Investor FAQ
1. Market Size & Opportunity
How big is your target market?
The U.S. e-commerce market is over $1.1 trillion, with over 500,000+ small manufacturers and millions of conscious consumers seeking American-made goods. We’re targeting a patriotic + locally made niche that is underserved by platforms like Amazon.
Who is your ideal customer — consumers or vendors?
Both. Our vendors are U.S.-based manufacturers and product creators, while our consumers are patriotic Americans who want transparency, trust, and American jobs supported through their purchases.
2. Competitive Landscape
How are you different from Amazon, Etsy, or Walmart Marketplace?
We are exclusively U.S.-made, with built-in AI tools, livestream shopping, and transparent vendor support. Amazon and Etsy allow international sellers; we are curating trust through patriotic commerce, much like Made in USA certification meets Shopify.
3. Product Development
What stage is the platform in? Do you have an MVP?
We have this prototype Multi-Vendor Website Proof of Concept and :
We have a detailed tech architecture and have developed part of the backend/API logic. We are actively building the MVP and aim to complete core marketplace functions (backend/frontend) within 16–20 weeks of funding.
4. Revenue Model
How will you make money?
America 1st Brands Marketplace – Revenue Model
1. Commission-Based Sales
- Model: Percentage-based commission on each sale.
- Model: Percentage-based commission on each sale.
- Rate: Tiered depending on seller category (e.g., 10%-20%).
- Rate: Tiered depending on seller category (e.g., 10%-20%).
- Benefit: Recurring revenue with every transaction.
2. Subscription Plans for Vendor Partners
- Tiers:
- Tiers:
- Basic: Free or low-cost with limited listings.
- Basic: Free or low-cost with limited listings.
- Pro: Monthly fee for additional product listings, analytics dashboard, and marketing perks.
- Pro: Monthly fee for additional product listings, analytics dashboard, and marketing perks.
- Premium Founders Tier: Early access incentives, promotional boosts, and future equity-sharing potential.
- Premium Founders Tier: Early access incentives, promotional boosts, and future equity-sharing potential.
- Recurring Revenue: Predictable income stream.
3. Featured Product Placement / Ads
- Paid promotion slots on:
- Paid promotion slots on:
- Homepage
- Homepage
- Category pages
- Category pages
- Search result priority listings
- Search result priority listings
- Monthly or CPC (cost-per-click) ad campaigns.
4. Private Label / Co-Branding Partnerships
- Offer white-label opportunities for select products (candles, skincare, wellness).
- Offer white-label opportunities for select products (candles, skincare, wellness).
- Co-branding deals with major Made in USA manufacturers or patriotic influencers.
5. Affiliate Marketing Program
- External partners or influencers earn commission for driving traffic and sales.
- External partners or influencers earn commission for driving traffic and sales.
- Creates a passive customer acquisition channel.
6. Wholesale / B2B Bulk Orders
- Special pricing and portal access for businesses to purchase in volume.
- Special pricing and portal access for businesses to purchase in volume.
- Includes schools, churches, corporate gifting, and retailers looking for Made in USA goods.
7. Events, Live Streams & Sponsorships
- Live shopping events and U.S.-based virtual trade shows.
- Live shopping events and U.S.-based virtual trade shows.
- Brands pay to participate or sponsor themed events (e.g., “Veteran-Owned Business Week”).
8. Digital Services & AI Tools
- Paid access to seller tools:
- Paid access to seller tools:
- AI-powered product analytics
- AI-powered product analytics
- Predictive demand modeling
- Predictive demand modeling
- AR try-on and customization tools
Smart customer chat support
- AR try-on and customization tools
- Value-added digital service for upselling to vendors.
9. Marketplace Fulfillment & Logistics Fees
- Centralized fulfillment for select vendors:
Handling, packaging, and shipping services.
- Centralized fulfillment for select vendors:
- Earn revenue through warehousing and logistics fees (if integrated later).
10. Data Licensing / Insights Reporting
- Aggregated anonymized buyer behavior data.
- Aggregated anonymized buyer behavior data.
- Sell insights to U.S. product manufacturers, brands, and institutions tracking domestic product trends.
What is your projected burn rate and when do you expect to break even?
Burn rate is approx. $25K–$40K/month initially during development and marketing. We project break-even at ~2,000 active paying vendors, anticipated by Year 2 Q2–Q3.
5. Team & Execution
Do you have the right team in place to build this?
The founder brings domain experience in product, retail, and operations. We are assembling a strong dev team via freelance/agency channels and will recruit permanent key roles post-seed funding: CTO, Head of Product, Marketing Lead.
What is your experience in e-commerce/marketplace building?
Our leadership has deep ties in retail, distribution, and product-based businesses — understanding both vendor pain points and the importance of American-made branding.
6. Risk & Challenges
What are your biggest risks?
Key risks include:
- Slower vendor onboarding adoption
- Marketplace liquidity (balancing vendors vs. buyers)
- Competing with big players (Amazon, Shopify)
- Technical challenges with livestream + AI scale
We’re mitigating these through phased rollouts, focused marketing, and solid dev architecture.
7. Investment Terms & Use of Funds
How much are you raising and what will the funds be used for?
We’re raising $500K in a Seed Round, and a Bridge Round of $1.5million
Funds will be allocated to:
- 60% Platform Development (Frontend, Backend, Testing)
- 20% Vendor Acquisition & Marketing
- 10% Legal/Compliance
- 10% Admin, Hosting, Operations
What’s the investment structure (SAFE, Equity, Convertible Note)?
We’re offering a SAFE note with a valuation cap of $3.5M, discount rate of 20%, or are open to negotiating convertible equity terms depending on investor preference.