Reward based crowdfunding: an opportunity for Central European consumer goods startups illustrated by success stories of innovative SMEs
Press release – 17 March, 2025
Reward based crowdfunding is an opportunity for innovative startups that produce consumer goods to launch new products, find buyers, collect orders and moderate amounts of funds. The firm does not have to be profitable and its owners do not have to release ownership in return for money.
In exchange for money received from donors, a “reward” or gift – a product or service of the startup – is offered and has to be delivered on schedule. The value of gifts offered is typically proportionate to the amount pledged and received. Goods, merchandise, invites to exclusive can each be rewards.
Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns need good communications and realistic financial, funding goals. Good communications require an engaging presentation (compelling visuals and narratives to convey the project’s vision and impact), an active social media presence and community involvement.
Most rewards-based crowdfunding platforms take about 5% to 8% of the funds raised. A platform may guarantee to return all donations to the donors if the financial goal is not met without taking a fee. Each crowdfunding site has certain thematic specialties, niches where it performs better.
Multiple European Union countries represented in the I3 Greet CE project have success stories:
Croatian success story: Miret produces Earthbound™ ecological sneakers using natural materials, ensuring superb comfort and high durability, all with a lower environmental impact. It has shoes without plastics or leather. Leather is filled with toxic chemicals, most often heavy metals. Hrvoje and Domagoj Boljar are the key people behind Miret. They are industry insiders who have inherited a factory from their father. They have manufactured sneakers for some of the most famous high-end brands in the world and realised the huge ecological problems created by the footwear industry. Miret has raised EUR 68,210 from 562 backers on Kickstarter in 2020, and 470,000 EUR through Funderbeam in 2022.
Portuguese success story: 8000 kicks Ltd. produces Trekker ecological waterproof vegan sneakers and other clothes with hemp fibers. For the last 6 years, it has been launching Kickstarter campaigns, collecting over 10,000 backers. They claim to plant a tree for every order, making their boots 100% carbon neutral. Bernardo Carreira established the firm together with his grandmother, Otilia. Bernardo named his company 8000kicks because man has been using hemp since 8,000 years BC.
Romanian success story: Rovensko village was to be supported by the reconstruction of an organic processing facility for truffles, fruits and vegetables in the Romanian Banat region. EUR 15,172 was collected in 2016 from 306 backers in 2016.
Slovakian success story: Culcharge is a compact charge and data cable, allowing its users to charge their smartphones from almost any device with USB input. It is an alternative solution for charging smartphones. It was founded in 2013 by Jozef Zemla and Viktor Reviliak. In two campaigns, the company has raised EUR 94,311 from 3076 backers on Indiegogo.
Slovenian success story: Daisy, established by Andrei Nastran produces watering devices, automatic watering for indoor and outdoor plants. It can be used as automatic flower/plant watering. It measures soil humidity, temperature, brightness and irrigates through an advanced algorithm, capable of defining the optimal water amount the plant requires. It raised USD 30,681 from 604 backers on Indiegogo in 2014.
Hungarian success story: Remootio, established by two recent Budapest Technical University graduates, Csaba Szántó and Bence Kurucsó has developed a smart device designed to automate gates and garage doors. In 2019, Remootio launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to bring this product to market. The campaign raised $36,104, from 332 backers.
International Conference in Warsaw on the Future of Sustainable Construction (CirCon4Climate)
On February 18 and 19, an international conference took place in Warsaw, bringing together experts from the fields of construction, architecture, urban infrastructure, waste management, plastics, and related industries to discuss the future of sustainable construction.
This event, which gathered visionaries, innovators, and decision-makers, focused on solutions to accelerate the implementation of the Fit for 55 package and facilitate an effective transition to a circular economy. Discussions considered environmental, geopolitical, and social challenges, with particular emphasis on how the conclusions could contribute to shaping national waste management policies.
The event also summarized the project outcomes of CirCon4Climate. The Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG) was one of the co-organizers, with Dr. Alenka Mauko Pranjić participating in a panel discussion on circular and low-carbon building materials.
The conference was held in a hybrid format, featuring a large online audience from across Europe. Alongside speakers on the main stage, smaller working groups engaged in focused discussions.
The event concluded dynamically with a series of short, five-minute inspiring talks (TED Talk-style), where speakers raised creative and thought-provoking questions critical to the future of circular construction:
Circularity is not new – why is it still not systematically integrated?
The future is now – how can we encourage concrete action today?
Technology is available – what is hindering its widespread implementation?
How can we overcome bureaucratic barriers that slow down innovation?
Why do experts collaborate too little, and how can we improve networking?
How can we extract useful information from vast amounts of data for circular construction?
How can circular construction become more attractive to investors and support real estate development without increasing costs?
How can we ensure that circular construction is sustainable while also being safe, high-quality, and appealing?
The event raised important questions and provided a foundation for further action and the development of circular solutions in the construction sector.
Eco-construction crowdfunding opportunity for citizens: Terratico (Slovakia)
Technology and business innovations and supportive European legislation has made it possible for Croatian, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovakian and Slovenian citizens to invest in ventures that combine positive environmental and social impact with profits.
The GREET CE project aims to foster bioeconomy solutions and promote crowdfunding. Therefore, it assists innovative European SMEs and citizens seeking crowdfunding deals. One of the fields it focuses on is eco-friendly construction. Eco-construction, a commitment geared to protecting our planet’s future, refers to an approach that aims to minimise the environmental impact of construction and the built infrastructure including buildings.
Terratico, a Slovakian venture offers an investment opportunity currently available to all European Union citizens. It is in collaboration with Crowdberry, a leading Slovakian crowdfunding investment digital platform that has a history of backing high-growth innovative Czech and Slovakian SMEs. They have successfully cooperated in a prior investment round too.
