Now India Can Invest
We’re unveiling a unique investment opportunity for India. For the first time in history, every Indian citizen can invest in Sagoon – a fast growing startup from South Asia.
Traction
- Total users: 2 Million+
- Investors: 3000+
- Amount raised: $4.8 Million
- Team size: 50
Overview
Sagoon (the “company”) - a social commerce platform - is incorporated in the United States, India and Nepal. Sagoon enables users to CONNECT, SHARE and EARN.
As the Internet has continued to evolve, we’ve seen significant shifts in the way we communicate and how we make purchases. Social media has become a steady influence in our everyday lives, with 2.8 billion people across the globe now using at least one network. E-commerce is no different, as we’re now able to shop from anywhere, at any time, on any device, bringing a world of products to our fingertips – so much so that a recent estimate suggests the global business-to-consumer cross-border e-commerce market could reach $1 Trillion by 2020*.
However, what’s missing is a platform where users can both communicate socially, shop and be rewarded for doing so - until now. Sagoon was founded to fulfil this growing demand.
* Source: Forbes
Android app is available for global users
In Jan 2018, Bollywood star Shraddha Kapoor launched Sagoon’s Android app at an event in New Delhi. The launch event symbolized the beginning of a “New Social World from South Asia” and promoted the theme of solidarity between India, Nepal and USA.
Sagoon’s long-term mission is to change the way people use and interact on social media today by enabling users to Connect, Share and Earn. With that mission, we want to help people build true connections, share useful experiences and earn rewards while socializing.
Users benefit with the current offer in Android app:
- Build knowledge base of information that is free from anxiety and depression
- Gain peace of mind and maintain a productive life at home and at work
- Rebuild meaningful connections with their loved ones
Social Smart Card: Under development
Social Smart Card is a single digital card for fulfilling all the shopping and gifting needs of our users. It allows users to earn money while shopping, redeeming coupons and gifting their loved ones. We are planning to launch the beta version of Social Smart Card by the end of 2018.
Gift: Users buy and send gifts to loved ones
Shop: Users redeem buying goods/services
Earn: Users get a percentage back on each transaction
How can India invest?
The answer lies in the Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS), which was introduced on February 4, 2004. Under this scheme, the Reserve Bank of India allows resident citizens to remit funds (send money) abroad. With the help of an authorized dealer, each citizen can send up to USD 250,000 outside India for a number of purposes, including making investments abroad.
For more information on LRS scheme, please click here.
India Can Invest: Key highlights
- Bringing an opportunity for the common people of India to invest in an early stage company and receive huge potential financial returns. This opportunity was never available to common people before and would change the conception that only rich people get to invest in startups.
- Creating a new social world from South Asia that showcases the immense potential and strength of Indian talent to the world
- Exploring and giving opportunities to Indian talent to innovate and solve the global issues
- Creating multiple job opportunities in the region
- Offering Sagoon platform and resources to local entrepreneurs so collectively we build products and technology to solve issues that this growing community often faces
Pitch Deck
Offering Overview
- Amount of Raise Goal of raising is $5 million
-
Type of Shares
Class C Common Shares (1/10-voting)
(Dividends: We do not anticipate paying dividends in the near future and any dividends will be dependent upon future profits, if any )
- Share Price $23 / Share
- Minimum Investment $1,000 (43 shares)
- Maximum Investment for accredited investors No limit
- Maximum investment for unaccredited investors 10% of their annual income or net worth
- Subsidiaries Sagoon India Private Limited (100% subsidiary) and Sagoon Nepal Private Limited (100% subsidiary)
- Legal Counsel KHLK LLP
- Back-end Processing FundAmerica, LLC
- Escrow Service Prime Trust, LLC
- Transfer Agent Computershare Inc.
- Credit Card Processing Vantiv, LLC
- This is a best efforts offering so there will be no returns. Further, this is an illiquid investment; thus, there exists no exchange for investors to liquidate their positions.
- Prior to investing, to review the specific details of the offering, please download the Offering Circular.
Use of proceeds
Growth Marketing
Creating marketing and sales channels for acquiring users based in South Asia and United States
Research and Development
Building a R&D team in India to develop machine learning, artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to support our current and pipeline products.
Product launch
Developing and launching an iOS app, Web Desktop and Social Smart Card
Hiring and office expand
Hiring key management, engineers and marketing & sales team
Key Considerations
We think that an informed decision is a wise decision. Before you decide to come aboard as an investor, please read our Offering Circular. We'd like to draw your attention to the following:
We are focused on more than $300 billion social commerce market. We intend that our major revenue sources in the first phase will be “gifting and socializing” coupons.
We are a very passionate and committed team of entrepreneurs, who have full confidence in what we observe, perform and execute.
