How Bloop Raised €400K from 126 Investors Using Word-of-Mouth Crowdfunding

When most startups think about crowdfunding, they picture polished campaigns on Kickstarter or Indiegogo, complete with professional videos and stretch goals. João Neves, co-founder and CTO of Bloop, took a completely different approach that perfectly embodied his company's core philosophy: the power of word-of-mouth.

In a recent episode of the Levels Podcast, João shared how Bloop's unconventional crowdfunding strategy not only raised €400K but also proved their business model before they even launched their social shopping platform.

Testing Word-of-Mouth Theory in Practice

Bloop's mission centers on rewarding everyday users for their influence through authentic product recommendations. So when it came time to raise additional funding beyond their initial business angel round, João and his team decided to practice what they preached.

"We decided to do crowdfunding, but it was a bit of an atypical crowdfunding because we didn't do it in a public platform. We leverage our own networks, our word of mouth."

Instead of building a public campaign, the team turned to their personal networks. They shared updates on social media, reached out through WhatsApp to former colleagues and friends, and kept the message refreshingly simple.

The €1K Minimum Strategy

The approach was deliberately accessible. João explained their messaging: > "Hey, so as you know, I'm starting this new venture. It's called Bloop. It's a social network. If you want to join us as an investor, we are doing this crowdfunding campaign with a minimum ticket of 1K."

This low entry point wasn't just about making investment accessible—it was strategic. By setting a €1,000 minimum, they could attract a diverse group of investors who would later become their first users and advocates.

Unexpected Results in Record Time

What started as an experiment to "prove the point of the power of word of mouth" quickly exceeded all expectations. João revealed:

"In one or two months, I think it didn't even reach the two months, we raised €400K out of 126 investors, which was completely unexpected. We were expecting much less."

This success validated more than just their fundraising approach—it demonstrated that their core business hypothesis about network effects and authentic recommendations had real merit.

Building Community Through Investment

The crowdfunding round served a dual purpose that traditional fundraising typically misses. These 126 investors didn't just provide capital; they became Bloop's first community.

"126 investors. Of course, they have to be the first experimenting what they invested on. So those were part of this initial beta group."

This created an immediate stakeholder base of people who were financially invested in the platform's success and personally motivated to provide feedback, test features, and spread the word within their own networks.

Beyond the €1.5 Million Total

Combined with their business angel funding, Bloop raised €1.5 million total—enough runway to build their platform and operate through the end of 2025. But perhaps more importantly, they built a foundation of engaged supporters who understood and believed in their vision.

The crowdfunding approach also aligned perfectly with their expansion strategy. As João noted, this funding gives them the foundation to prove their model and gather metrics before expanding to Spain and other European markets in 2026.

Lessons for Other Startups

Bloop's crowdfunding success offers several key insights for early-stage startups:

Authenticity over polish: Their simple, direct messaging through personal networks proved more effective than elaborate public campaigns.

Test your core hypothesis: Using word-of-mouth for fundraising validated their entire business model around network effects.

Turn investors into users: By making investors part of the beta community, they created a uniquely motivated user base.

Start with your network: Sometimes the most powerful marketing channel is the people who already know and trust you.

João's approach shows that fundraising doesn't have to follow traditional playbooks. Sometimes the most innovative funding strategies come from applying your startup's core principles to the fundraising process itself.

Key Points

• Bloop raised €400K from 126 investors without using traditional crowdfunding platforms

• They used personal networks, social media, and WhatsApp with a simple, direct message

• The €1,000 minimum investment made participation accessible to a broad group

• Results exceeded expectations, completing the round in under two months

• Investors became the platform's first beta users, creating an engaged initial community

• The approach validated their core business hypothesis about word-of-mouth effectiveness

• Combined with business angel funding, they secured €1.5 million total runway

Listen to the full conversation with João Neves on the Levels Podcast to learn more about Bloop's journey and innovative approach to building a social shopping platform.