Render Capital Announces First Wefunder Match Fund Company

Render Capital announced today that Cornbread Hemp has become the first company in the Louisville region to access its Wefunder Match Fund.

Wefunder works to support entrepreneurs by helping them raise more money faster, making it possible for their friends, customers, supporters, and local community to invest in their companies. In August 2019, Render Capital was selected to participate as one of six teams across the country in Wefunder’s XX Venture Partner Program. Render Capital, a regional fund of Access Ventures, partnered with Wefunder to help catalyze companies’ funding efforts on the platform. Render Capital committed $20,000 in matching dollars to Cornbread Hemp’s Wefunder campaign, which went into effect as soon as the company raised its first $20,000.

“Capital is an essential ingredient in a thriving regional ecosystem, and new methods of supporting growth are necessary. We are excited to help support entrepreneurs in our region through this accessible platform that allows the community to participate while allowing flexible funding structures for the entrepreneur,” said Marigrace Ragsdale, Associate at Render Capital.

Based in Louisville, Cornbread Hemp is the first CBD brand to offer USDA-certified organic CBD products made from Kentucky-grown hemp.

“We couldn’t have generated this much momentum without Render Capital’s support. By matching our first $20K, Render gave us the springboard we needed to raise more than 50% of our goal in the first 24 hours. In times like these, it’s more important than ever to have local investors like Render showing their support for local startups,” said Jim Higdon, Co-founder and Chief Communications Officer at Cornbread Hemp.

Through this partnership, regional startups also gained access to a variety of support, including a 33% discount off the Wefunder fee, guaranteed interviews for Wefunder’s XX accelerator programs, and a supportive network of mentors and founders. Render’s Wefunder Match Fund supports companies in Louisville and Southern Indiana who decide to raise debt or equity investment on Wefunder, matching the first $20,000 a company raises to help add momentum to their campaign.