We have a long-term vision. Since inception, our development headquarter in India has focused on South Asia, where more than 600 million potential users access the Internet. We are also located in Nepal - a transit spot to China where more than 900 million potential users surf the Internet
We believe we are the pioneer of social media monetization – a unique business innovation that has the potential to change the way the social media landscape is used today.
We are developing the opportunity for users to earn money while they socialize with their loved ones; it will be made possible through a ‘Social Smart Card’ that we believe creates a spin cycle of positive outcomes - more gifting, more advertising. That is our plan for successful growth.
The word 'sagoon' is a well-recognized household name among billions of people in South Asia and other parts of the world.
We are positioning Sagoon as a social movement. The motivation in investing in Sagoon is not just to get financial returns but also to foster innovation from an isolated community and underserved market.
We are developing the opportunity for users to earn money while they socialize with their loved ones; it will be made possible through a ‘Social Smart Card’ that we believe creates a spin cycle of positive outcomes - more gifting, more advertising. That is our plan for successful growth.
Investing in startups is risky. Please read all the risk factors set out in our Offering Circular.
Technological and Competitive Advantages
R&D Costs
We operate and function majorly from India, which lowers our product development cost five times as compared to our competitors’.
Shared Earnings
Users will receive an online “Social Smart Card” that allows them to redeem coupons, give gifts, and also earn financial rewards – all while socializing with friends and family. Its usage will allow every user to earn a percentage of Sagoon’s revenue.
Technology
We plan to use a data-retrieving method based on advanced mathematical formulae that support Semantic Web and Natural Language Processing (NLP), machine learning, artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to support our current and pipeline products.
Product and Services
We offer our users to indulge in social media and online gifting from a single platform. This way we allow users to save time that one often wastes while going from social sites to different online gifting sites.
South Asian Market
We think we can hugely influence this market as we believe we culturally fit into it more easily than our competitors.
Our Business
Sagoon aims to be a GIFTING company.
We believe that the company is set to disrupt the $300 billion worth social gifting market and plan to share earnings with every single user by offering to CONNECT – SHARE – EARN.
Connect
People want their lives to be more fruitful. We just don’t want
you to connect. We want you to build a meaningful relationship with your people and want
your time on the Sagoon platform to be useful - productive and better organized.
Share
We understand that each relationship in your life is special. Our
aim is to enrich the quality of interactions with the people who matter the most to you. We
don’t want you to share everything you find with your people, which is common on most other
platforms. That creates boring relations. Instead, we built a platform where you can share
your experiences, feelings and thoughts that would create better bonds or turn out to be a
life-saving gift to others.
Earn
We want to share our earnings with you. By spending time with us, we
want you to enjoy, and earn knowledge and cash rewards.
Sagoon intends to achieve its mission of making the world a better place to live by helping people build true connections, share useful experiences and earn while socializing. We believe reinventing the concept of social gifting would improve people’s relationships and make them cherish each moment spent with their loved ones.
Therefore, we call Sagoon a “social movement” - CONNECT – SHARE – EARN
We are in India: Sagoon India Pvt. Ltd
We are in India to reinvent the wheel. We plan to combine the experience, culture and success of Silicon Valley with the incredible talent that gives India the chance to change the world. Our plan is to roll out the same culture of product delivery, the same business model and retail concept, the same game plan, the same investment opportunity, the same employee benefits, and the same successful management team that a Silicon Valley company would.
We believe we have the potential to go bigger and much better because of the size of the South Asian market compared to the U.S. market – more than 600 million Internet users at present, a figure that is projected to reach more than 700 million by 2018. We have a team and an infrastructure already in place. We plan to hire and build a bigger team with key management, developers and engineers after closing this offering.
We are in Nepal: Sagoon Nepal Pvt. Ltd.
We are in Nepal to leverage the full potential of the hidden talent that this mountain nation possesses. We admire the hard work, the appetite to learn new things and the hunger of Nepalese to carve a name for themselves to the extent that we have planned to start making a framework of the IT hub in Nepal. We already have established an office in one of the prime locations of Kathmandu and that is just a start.
A word from our founder
— Govinda GiriWe have a vision of a world where everyone makes money while they socialize.You can help us achieve that vision by investing in Sagoon.
Let me start with a few words from my journey.
In 2006, my favorite search engine was Yahoo, and then Google. Still, I was not happy with their search results - 10 blue links on the end-user device. So, I started Sagoon as a search engine and launched it in 2009. I wanted to offer users more relevant and personalized choices on the first page of search results itself.
In 2012, with the rapid development of mobile and internet our offline lives started shifting online. More than 2.3 billion people were using social media but not everyone was loving it. Hundreds of millions of people were going through social anxiety and isolation every day and spending hours and hours on social media, resulting in zero productivity. That inspired me to build a social commerce platform with the strong motto: Connect. Share. Earn. I have a strong belief, that Sagoon will revolutionize our social lives and help build a more connected world, with meaningful relationships, and will also allow people to earn money while they socialize.
