Opening Remarks
This week, I’ve been thinking about the ongoing debate around which city is the better startup hub: NYC or SF.
Both are incredible. But what’s most interesting isn’t which is better, it’s how different they are. SF thrives on focus and technical depth, a community of like-minded builders who move fast and reinforce each other. NYC thrives on diversity, with finance, consumer, media, climate, and health tech founders often working side by side, shaping ideas through contrast. Each city gives founders a different kind of edge.
I wrote about this recently in a post that went viral. Check it out here. Now, onto this week’s feature:
-Brett
Bulletpitch’s publication covers the hottest early-stage startups before being picked up by larger media outlets. If that’s you, apply here.
Setting the Scene
Many nonprofits are struggling to connect with younger, digitally native audiences.
Younger generations aren’t less charitable, but traditional fundraising tactics like email appeals, cold outreach, and galas don’t resonate with donors who prioritize access, experiences, and authenticity.
At the same time, artists’ teams are seeking fresh, low-lift ways to deepen fan engagement, grow their audiences, and amplify key moments like tours, releases, and brand partnerships.
This week’s company provides a turnkey platform that helps organizations empower talent to rally fans around causes they care about through high-impact campaigns, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and authenticated collectibles.
In a Sentence
Fandiem is a turnkey sweepstakes and auction platform that helps organizations partner with artists to engage their fanbase and raise funds for the causes they care about.
Platform: A legally compliant, fully managed system for running donate-to-win campaigns, combining fundraising mechanics with cultural relevance and viral fan engagement.
Organizations: Artists, athletes, festivals, and nonprofits partner with Fandiem to activate their fanbase for good, running high-impact campaigns without building or managing infrastructure themselves.
Engage: The campaigns are fueled by fans who donate and bid for a chance to win exclusive experiences or memorabilia, turning passion into real philanthropic impact.
Bulleted Version: Think of Fandiem as GoFundMe for donations, but instead of just giving, fans donate for the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences and collectibles, all in support of the causes their favorite celebrities care about.
The Basics
Industry: Digital Fundraising, Creator Economy, Sweepstakes
Headquarters: Connecticut
Year Founded: 2020
Employee Count: 6 full-time, 8 part-time
Investors: Dundee Partners, Deblock Fund, Phil Sarna, Coran Capshaw
Amount Raised: $1.7M
Business Model: Revenue share from sweepstakes and memorabilia auctions (20–25% platform take)
Early Traction: $10M in annualized platform GMV, 2.5M+ opted-in music fans, 60% YoY growth, and campaigns with top artists including Paul McCartney, Metallica, Pearl Jam, U2, and Billie Eilish.
Sponsored Content*
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Most investors hear about a company after they’ve already raised. With Harmonic, you’ll know first.
Harmonic’s data engine tracks 20M+ companies and 150M+ professional profiles in real time. The second a startup hires its first engineer, spins up a website, or closes a round, you’re in the loop.
Whether you’re sourcing deals, prospecting customers, or building partnerships, Harmonic gives you the freshest signals to act before the rest of the market catches on.
Weekly Feature Continued
Due Diligence
WHAT WE LIKE
Data Flywheel: Each campaign deepens Fandiem’s own database of 2.5M+ opted-in fans, providing unmatched insight into fan behavior, charitable preferences, and engagement patterns that can drive future monetization.
Marketing Value: Beyond fundraising, Fandiem acts as a full-funnel marketing engine by expanding fan reach, driving high-intent engagement and amplifying priority moments like tours, releases, and brand partnerships.
POTENTIAL RISKS
Take Rate: Some fans may push back on platforms earning revenue from charitable donations, even if the model is legally compliant and transparent.
Talent: Many artists support causes passively; the challenge is getting them to actively engage or promote these campaigns regularly.
Fan Retention Risk: Sweepstakes are moment-driven, so sustaining engagement over time will require consistent talent participation and fresh incentives to bring fans back.
Founder Profiles
Jared Heiman, CEO: Former partnerships and sales leader at Condé Nast, Rdio, and Grooveshark; two-time founder with deep industry relationships across music and digital media.
Paul Peck, President: Co-founder of the Okeechobee Music Festival and longtime producer at Bonnaroo and Superfly, bringing top-tier artist access and live-event expertise.
Ross Gassman, VP Product & Growth: Previously led marketing at Loud And Live with experience building fan engagement and digital campaign ecosystems.
Julio Marin, VP Marketing: Brand strategist and creative executive with previous leadership roles at Jose Cruz Productions and Zenith; focused on storytelling and brand amplification.
To request an introduction to the founder, respond to this email.
Comps
Omaze: Digital sweepstakes pioneer that raised $150M+ for nonprofits; now solely focused on UK operations.
Propeller: A take-action model for entries, partnering with major artists and pre-approved nonprofits; lacks Fandiem’s open charity model and first-party data sharing.
CharityBuzz: Luxury auction site for exclusive experiences and high-end items; offers limited marketing and fulfillment support compared to Fandiem’s end-to-end model.
Prizeo: Celebrity sweepstakes platform; Fandiem differentiates by partnering with major fan-reach platforms such as Bandsintown and Ticketmaster/Live Nation.
Why Fandiem: By bridging nonprofits and fanbases, activating celebrity-led campaigns, and making giving feel like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, this company is hitting all the right notes.
Event Board
Foundersgiving, NYC: We’re hosting our second annual Foundersgiving, a Thanksgiving themed dinner to bring together NYC’s top founders in November! Sign up HERE.
Cast Your Vote
What do you think of Fandiem?
Last Week Today
The Results Are In: Cipher, a commercial music licensing platform that allows brands to legally use copyrighted songs in short-form social video, was favored in last week’s poll.
Subscriber Feedback: “The product solves a legal gray area, but it may take some time to see major traction until lawsuits become more prevalent.”