Citizens are offered the opportunitytoinvest alongside a private equity fund and gain a stake in the company. Online investment can be made. The minimum investment amount is EUR 3,000.
Terratico, a Slovak firm established by the Nagy family, has a patented solution in the field of sustainable building materials. Lightweight eco-concrete with up to 45% plastic waste in the mix is an innovative solution with unique properties that can help reduce emissions, save costs and use materials more efficiently.
Improved flexibility – allows for different colours and
Lower water absorption – protects from frost damage and prolongs service
Terratico products are an eco-friendly alternative for all types of paving, tiles, facades, planters and other outdoor or indoor furniture. In addition, the products are also certified for safe contact with food and drinking water, so they can also be actively used in catering or establishments with a higher requirement for cleanliness.
This is not an investment offer. Anybody should make their own due diligence before making any investments.
Technology and business innovations and supportive European legislation has made it possible for Croatian, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovakian and Slovenian citizens to invest in ventures that combine positive environmental and social impact with profits.
The GREET CE project aims to foster bioeconomy solutions and promote crowdfunding. Therefore, it assists innovative European SMEs and citizens seeking crowdfunding deals. One of the fields it focuses on is sustainable energy.
Solar photovoltaic, a strong growth area is a popular crowdlending field, with a number of projects looking for credit. This is enabled by the risk profile of these projects that rely on standardised technologies and have relatively predictable cash-flows.
Crowdfunding allows citizens to contribute small amounts of money to fund larger projects – such as solar installations. In one of the common crowdfunding model lenders receive interest on their loans. People invest small amounts, which are pooled together to fund the project. An advantage is that it removes financial barriers to investing in renewable energy. Anyone can participate in a solar project, with a small the investment. Typical individual solar projects have been too small to qualify for project financing at a bank, yet it too large for a project owner to finance on their own.
Like any investment, crowdfunding solar panels carries risks. It’s important to research each project and the regulatory environment carefully before investing.
Current blue economy (marine) impact investment opportunity – Oceano Fresco (Portugal)
Technology and business innovations and supportive European legislation has made it possible for Croatian, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovakian and Slovenian citizens to invest in ventures that combine positive environmental and social impact with profits.
The GREET CE project aims to foster bioeconomy solutions and promote crowdfunding. Therefore, it assists innovative European SMEs and citizens seeking crowdfunding deals. It also ambitions building closer ties between Portugal and Central European countries.
Oceano Fresco, a Portuguese venture offers an investment opportunity currently available to all European Union citizens. It is in collaboration with GoParity, a leading, award-winning European impact investment digital platform. They have been successfully cooperating for five years.
Citizens are offered the opportunity to participate in the provision of a 4-year EUR 450,000 loan to Oceano Fresco. The annual interest rate is 7.1%. Online investment can be made. The minimum investment amount is EUR 5.
Oceano Fresco has so far raised EUR 3,710,000 directly from citizens in 18 successful crowdfinancing rounds. Over the last few years, the Company’s unique value proposition has led to it being awarded approximately EUR 7.5 million in seed-stage equity investments and EUR 4.2 million in competitive grants. In July 2024, the Company announced an EUR 17 million Series B funding round. Oceano Fresco has a history of crowdlending with Goparity and its investors who have accompanied the company’s development through the various phases and years, enabling the pioneering mission of creating a sustainable, large-scale shellfish farming company.
Oceano Fresco, established in 2015 is a pioneering company in the sustainable, large-scale farming of bivalves. It aims to become a game-changer in the EUR 20 billion shellfish market. This deal will assist the Company to continue on its path to become a leader in regenerative bivalve aquaculture.
Beyond Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia have introduced EUR instead of their former national currency. The 10-year government bond yield of Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia was 3,05%, 3.4% and 3.2% on January 10, 2025, respectively.
This is not an investment offer. Anybody should make their own due diligence before making any investments.
The GREET CE project recently had the honor of participating in the Mazovia Development Forum (Forum Rozwoju Mazowsza), one of the most prominent events dedicated to showcasing the role of the European Union in the development of the Mazovian region. Organized by the Masovian Unit for the Implementation of EU Programs, this event serves as a vital platform for collaboration, innovation, and exchange between representatives from business, academia, administration, and the non-governmental sector.
We are especially grateful to our partner, Mazovia Energy Agency (MAE), for playing a key role in promoting the GREET CE project at the Forum. As one of the Forum’s partners, MAE provided invaluable support and taking part in important discussions. Their CEO, Bartosz Dubiński, led a debate on the main stage, where the focus was on the role of green energy and sustainable practices in Central Europe. The MAE team actively engaged with other participants, promoting GREET CE and encouraging potential new partners to join our efforts in driving the green transition.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the companies working with us on GREET CE who participated in this event. Their presence at the Forum highlighted the diversity of industries and innovations involved in our project.
The Mazovia Development Forum presented a unique opportunity for GREET CE to foster new business relationships, exchange ideas, and explore future cooperation with other organizations committed to sustainability. Our exhibition space attracted interest from a wide range of participants, while our discussions with other companies at the Forum laid the groundwork for future collaborations.
But this is just the beginning! The GREET CE project continues to grow, and we are actively seeking new partners, especially companies interested in gaining international exposure, expanding their networks, and applying for funding to support innovative green solutions.
If your organization operates in the fields of bioeconomy, circular economy, eco-construction, bioenergy, smart grids, or regenerative farming, we invite you to join us in shaping a sustainable future. Together, we can drive the green transition in Central Europe and beyond.