In order to achieve this amazing mission, we need financial support, but my choice, as always, is not to chase BIG investors. Rather, we want to use this opportunity to connect with people like YOU who can join us, believe in us, and share the dream to make the world a better place to live, and also, potentially earn money as their investment returns. It is possible for the general public like YOU to buy a piece of a company like Sagoon, and to be a part of innovation - an opportunity that was not available during the early stages of companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter.
We already have more than 3,000 investors who have joined our mission and put their faith in Sagoon and we are very thankful for their support. We have more than 50 team members in 3 different locations (US, India and Nepal) who are working hard, day and night, to soon release our iOS app, along with several projects that are in the pipeline. But there is still work left for us to do to change the way we Connect, Share, and Earn.
Won’t you join us?
Jaya Sagoon!
Disclaimer- please note, investing in an early stage company like Sagoon, is very risky.
Please read our offering circular before making any investment.
Questions & Answers
Can I invest?
Everyone can invest online in Sagoon by completing a simple investment form.
The US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) now allows Regulation A (also called Reg A+ and Mini-IPO) offerings to raise funds from both non-accredited and accredited investors.
Who is an accredited investor? An individual who has a net worth in excess of $1 Million (excluding his or her primary residence) or has had an annual income in excess of $200,000 ($300,000 if joint income) for the past two years.
If you are a non-accredited investor, you shall not invest more than 10% of your net worth or 10% of your annual income.
Investors outside the USA may also be eligible to buy shares. You must ensure that your situation and local law allow you to become an investor wherever you live or invest from.
Why should I invest?
Our founders left everything behind and set up a vision to make this world a better place to live. They worked day and night to develop products they envisioned, build a team and expand their business to different markets. They need funds to achieve their vision and make Sagoon one of the most successful companies. If you believe in their vision, we encourage you to invest and potentially receive financial returns.
What should I do before buying shares?
Please read our Offering Circular carefully.
How do I buy shares?
It’s simple. Just click on ‘Invest Now’ and fill the required details.
How much do shares cost? Is there any fees?
The price of a single share is $23. You can buy any number of shares. There might be a small fee involved which your local bank may charge for wire or credit card payment.
What is the payment method?
You can pay using any of the following options:
- Credit Card or Debit Card
- ACH or Check (if you have an account in any of the US banks)
- Wire (All international investors)
Please note: For Investors from India only wire transfer option is available. However, ICICI and Axis bank allow their account holders to wire the money online via net banking.
What happens when I purchase shares?
Once the investment is complete, your money will be transferred to an escrow account as an independent escrow agent.
When we accept your investment, and some regulatory procedures are completed, your money will be transferred from the escrow account to Sagoon in exchange for your shares.
You will receive a confirmation of your investment and a subscription agreement via email and you will become a co-owner of Sagoon Inc.
How long will shares be available to purchase?
This investment opportunity is available until June 2018.
Can I sell my shares in the future?
Your shares can be freely sold, if you find a buyer for them. While we intend to seek a listing or quotation on a stock exchange or market in the future, there can be no guarantee that we will succeed in doing so in the short term or ever.
How do I contact the merchant?
You can contact us via:
- Email: govinda@sagoon.com
- Chat: www.sagoon.com/invest
You can also read important answers to crowdfunding related
questions here:
https://www.sec.gov/oiea/investor-alerts-bulletins/ib_crowdfunding-.html
Important Information
An offering statement regarding this offering has been filed with the SEC. The SEC has qualified that
offering statement, which only means that the company may make sales of the securities described by
the offering statement. It does not mean that the SEC has approved, passed upon the merits or passed
upon the accuracy or completeness of the information in the offering statement. You may obtain a
copy of the offering circular that is part of that offering statement at
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1639953/000114420417037373/v471033_partiiandiii.htm
You should read the offering circular before making any investment.
Forward-looking Statement
This offering circular may contain forward-looking statements and information relating to, among other things, the company, its business plan and strategy, and its industry. These forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of, assumptions made by, and information currently available to the company’s management. When used in the offering materials, the words “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which constitute forward looking statements. These statements reflect management’s current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the company’s actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. The company does not undertake any obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after such date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Terms and conditions for using Credit/Debit cards
If you choose to use a credit card as your payment method, you accept and agree to these Terms and Conditions:
- VISA, MasterCard and Discover cards will be accepted. Credit card must have a valid security code.
- Payments cannot be split between multiple credit cards.
- Your payment made to Sagoon does not provide any cancellation and/or refunds on any fees or charges, including bank/merchant fees subject to applicable laws/government regulation.
- Your security is important to us.We encrypt your payment and personal information when sending it over Internet or storing it.
- Please refer terms and conditions available on Offering Circular for detail information.
- If the payment is not processed because of any reasons, then the respective investment will be cancelled.