Please describe your proposed solution

No products, no case for Cardano.

The Cardano community is thriving, witnessing a surge of projects in search of their first leg up. The proof is plainly demonstrated in the number of ideas and projects that have sought funding through this very initiative; with over 7,000 Catalyst proposals submitted since its launch in 2020.

There are countless opportunities for building, creating, and innovating in the Cardano ecosystem. Yet, ensuring that builders have access to funding is key for individuals and businesses to seize these opportunities.

Crowd-funding on Cardano has the potential to unlock economic opportunities, driving growth and innovation within the ecosystem, and that’s where Pledgio comes in.

Pledgio is an innovative crowdfunding platform that leverages the security of the Cardano blockchain. On this platform, ideas transform into reality with the support of a community that validates and funds them, using a transparent and secure system built on the Cardano network.

The full-goal funding model of Pledgio ensures that projects can only proceed when there is clear, community-backed demand.

The Problem:

1. Traditional crowdfunding platforms lack transparency, security, and empowerment.
2. Backers face uncertainty and risk in supporting projects that fail to attain their full funding targets, hindering the project’s ability to achieve their envisioned goals.
3. Cardano creators struggle to gain funding and validation for their ideas.
4. A lack of great projects stalls the growth and user-demand of the entire Cardano ecosystem.

Solution: The Compliment to Catalyst

Liberate: Advance projects with genuine demand verification. Only the truly supported ideas move forward.

Empower: Enable creators to boldly pursue their visions with tangible supporter commitment.

Blockchain: Foundation on the Cardano blockchain ensures transparency, security, and a community-first approach.

Elevate: Adopt a full-goal funding model that allows backers to contribute to project success with minimised risk, promoting a thriving ecosystem of varied projects.

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MVP Preview - How to pledge. Click to play.

Demonstrates functioning wallet connect, pledge and initial draft UI.

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

By complementing initiatives like Catalyst, Pledgio contributes to the overall advancement of the Cardano ecosystem. Growth and diversity in innovation will benefit the entire community in a plethora of ways (opportunities, economic growth, empowerment, inclusivity, collaboration etc.).

Pledgio has a focus on liberating creators to pursue their visions confidently. What’s more, the inclusive nature of Pledgio ensures that more individuals can be involved in supporting innovative projects, fostering an active, engaged and collaborative community.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

The team behind Clay Nation has shown a robust commitment and capability to deliver, with over 2.5 years of experience operating in the Cardano space. The team at Clay Nation consists of professionals in blockchain technology, business development, community management and marketing and we will seek to expand the workforce and advisory roles where necessary.

We will prioritise transparency and communication, through use of several communication channels - X, Telegram and Discord - ensuring that the community stays informed and engaged throughout the process.

What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1: MVP Development

• Further develop the minimum viable product (MVP) of Pledgio to include and improve on essential features for project creation, crowdfunding functionality, and basic user authentication.

Milestone 2: User Interface Development

• Further develop a user-friendly interface (UX / UI)
• Focus on functionality and usability to provide an intuitive experience for users.

Milestone 3: Smart Contract Integration

• Implement Cardano smart contracts to enable secure and transparent crowdfunding.
• Ensure that funds / reward tokens / etc are released according to predetermined conditions set by the smart contracts.

Milestone 4: Testing and community feedback phase

• Conduct testing of the MVP platform to identify any bugs or issues.
• Ensure that the platform functions smoothly.

Marketing I

• Engage with the Cardano community to promote awareness and increase brand presence.

Milestone 5: Launch

• Launch the refined MVP version Pledgio for initial testing and feedback.
• Gather user feedback and data to inform further improvements and iterations.

Marketing II

• Grow the user base and encourage participation in crowdfunding campaigns.

Final Milestone: Project Closeout Report

Project Closeout Video

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Pledgio is the brainchild of several members of the Clay Nation team. An overview of the founding team members and their roles can be found here.

Members of the Clay Nation team have worked to get Pledgio to the MVP stage, however, with backing to move forward the Pledgio team will be reshuffled so that appropriate resources can be channeled into the platform.

To meet the milestones of this project, we foresee the need to hire additional development support, a full-stack developer and a community outreach & onboarding manager.

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Technical Development and Platform Improvements (approx. 225,000 ADA)

A large portion of the funding will be funnelled into the technical development and refinement of the platform, ensuring that core features are implemented, securely.

• Development of the Pledgio’s core features, including: smart contract integration, project creation functionality, and user authentication.
• Backend infrastructure enhancements to ensure scalability, security, and performance.
• Hiring developers and acquiring software tools.
• Thorough testing to ensure the platform's functionality and security.
• Ongoing maintenance and updates to address any bugs or issues.

Marketing (approx. 50,000 ADA)

We see marketing as a pivotal element in the success of a platform such as Pledgio. We will use creative marketing strategies to get Pledgio on the map and to keep it there.

• Advertising campaigns:
• Social media and email campaigns to raise awareness: important for attracting users, creators and members.
• Community outreach: presence at online and IRL events.
• Content such as tutorials, X Spaces, and webinars to help users understand the platform.

Miscellaneous Expenses (25,000 ADA)

• We are setting aside around 10% of the total budget for miscellaneous expenses and as a buffer.

No dependencies.

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

First and foremost, Pledgio addresses a critical need within the Cardano ecosystem - funding!

If we think about what’s really going to drive value into the crypto space, it’s builders.

Those builders need to be enabled by financial backing. As a secure and transparent crowdfunding platform, Pledgio has the scope to empower creators where Catalyst Funding alone, falls short.

We will use co-marketing strategies with Clay Nation alongside our expansive network and resources to strengthen the Pledgio brand along the way.

Pledgio is a contributing platform to the long-term success and sustainability of the Cardano network. We see Pledgio as a potentially huge powerhouse, fostering increased innovation, community engagement, and economic opportunities.