--- title: "Vital Signs #53: Circleup Raises $7.5 Million, Crowdfunding" description: "Crowdfunding For Food: CircleUp Raises $7.5M From Union Square Ventures" image: https://www.sjordanassociates.com/hs-fs/file-31890069-jpg/images/hx-portal-resized-600.jpg --- ![](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/hs-fs/file-31890069-jpg/images/hx-portal-resized-600.jpg) # Vital Signs #53: Circleup Raises $7.5 Million, Crowdfunding Published by [ Scott Jordan ](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog/author/scott-jordan) on Tue, May 07, 2013 @ 06:08 PM ![Crowdfunding Series A](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/hs-fs/file-31890069-jpg/images/hx-portal-resized-600.jpg) [CircleUp](http://circleup.com/), a fundraising platform for consumer product companies, has raised $7.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Union Square Ventures and joined by [Google](http://www.forbes.com/companies/google/) [GOOG -0.55%](http://www.forbes.com/companies/google/) Ventures, Maveron and Clayton Christensen’s Rose Park Advisors. Andy Weissman, who led the deal for Union Square, will join the company’s board. Founded in 2011 by two Stanford MBAs, CircleUp helps accredited investors invest in high-growth consumer product companies with annual revenues of at least $1 million—mostly CPGs like snack food makers, though the platform has also funded a skincare brand. The platform offers investors the opportunity to invest in an asset class otherwise off limits to those without a substantial network, while increasing the speed and availability of capital raises for consumer-product companies. According CircleUp COO and cofounder Rory Eakin, consumer product companies often spend a year seeking capital from friends, family and other contacts. Those funded through the site typically close a round in eight weeks. Recent companies funded through the platform include [Little Duck Organics](http://littleduckorganics.com/index.php), a Brooklyn-based maker of organic children’s snacks, and [Rhythm Superfoods](http://rhythmsuperfoods.com/), an Austin-based maker of kale chips. [http://www.forbes.com/sites/jjcolao/2013/05/07/crowdfunding-for-food-circleup-raises-7-5m-from-union-square-ventures/](http://www.forbes.com/sites/jjcolao/2013/05/07/crowdfunding-for-food-circleup-raises-7-5m-from-union-square-ventures/)     Tags: [Venture Capital](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog/topic/venture-capital), [Crowdfunding](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog/topic/crowdfunding), [Series A](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog/topic/series-a) [Back to Blog](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ## Related Articles ## [#26: Charity and Non-Profit Platform Rally.org Obtained $7.9 Million from Investors ](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog/bid/163222/26-Charity-and-Non-Profit-Platform-Rally-org-Obtained-7-9-Million-from-Investors) In a recently published White Paper, SJA profiled how emerging growth biotechnology companies can... [Read More ](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog/bid/163222/26-Charity-and-Non-Profit-Platform-Rally-org-Obtained-7-9-Million-from-Investors) ## [CircleUp Raises $30M For Its Consumer Brand Crowdfunding Platform](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog/bid/407547/CircleUp-Raises-30M-For-Its-Consumer-Brand-Crowdfunding-Platform) ... [Read More ](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog/bid/407547/CircleUp-Raises-30M-For-Its-Consumer-Brand-Crowdfunding-Platform) ## [CircleUp Captures $22M to Invest in Consumer Brands That Campaigned on Its Very Own Platform](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog/bid/406450/CircleUp-Captures-22M-to-Invest-in-Consumer-Brands-That-Campaigned-on-Its-Very-Own-Platform) [Read More ](https://www.sjordanassociates.com/blog/bid/406450/CircleUp-Captures-22M-to-Invest-in-Consumer-Brands-That-Campaigned-on-Its-Very-Own-Platform)