IFundWomen

What IFundWomen does

IFundWomen, founded in 2016 and now operating as IFW by Honeycomb Credit following Honeycomb Credit's 2024 acquisition, is a funding marketplace platform targeting women entrepreneurs and, post-acquisition, broader Main Street small businesses. The platform combines rewards-based crowdfunding, investment crowdfunding (added through the Honeycomb Credit acquisition), small-business grants sourced from corporate partners, SBA 7(a) loan referrals via NEWITY, and tiered coaching subscriptions ($9/month workshop access to $349/month private coaching). The proprietary IFW Method is a structured crowdfunding methodology that includes pitch honing, network mapping, rewards strategy, and marketing planning, and is delivered through a free e-course, the IFW Method Playbook, and an award-winning Accelerator program. The company's founder and CEO is Karen Cahn; the team is small (11-50 employees), with offices registered in Montclair, NJ and a mailing address in Pittsburgh, PA.

Name

IFundWomen

Legal name

IFundWomen, Inc.

Website

https://ifundwomen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IFundWomen, now IFW by Honeycomb Credit, is a funding marketplace for women entrepreneurs and Main Street small businesses that combines rewards and investment crowdfunding, corporate grants, coaching subscriptions, and SBA loan referrals within a community of over 500,000 founders and funders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crowdfunding Platform

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Fundraising & Crowdfunding Platforms (Recurring/Project-Based) (MPACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Crowdfunding platform
• Small business grants
• Entrepreneur coaching services
• Reward-based crowdfunding
• Women business funding

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Crowdfunding Platform Fees: IFW charges a standard 5% fee on successfully completed crowdfunding contributions. Payment processor fees (3-5% typically) are charged separately by Stripe and PayPal. This is the primary revenue stream from campaign contributions.
2. Coaching Services: Monthly and annual subscription plans for startup coaching services. The Workshop Access Plan is $9/month or $89/year, and the Monthly Coaching Plan is $349/month with private coaching sessions. Optional professional video production services are also available.
3. Enterprise Brand Partnerships: Partnerships with corporate brands (Visa, BOTOX Cosmetic, Caress, adidas, American Express, etc.) to create and manage branded grant programs. Brands provide grant funding while IFW manages the platform, applicant matching, and program administration.
4. Tip/Optional Gratuity: Funders have the option to leave a tip for IFW when contributing to campaigns. Tips allow IFW to continue providing free expert crowdfunding coaching. Tips are optional and non-refundable.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

IFundWomen operates an online funding marketplace for women entrepreneurs and small business owners, offering rewards-based crowdfunding, business grants from corporate partners, expert coaching subscriptions, and a private community network. The platform combines capital access (5% transaction fees on crowdfunding), recurring coaching revenue ($9-$349/month tiers), and enterprise brand partnership grants to support early-stage founders.

Product overview

IFW by Honeycomb Credit operates as an integrated funding marketplace platform for women entrepreneurs, combining multiple capital pathways with coaching and community support. The core platform (IFW by Honeycomb Credit) provides rewards-based crowdfunding as the primary offering, augmented by the proprietary IFW Method coaching program that drives 27x higher raises than industry average. The product portfolio includes: the main crowdfunding platform, the IFW Method eCourse (free educational program), tiered Startup Coaching Plans ($9-$349/month), grant programs from corporate partners (Visa, BOTOX Cosmetic, adidas, etc.), the IFWOC sub-brand for founders of color, an on-demand Workshop Library with 200+ hours of content, the IFW Method Playbook for campaign planning, Investment Crowdfunding via Honeycomb Credit acquisition, and SBA 7(a) loan referrals through NEWITY partnership. All offerings are tied together through the Community Slack Network, creating a comprehensive ecosystem for early-stage business funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IFWOC (IFundWomen of Color): A platform dedicated to advancing diverse entrepreneurs through access to capital, coaching, and connections specifically for founders of color.

