Their understanding of the problem and how they are researching and developing a solution is impressive,” he concluded.

As NanoVest continues to grow, Badve mentioned its biggest challenge will be scaling the platform without compromising its “localness.”

“We need to make sure we continue to work with every community, providing resources locally and encouraging the communities to work within themselves,” Badve said.

Such community development depends on connecting investors with entrepreneurs. The platform currently has 67 investors subscribed to its service.

Antoine Puech, a Chapel Hill entrepreneur, invested in NanoVest to help alleviate entrepreneurial pains within the area.

“It is brutally tough to get financing and get going,” Puech said. “NanoVest helps not only themselves, but also the hordes of startup companies looking for money.”

Puech concluded, stating, “Many other companies will come out of this concept.”

More information about the platform can be found at NanoVest.co.

Note: This story is from the North Carolina Business News Wire, a service of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Media and Journalism