Oddup scores $1M for its startup rating system, initially focused on Asia
Oddup is an 18-month-old startup out of Hong Kong that offers its own startup rating system based on factors it says are designed to determine risk. Websites like Mattermark, CB Insights, and Funderbeam offer similar rating systems on their platforms, but Oddup founder James Giancotti told VentureBeat that they don’t go into the kind of depth that Oddup is trying to achieve — a pursuit that has today landed it $1 million in seed funding and attracted corporate customers including J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and BNP Paribas.
Oddupは香港発、創業18か月のスタートアップで、同社によるとリスクを決定できるよう設計された要素に基づくスタートアップの評価システムを提供している。Mattermark、CB Insights、Funderbeamといったサイトもプラットホーム上で同様の評価システムを提供しているが、Oddupの設立者であるJames Giancotti氏が VentureBeatに語ったところによると、Oddupが到達しようとしているほどの深みには至っていないという。 今日届いた1つの取り組みはシードファンドでの100万米ドルの調達で、J.P. Morgan、Goldman Sachs、BNP Paribasといった金融機関を惹きつけた。
創業から18か月の香港で生まれたOddupは、リスク判定用に設計された諸要素に基づく自社のスタートアップ格付けシステムを提供する。Mattermark、CB Insights、 そしてFunderbeamといったウェブサイトも、それぞれのプラットフォームで類似の格付けシステムを提供している。しかし、Oddupの創業者であるJames Giancotti氏はVentureBeatに対しこう語った。他社のシステムはOddupが達成を試みる複雑な種類の判定はしない。自社のシステム追求は、今日、シードファンディングの100万米ドル獲得を達成させ、J.P.Morgan、Goldman Sachs、そして BNP Paribasを含む法人顧客たちを引き寄せた。
Initially launched in beta back in February 2014, Oddup finally went live to the public at large this September. The $1 million funding round announced today was led by Kima Ventures, Click Ventures, and Bigcolors with participation from Big Bloom, Glooh Ventures, Justin Dry and Andre Eikmeier (CEOs of Vinomofo), and a number of angel investors, according to a release.
Factors that are used to come up with an overall rating for a startup are comprised of sub-scores in the following areas: Product, growth, location, team, market, industry, and competitors. These scores are assigned by its analysts, Oddup says, using its own patent-pending scoring methodology. Additional scores take into account things like investor quality, funding, and media buzz. Ultimately, a score of 1-100 is awarded, with a higher score suggesting a healthier, less risky startup.
“There are a number of platforms that capture investor sentiment and probability scoring,” Giancotti said, “but none are including detailed analysis, providing buy/sell/hold ratings, and future valuations of the startup. We are wanting to provide transparency in the world of startups including visibility on investors and locations.”
But to get a taste for the platform, users will have to first sign up. Giancotti said this is because of “different jurisdictional laws [that] apply to the user base [i.e. Singapore’s laws on private company information differ from those of China’s], so for legal and regulatory reasons we need to keep the platform closed to ensure we meet all countries’ regulations.”
しかしプラットフォームの手応えを掴むためにはユーザは先ず登録する必要がある。この事に関してGiancotti氏は次のように説明した。「ユーザには、居住地毎に違った法律(例えば民間企業に対するシンガポールのの法律と中国の法律は違います)が適用されるため、法律や取り締りの面から、全ての国の規定に必ず適合するよう我々はプラットフォームをオープンにせず特定できるようにしています。」
しかし、このプラットフォームを試してみるには、利用者はまず初期登録を実施する必要がある。Giancotti氏はこの理由をこう言っている。「利用者の管轄により法律は異なります(例: シンガポールの私企業の情報に関する法律は中国のそれとは異なる)。各国の規制を守ることを保証するために、法的、規制的な理由で我々はこのプラットフォームを閉じたものにしておく必要があります」
With 50,000 users already, demand is being driven by a hot investment market globally and across Asia, particularly from smaller angel investors who want to dip their feet into the market but aren’t sure how to navigate all the noise. Initially, the focus is on startups in China (Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen), Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan, but with 22 staff already on hand, Oddup is looking to expand to Sydney, London, Melbourne, Bangalore, and Bangkok in the next six months.
In January, an API release is coming, according to Giancotti, that will enable other platforms to tap into Oddup’s database and ratings. As for monetization and revenue, he said: “We offer a free plan, and we offer an analyst plan (which is $99 per month). We also provide a pay-to-rate service for companies not yet rated on our platform. This product launched last month and we charge $499 to give a startup a full in-depth report.” (Examples of reports can be found at the end of this article.)
(リポートの実例は本記事の最後に掲載)
“In late December we will be releasing our ecosystem report for each city Oddup has rated,” Giancotti said. “In the future, as we launch a city we will also include an ecosystem report. This report will be free to users. We are heading to iOS and Android in Q1 2016 to give users on-the-go information on all startups wherever they are in the world.”
Certainly a new startup (for startups) out of Hong Kong to check out.
間違いなく調査すべき香港の新しい(スタートアップのための)スタートアップ。
香港発のこの新しい(スタートアップのための)スタートアップ、要注目だ。