We have exciting news to share with you about the next stage in the Run An Empire journey – our supporters will soon have the opportunity to get involved!
Where we are now
Looking back at the last year, the response to our project has been fantastic: 1,825 Kickstarter Backers and thousands more people signed up for updates. The Ordnance Survey gave us a generous grant to help develop our mapping software. Fast Company called us “Risk mashed up with Nike+” and Runner’s World called us “Strava for the Game of Thrones crowd”. The Guardian, Wired UK and the Evening Standard all featured us. Bethnal Green Ventures invested precious knowledge and capital.
Now Run An Empire for iPhone is almost ready for primetime. But a full global launch, if done right, brings its own challenges – and for that we need to scale up by securing more funding.
The next steps
While we are already in advanced talks with several investors for our current funding round, we will also be launching a Crowdcube campaign in the coming weeks.
This first of all gives you, our eligible supporters (please see criteria below), the opportunity to finally get involved with Run An Empire and help us build the best version of the game we all want to play.
What’s Crowdcube?
Crowdcube is a leading investment crowdfunding platform, where a community of likeminded people pool their money and knowledge together to back startup, early and growth stage businesses.
Whereas our campaign on Kickstarter offered rewards in exchange for pledges (such as beta access or branded tees), our Crowdcube campaign will offer equity in return for your investment, meaning we all share in the success of Run An Empire.
Why do you need it? How does it fit into the plan?
Launching and running a global multiplayer game has significant challenges. We want to do justice to all the ambition we have to make Run An Empire the best located game ever made. This means we need marketing budget, a bigger team and to invest in the best infrastructure.
The plan is to initially launch in a test market in February, where we will work on our acquisition and retention models. We will then phase in more markets to ensure our models fit and that the new market launches are as effective as they can be. The funding we raise via Crowdcube will cover these costs.
What about the global launch?
Once our game mechanic is proven in more focused markets, we plan on raising again in the summer to be able to activate a full global launch.
We realise this changes our original launch plans a bit, but everything we’ve learned so far tells us that this is how we can make Run An Empire the best game it can be, with focused testing and a staged roll-out.
Can anyone invest via Crowdcube?
To invest on Crowdcube you need to be over 18 and legally entitled to invest. You need to live in a country where you may legally receive financial promotions of the nature provided by Crowdcube and are legally entitled to invest in the type of investments.
There are some countries where investment laws prohibit and/or limit funding methods like Crowdcube for unaccredited investors – if you’re a resident of the United States, Canada or Japan, we’re unfortunately unable to advertise our investment pitch to you, and you can’t view or invest in our company on the Crowdcube site.
Are there risks in investing with Crowdcube?
Yes, importantly your capital is at risk. Investing in any start-up or early stage business involves risks and should only be done as part of a diversified portfolio. Please read more about these risks here: https://www.crowdcube.com/pg/risk-36
I want to learn more about investment opportunities with Run An Empire
We will continue to update you as the campaign approaches. If you’re interested in having a conversation with us about this, or if you want any other details about our pitch, do please feel free to get in touch with us via investors@runanempire.com.
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That’s it for now – we’re really excited about what lies ahead and we really hope you’ll join us for the next stage!