Virtual VC
Industry: Venture Capital
Our service: Managed Projects
Background
Virtual VC, a visionary venture capital company based in London, envisioned a platform where the power of the crowd would determine the future of startups. Established in 2020, their goal was to disrupt traditional funding mechanisms, allowing startups to showcase their potential through pitch videos and to receive funding democratically through user votes.
Our approach
Our mission was to bring Virtual VC’s innovative concept to life by developing a three-tiered platform catering to Investors, Startups, and Voters. We undertook a holistic approach, designing and developing a system that allowed each user group to interact seamlessly within the ecosystem of the contest platform.
Technologies
The tech stack was carefully chosen to support the platform’s requirements. For frontend, React, for its performance and component reusability. Backend was done using PHP with Laravel and MySQL for robust data management. Mailgun for email Communication and managing in contest notifications. Stripe integration for financial transactions. Amazon S3 for hosting pitch videos. Infrastructure includes Dockerized microservices architecture deployed on Amazon AWS for scalability and reliability.
Understanding
Our deep dive into Orbiiit’s vision and challenges laid the groundwork for a transformative solution. Through months of collaboration, user story mappings were meticulously crafted, translating into intuitive, engaging designs. Users were not just viewers but active participants, with gamification elements ensuring sustained engagement.
High-fidelity design
Figma was instrumental in translating complex process diagrams into user-friendly flows, ensuring that the intricate mechanics of the contest platform were presented in an accessible and engaging manner. Our UX team’s commitment to clarity allowed for the creation of interfaces that resonated with each user group’s needs.
Development
The development phase saw the creation of: Contest Dashboards: For Investors to create contests and define prizes. Startup Profiles: Where Startups could join contests and upload pitch videos. Voter Wallets: Allowing Voters to purchase votes and cash out. Each contest’s flow was meticulously crafted to facilitate a fair and transparent selection process, with startups advancing based on crowd-sourced support. Maintenance and Updates: A soft launch phase allowed us to rigorously test the platform, refine features, and ensure the robustness of the voting and wallet systems. Challenges with GSuite email delivery were identified and resolved, setting the stage for a successful full-scale launch. Through innovative thinking and a commitment to excellence, we helped Virtual VC create a ground-breaking platform that democratizes startup funding, leveraging the collective insight of the crowd to invest in merit-based innovation.
