The 7 Best Startups You Can Buy on Republic Right Now

Editor’s Note: This article is regularly updated to bring you relevant, up-to-date information.

When it comes to finding startups to invest in, Republic is one of the top online equity crowdfunding platforms. Since 2016, the company has facilitated more than $150 million in fundings. There are also more than a million investors on the platform.

The CEO and co-founder of Republic is Kendrick Nguyen, who immigrated from Vietnam to become a successful securities attorney in the U.S. But through this experience, he saw the challenges entrepreneurs had in getting financial backing. He thought an online platform would help to level the playing field.

The equity crowdfunding deals on Republic are structured as SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) instruments. This means that the allocation of equity is based on a trigger event, such as an acquisition, IPO (initial public offering) or subsequent funding. A typical deal has a minimum investment of $100.

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So then, what are some of the interesting startups to invest in on Republic? Let’s take a look at these seven:

Oracle Health
Relay On Demand
COI Energy
Cannabox
CountertopSmart
Relay
Trusst

Equity Crowdfunding: Oracle Health

Healthcare professional in green scrubs standing with arms crossed. Source: Shutterstock

The first company on our list of startups to invest in is called Oracle Health. Heart failure results in the deaths of six million Americans each year — and things are only getting worse. Remote monitoring, such as with wearables, can help. But the systems can have low accuracy rates and limited data.

Or, a person can get a device surgically implanted. But this is expensive and not necessarily the best approach either.

So what to do? Oracle Health believes its own heart monitor is the best option. It is a small, insertable cardiac device with multiple sensors, an electrocardiogram (ECG), a three-axis accelerometer and AI (artificial intelligence) systems for the analysis. The procedure only takes about two minutes at an office.

The system is currently in a pre-clinical testing phase, which includes advisors from top universities. Oracle Health was also selected by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) for its startup group.

For the equity crowdfunding round, the company has raised nearly $680,000 from 948 investors, and the valuation is $20 million.

Relay On Demand

a red 18-wheeler truck driving down the highway Source: Vitpho/Shutterstock.com

For trucking companies, one of the biggest challenges is finding qualified drivers. The recruiting process can be expensive and time-consuming. Something else to keep in mind: The turnover rate for truckers is close to 100%.

To help out with this, Relay On Demand has developed a digital marketplace. The network includes more than 1,000 pre-certified drivers who are looking for contract opportunities.

The Relay On Demand platform includes a web portal as well as an iOS and Android app. Yes, it is similar to Uber (NYSE:UBER). The app is also easy to use, only requiring three clicks.

The user base has been growing at about 20% month-over-month and the ARR (annual recurring revenue) is at roughly $2 million. The business is also profitable, making it a great pick people looking for startups to invest in.

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Regarding the equity crowdfunding round, the company has raised more than $235,000 from 650 investors, and the valuation is $8 million.

Cannabox

Forget a 1-for-12 Split, Aurora Stock May as Well Go for 200 Source: Shutterstock

When it comes to startups to invest in, the cannabis sector is quite popular. After all, the market opportunity is enormous. The election of President Joe Biden may also lead to loosening of the laws and restrictions in the U.S.

On the Republic website, an interesting cannabis deal is Cannabox. The company, which was founded in 2013, provides a subscription box service for cannabis accessories. It’s a way to help customers discover new products and essentials.

Each of Cannabox’s boxes are hand-selected by experts. There are also various exclusive items.

Since inception, the company has generated over $11.5 million in revenue, and the year-over-year growth rate is 65%. The company also has a loyal customer base, with more than 800,000 followers on social media channels.

The company has raised more than $145,000 from 487 investors, and the valuation is $8.5 million.

COI Energy

image of a hand holding a bright light bulb outdoors with trees in the background Source: Shutterstock

Energy waste in the U.S. is enormous, estimated to be around $55 billion per year. And that doesn’t even include the climate costs of carbon emissions.

Part of energy waste is due to the understandable convenience needs of consumers. Hey, when you switch on a light, it should turn on. But this also poses major issues when it comes to “peak demand.”

