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Niche Wins, $26M in Raises, and a Founder Who Made Trash Profitable
From platform strategy to a $26M month in Reg CF raises to a founder who built a profitable business out of unrecyclable trash — this week's roundup has range.
Sam Fiske
July 01, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes
Hi there,
This Week: why niche crowdfunding platforms are quietly outraising the giants, June's top-performing raises across the market, and TerraCycle's Tom Szaky on turning waste into recurring revenue.
Plus: Missed our June webinar? Kingscrowd CEO Chris Lustrino sat down with Mark Elenowitz, Jeanne Campanelli, and Gregg Jaclin to break down Reg CF, Reg A, and the path to public markets — and when each one actually makes sense for founders.
Let’s dive in.
For founders weighing where to raise, the data makes a clear case: "biggest" isn't always "best fit." Niche platforms like Equifund, Equivest, and Vicinity consistently outperform because when a platform repeatedly brings investors deals in one category — hotels, energy, community businesses — those investors get sharper at evaluating them, and that familiarity translates into capital.
The takeaway for founders: an audience that understands your industry matters more than an audience that's simply large. Founders in commodities, real estate, faith-based ventures, or other niche categories may raise more on a smaller, specialized platform than on a generalist giant.
JUNE FUNDING REPORT
June 2026 Funding Report: Reg CF Investors Poured in $26.4M
Regulation Crowdfunding investors committed $26.36M in net investment across the market in June, with Equifund and Wefunder combining for over half of all commitments. ORBITBeyond led the pack by a wide margin, pulling in over $9M for its lunar payload delivery business on Equifund, while Avadain's graphene technology and Rejuvenate Bio's longevity research rounded out the top three raises of the month.
Beyond the headline numbers, deep tech and biotech continued to punch above their weight — from age-reversal therapeutics to next-gen battery storage — while smaller community-focused raises on platforms like Honeycomb showed that Main Street businesses are still finding real traction with everyday investors.
Dive into the full platform-by-platform breakdown and see every top raise from June →
EVENTS
Demo Day is coming — hear directly from founders raising right now.
Mark your calendars for Kingscrowd Demo Day Q3 2026 on July 29, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET, where a curated group of founders will pitch live to our investment team and audience, followed by real-time Q&A. It's a chance to hear straight from the entrepreneurs behind some of the most compelling active raises, ask questions in real time, and get direct commentary from Kingscrowd's analyst team on what they look for in a deal.
FROM THE INSIDE STARTUP INVESTING PODCAST
On the latest episode of Inside Startup Investing, host Chris Lustrino sits down with TerraCycle founder and CEO Tom Szaky to discuss how the company built a global waste management business around recycling the products most local systems reject. The conversation covers why many materials are technically recyclable but economically unattractive for traditional recyclers, and how TerraCycle solves that gap through brand-funded programs, paid zero-waste boxes, and commercial recycling services — plus a candid look at TerraCycle's profitability, dividend history, and acquisition strategy. It's a rare inside look at a company that's stayed profitable for years while paying out dividends to early shareholders.
EDUCATION: REG CF, REG A, OR IPO?
ICYMI: The New Capital Raising Playbook
Founders have more capital raising options than ever, but each path comes with its own benefits, challenges, timing, and preparation requirements. In this founder education webinar, Chris Lustrino leads a discussion with Mark Elenowitz, Jeanne Campanelli, and Gregg Jaclin on how founders should think about Reg CF, Reg A, and IPO pathways — from choosing the right route to understanding compliance, investor communications, and public market readiness.
