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In this episode, Trung Pham, founder of RYSE, shares how he turned paid ad funnels — usually used to drive DTC sales — into a reliable growth engine for equity crowdfunding, raising over $10 million to fuel smart-home hardware innovation.
Join Ryse's Round! https://invest.helloryse.com/
🎯 Why Listen:
Equity Crowdfunding Meets DTC: Learn how Trung structured investor acquisition just like customer acquisition — using Meta, Google, newsletters, and conversion-optimized funnels.
Patent Strategy at Work: Discover how RYSE leverages Amazon’s APEX program to automatically take down copycat products.
Smart Brand Architecture: Hear how RYSE plans to monetize knockoff competitors with a lower-priced TikTok-focused sister brand.
Manufacturing Flexibility: Learn how Trung is using geographic production flexibility to hedge against rising tariffs.
Key Concepts Covered:
How to apply ad-driven sales mechanics to investor outreach
What Reg A and Reg CF allow founders to do that VC doesn’t
How to structure tiered investment incentives to drive larger check sizes
Why your IP and distribution channels are your real moat
The difference between marketing high-ticket smart devices and traditional DTC goods
Perfect for:
DTC founders, bootstrappers, eCommerce marketers, hardware entrepreneurs, and operators looking to raise capital without giving up control.
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Timestamps
00:00 – Solving the $2K problem: How Ryse was born
02:00 – R&D challenges and building novel IP from scratch
05:00 – From crowdfunding to ecommerce: Scaling a smart home brand
07:00 – Equity crowdfunding as a DTC growth strategy
11:00 – Creative ad strategy for investors and customers
14:00 – Cost to acquire investment vs. product sales
15:00 – Patent protection and using Amazon's APEX program
19:00 – TikTok strategy and launching a lower-cost sub-brand
22:00 – Managing tariff risk by diversifying manufacturing
24:00 – Building for acquisition: Ryse's smart home vision
26:00 – Trung’s advice for hardware founders and DTC equity raises
Hashtags
#DTCBrands
#EquityCrowdfunding
#SmartHome
#StartupGrowth
#EcommerceMarketing
#AmazonSellers
#ProductInnovation
#TikTokShop
#PatentProtection
#HardwareStartup
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