DealMaker Announces Acquisition of Ridge Growth Agency

March 7, 2022

Austin, Texas, USA | March 07, 2022 09:00 AM, Eastern

DealMaker, the leading data-driven capital raising technology platform, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Austin, TX based Ridge Growth Agency, the leading digital investor acquisition agency in Regulation A+, Regulation CF, and Regulation D 506(c) capital raises. With expertise spanning “direct to investor” offerings, traditional crowdfunding, and e-commerce, Ridge has emerged as an unparalleled leader in the marketing of online capital raises.

Far surpassing the industry standard, Ridge has helped issuers raise over $350M across 30 campaigns in the last 18 months. Their expertise in investor acquisition is unmatched, making them the perfect complement to DealMaker’s best-in-class technology platform.

With this combined offering, leading issuers looking to raise capital online “from the crowd” can look to DealMaker for both leading technology as well as powerful go-to-market tools to acquire and convert potential investors.

“We’re excited to join the DealMaker team and keep pushing the capital markets forward,” said Jon Stidd, CEO and Co-Founder of Ridge Growth,“There’s a great opportunity to build a lot of ‘best practices’ in investor marketing right into the technology platform, all while we continue to stay hands-on with campaigns for leading issuers.”

“From the beginning, our synergies in working with Ridge have been unparalleled,” said Rebecca Kacaba, CEO and co-founder of DealMaker, “It has been a seamless collaboration for our teams since we began working together in the way we both think, act and approach the industry. Retail capital raising offers an enormous opportunity to entrepreneurs in the USA and around the world, and we are thrilled to be pushing the boundaries of what is technologically possible to bring more capital to entrepreneurs everywhere, creating one global capital market. At DealMaker, we continue to make acquisitions that give more power to issuers and create efficiency in the capital raising process.”

Full marketing services will be offered to select Reg A and Reg CF offerings under the name DealMaker Reach. DealMaker will continue to collaborate with existing partner marketing agencies to service its pipeline of $1.5B in upcoming offerings.

Interested issuers can learn more at www.dealmaker.tech/reach

News Links: 

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Monogram Case Study - DealMaker (Embed)

When VCs said no, Monogram turned to retail investors. That decision powered their rise from startup to publicly traded company—and even helped them raise an additional $13M privately after their Nasdaq debut.

Monogram at NASDAQ celebration

The Challenge: Raising Capital on Their Terms

The Challenge: Raising on Their Terms

Monogram Technologies was founded with a bold vision: to revolutionize orthopedic surgery with a robotic joint replacement system using custom 3D-printed joints. The market for this technology is massive—approximately $19.6 billion, with over 1 million knee replacements per year. But it's a capital-intensive, regulation-heavy space—and traditional VCs weren't biting.

Instead of compromising, co-founders Dr. Doug Unis and Ben Sexson went all-in on a different path: retail capital. Why?

  • Control and ownership: Not only were they able to raise the capital they needed to grow the business—they did it on their own terms.
  • Long-term asset: They wanted to build an army of true believers who wanted to see the company succeed and would continue to reinvest over the years.
  • A value-add network: Raising from retail allowed Monogram to amass a waiting list of thousands of patients eager to participate in future trials.
  • Aligned incentives: Their mission to improve patient outcomes and build a better future for those struggling with joint pain resonated with retail investors.

The Power of Retail: Monogram's Capital Journey

Start Date End Date Type Platform Amount Raised # Investors
3/13/193/31/20A+SeedInvest$14,588,6686,000
11/16/201/16/21A+StartEngine$2,965,5018,000
1/17/212/18/22A+StartEngine$23,647,85314,082
7/15/223/16/23CFDealMaker$4,673,0002,249
3/1/234/8/23A+Republic$232,275120
3/1/235/23/23A+DealMaker$15,958,3645,198
5/18/23-Nasdaq listing
7/2410/24Unit OfferingDealMaker$12,990,1032,745

Monogram Capital Raise Timeline

Monogram's first direct-to-investor raise was a $14.6M round in 2019. Since then, Monogram has raised retail capital six additional times, using Reg A+ as a springboard to a Nasdaq listing in 2023.

Each raise brought in new believers—and more importantly, kept bringing them back. That's the long-term power of retail capital. It's not just one campaign—it's a compounding asset that grows with the business.

$80M+
Raised across seven campaigns
~40,000
Investors championing Monogram's vision
20%
Of each raise came from previous investors

Marketing Excellence

DealMaker Reach provided strategic investor acquisition services, helping Monogram connect with the right audience through high-impact channels.

Premium Publications

Targeted campaigns in premium publications like Morning Brew captured qualified investors

High-Engagement Webinars

Engaging events that generated over $4.3 million in investments

Community Building

Strategic approaches that fostered a loyal shareholder base

Investment Momentum

Innovative approaches that amplified investment momentum

Monogram's Journey to Success

Monogram's journey has been defined by relentless innovation, strategic fundraising, and breakthrough advancements in robotic-assisted joint replacement. From early-stage research to a Nasdaq listing and beyond, Monogram's milestones reflect its evolution into a pioneering force in orthopedic surgery:

  • Filed its first patent application in 2017
  • Conducted clinical studies at UCLA and University of Nebraska
  • Expanded the team with key hires
  • Attracted a top-tier advisory board to guide clinical innovations
  • Signed their first distribution partnerships
  • Made headlines with cutting-edge live demonstrations
  • Secured 501(k) FDA clearance for the mBôs surgical system

Nasdaq Debut & Beyond

In May 2023, Monogram Orthopaedics successfully listed on the Nasdaq—a significant milestone offering liquidity and growth opportunities for the company.

For most companies, that would be the end of their story in the private markets. But for Monogram, it was just the beginning of a new chapter.

Public perception says you can't raise privately post-IPO. Monogram proved that wrong.

Defying conventional fundraising norms, Monogram raised an additional $13 million from private investors, powered by DealMaker. This move highlighted the power of a dedicated investor community and provided additional strategic growth capital. Meanwhile, strategic digital marketing for the private offering helped boost the public share price—a win-win for the company and its investors, both public and private.

This was retail capital at its best: strategic, repeatable, and aligned.

One vision. Zero compromises.

This wasn't a one-time raise. It was a multi-year capital strategy.

Retail capital helped Monogram:

  • Go from concept to commercialization without relying on VCs
  • Retain ownership and control in a high-burn industry
  • Build a base of loyal shareholders who invested not once, but over and over again
  • Uplist to the Nasdaq, and still keep raising post-IPO

This is what makes retail capital different. It doesn't expire—it compounds. And DealMaker is built to maximize that long-term value.

Dr. Doug Unis Quote
Ben Sexson Quote

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