Utilities have developed energy-efficiency incentives, but these are often unknown to consumers and businesses. Yet COI Energy sees this as an opportunity. The company is developing a platform that uses sophisticated technologies like machine learning to take advantage of the benefits and provide for better management of energy — all done in real time.

COI Energy has forged partnerships with utilities like Tampa Electric Company and New York Power Authority for a white-label solution. There is also an integration with SAP (NYSE:SAP), which has an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system used by many energy companies.

The business model for COI Energy is based on a subscription model. The company also projects that its revenues will hit $25 million by 2022.

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Regarding the equity crowdfunding campaign, the company has raised more than $471,000 from nearly 1,400 investors, and the valuation is $18 million.

CountertopSmart

A photo of a kitchen with a marbel countertop in the foreground. Source: kazoka/Shutterstock.com

Next on our list of startups to invest in is a company called CountertopSmart. The countertop industry is massive, estimated at $30 billion. But there are inefficiencies. For example, countertop fabricators have to purchase oversized slabs. In the end, this means that the waste costs are passed on to consumers.

To help with this, CountertopSmart has built an app that allows a person to make a purchase for a partial slab from local fabricators. There is also a wide selection of offerings.

The CountertopSmart marketplace has thousands of fabricators. The system also makes it easy to search by dimension, color, species and so on. Users can even get an instant quote and set an appointment with an installer. As a result, the savings can be anywhere from 60% to 80% versus the traditional approach. But fabricators are also able to realize improvements in their bottom lines (the sale of slabs is not core to their business).

The company has seen momentum, with the run rate at $720,000 (on an annual basis). CountertopSmart takes a 50% cut of the sales.

As for the equity crowdfunding round, the company has raised more than $66,000 from 108 investors, and the valuation is at $8.5 million.

Relay

women1600 Source: Shutterstock

Customer service is incredibly challenging, as it can be expensive to hire and train qualified support reps. There is also the issue of turnover. Moreover, customers have come to expect seamless digital experiences.

This is where Relay comes in. It’s a simple application that allows for effective communications between service professionals and customers. It helps to automate scheduling (that includes reminders), messages (there are pre-written scripts), video sharing, reviews and payments that integrate with PayPal’s (NASDAQ:PYPL) Venmo and Intuit’s (NASDAQ:INTU) QuickBooks. There is also a dashboard for analytics.

Relay has signed up 20 customers (the service is currently in beta), and the app is available on Android Play and Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iTunes. The company has a subscription service that has two tiers: one at $189 per month and another at $289 per month.

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Relay has raised over $300,000 from angel investors. As for the equity crowdfunding campaign, the company has raised more than $188,000 from 442 investors, and the valuation is $6 million.

Trusst

A woman talks to a doctor on her laptop. telehealth stocks Source: fizkes/ShutterStock.com

About one in five Americans live with some type of mental illness. But unfortunately, many do not receive help from qualified professionals. Some of the reasons include costs and access to convenient locations.

But for Trusst, this startup is leveraging technologies to solve the problem with a specialized messaging app. It is based on the feedback of experts in psychology. The app is also built with HIPAA privacy and confidentially systems.

The service has two tiers. First, a user can get access to a bot that is based on interactive scripts. Next, there is a system to get matched to licensed health professionals.

Launched in 2019, Trusst is now available in 35 states and is generating more than $125,000 in ARR. More than 100 therapists on the platform have exchanged over 13,000 messages with patients.

Trusst has raised over $1 million from angels and venture capitalists (VCs). As for the equity crowdfunding round, the company has raised more than$66,000 from 205 investors, and the valuation is $6 million.

On the date of publication, Tom Taulli did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article.

Tom Taulli (@ttaulli) is the author of various books on investing and technology, including Artificial Intelligence Basics, High-Profit IPO Strategies and All About Short Selling.  He is also the founder of WebIPO, which was one of the first platforms for public offerings during the 1990s.   