Unicorn co-founder, Scott Dunn
There’s a new matchmaking app in town, and refreshingly, it has nothing to do with dating.
This week,
, a startup that connects early-stage investors to entrepreneurs, officially launched. The platform is designed to capture the essence of a pitch or networking event through a mobile experience, providing the startup community with a streamlined process to raising capital. Think AngelList meets Tinder.
Unicorn was founded by Scott Dunn and his two brothers, Brian Dunn and Barry Dunn. Previously, Scott had been working on his first startup, a sports apparel company, and came up with the idea for Unicorn while experiencing the fragmented, tedious process of trying to find investors.
“The real problem is the effort that’s required to raise money and that detracts from development,” said Scott. “Our ultimate goal is to create a more meaningful dialogue among mutually interested parties.”
Unicorn utilizes data, design and video to streamline the discovery and connection process through an entirely mobile experience. In the same vein as today’s popular dating apps, entrepreneurs and early-stage investors can swipe through potential business partners with the hopes of matching. In order to use the platform, investors must be accredited and startups must be looking to raise an early-stage round (between $20K-$800K).
The app allows founders to create a 15-second video pitch, which Dunn feels is the appropriate amount of time it takes investors to decide whether or not they’re interested in learning more. Within the app, entrepreneurs can also create an open-ended bio that highlights what problem they’re solving and how they’re going about solving it. On the investment side, angels can showcase their top portfolio companies.
The company recently raised its own angel round and is using the new funding to focus on development and design. Unicorn is now available in the App store and is completely free to use. Happy swiping.
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