In our conversations with investors, we are frequently asked if it is possible to engage directly with the entrepreneurs who are raising capital through the iownit platform. Investors place a high value on being able to easily connect with a person or a team of people behind the business and vision they are considering investing in.
We took these comments to heart and determined that we can improve and streamline engagement for both parties.
We are excited to be rolling out iownit Chat. It is an integrated messenger that allows direct, instant, and seamless communication between investors and issuers on the iownit platform. iownit Chat will substantially improve the speed of communication between people and the sharing of information during the investment process.
While designing the chat interface, we took these key factors into consideration:
- Investor privacy – We believe there is a fine line between easing communication and creating a mechanism for unwanted and persistent messaging. To ensure investor privacy, we decided not to list investor names and contact details. Instead, we allow investors to initiate the chat with entrepreneurs in whose business they are interested to invest.
- Ease of use – We integrated iownit Chat in multiple parts of the application, allowing investors to engage with entrepreneurs from the company profile and offering page. With a simple click of a button, people can ask a question, make a comment, provide a reply, request, and supply additional information. All questions and responses are organized and stored for your reference.
- Email integration – iownit Chat is tightly integrated with email communications and is able to notify people of a new message or response. This will enable timely responses to questions and conversations.
- Consolidated Communications – All messages sent on the platform are archived and retained. Retaining chat messages prevents loss of critical communications and information for all parties.
But this is just the first step in developing iownit Chat. We believe that ease of communication, social engagement, and networking are all key parts of the investment process.
We are working on additional features to enable you to conduct a more efficient due diligence and investment research process in private securities. These new features will include group chat rooms, broadcast channels, and mobile integration.
Please subscribe to our blog or sign up on the iownit platform for future announcements and updates!