Products and services

• IFW by Honeycomb Credit Crowdfunding Platform Main rewards-based crowdfunding marketplace platform for women entrepreneurs and small business owners. Free to create account; charges 5% platform fee on successfully completed campaign contributions plus separate payment processor fees (3-5%) via Stripe and PayPal. Campaigns follow flexible funding where entrepreneurs keep whatever they raise.
• Investment Crowdfunding (via Honeycomb Credit) Investment-based community crowdfunding allowing businesses to raise capital from a network of 150,000+ funders and investors in exchange for equity or debt stakes. Available via the Honeycomb Credit platform following the 2024 acquisition of IFundWomen.
• Grant Programs Access to small business grants from corporate brand partners (Visa, BOTOX Cosmetic, Caress, adidas, American Express, Johnnie Walker, Neutrogena, Poker Power, Angel City FC, etc.). Includes the Universal Funding and Grant Application database for matching entrepreneurs to relevant grants. Examples include the Poker Power $100,000 Power Play Grant, BOTOX Cosmetic $25k grants, Caress Dreams Fund $5,000 grants for women of color, and Visa She's Next $10,000 CAD grants.
• Startup Coaching Plans Tiered subscription coaching plans: Workshop Access Plan ($9/month or $89/year) with live interactive workshops and 200+ hours of on-demand replays; Monthly Coaching Plan ($349/month) with two 30-minute private coaching sessions, email support, and full Workshop Access benefits. Optional professional video production services are available.
• IFW Method Crowdfunding eCourse Free online crowdfunding e-course teaching entrepreneurs how to crowdfund successfully using the proprietary IFW Method. Includes 120 minutes of video instruction across 8 lessons covering pitch honing, network mapping, rewards strategy, and campaign marketing. 84% of completers report significant campaign improvement; the methodology drives 27x higher raise than industry average.
• IFWOC (IFundWomen of Color) Dedicated platform sub-brand for advancing diverse entrepreneurs (AAPI, Black, Latinx) through access to capital, coaching, and connections. Includes exclusive networking opportunities, webinars, private Slack community, promotional opportunities, and Caress Dreams Fund $5,000 grants plus accelerator seats for 12 applicants annually.
• SBA 7(a) Working Capital Loans

Quantifiable outcome

• 27x higher raise than crowdfunding industry average when using the IFW Method
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Poker PowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoker Power partnered with IFW to launch the 'Power Play' Small Business Grant, the largest grant in IFW history at $100,000. Ten finalists compete for the grand prize including $100,000 grant, 6 months of IFW Coaching, 4 mentorship sessions with Poker Power founder Jenny Just, and a 4-week online poker class.
• BOTOX CosmeticcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBOTOX Cosmetic partnered with IFW for a grant program that provided $25k grants, personalized coaching, and expert mentorship to 20 entrepreneurs over two years, with over $1 million in grant funding deployed. Each honoree joined the award-winning IFW Method Crowdfunding Accelerator.
• Angel City Football ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAngel City FC, a majority and community-minded organization, partnered with IFW for the Player 22 Small Business Grant Program offering $10k grants plus one year of business coaching to entrepreneurs.
• CaressflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaress is the founding partner of IFWOC (IFW of Color) and invested $2,285,000 to fund, support, and elevate Women of Color founders since 2020. Caress continues awarding $5,000 grants plus a seat in the IFW Method Crowdfunding Accelerator to 12 deserving applicants annually.
• Johnnie WalkercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohnnie Walker partnered with IFW for the First Strides Grant Program supporting trailblazing businesses pushing boundaries to move culture forward and create opportunities for women.
• adidascoreStrategic or Co-development Partneradidas partnered with IFW for the 'Reimagine Sport' program celebrating International Women's Day 2020. 15 women entrepreneurs received grants and expert coaching to support growth of their sports industry businesses.
• American ExpresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Express partnered with IFW to provide grant funding and support for women entrepreneurs through various programs.
• Comcast RISEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerComcast RISE (Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment) partnered with IFW as a multi-year commitment providing funding, marketing, creative, media, and technology services. Since 2020, 13,500 small businesses in 1,321 cities across 38 states have been selected as recipients. Program concluded in 2022.
• NeutrogenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeutrogena partnered with IFW for the IFW X Neutrogena Fund providing $10,000 grants to 18 qualified women entrepreneurs in health and wellness. Neutrogena also gave back to the fund for every coupon redeemed.
• VistaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVista partnered with IFW for the ReferHer program connecting small businesses around the world with resources, funding and coaching in honor of International Women's Day and Women's History Month.
• SengominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSengo partnered with Honeycomb Credit to award $5,000 in non-dilutive grant funding to early-stage entrepreneurs through the Spark Grant program.
• Hand in Hand InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisa launched a $2.4 million, three-year partnership with Hand in Hand International focused on providing business education and financial services access to 10,000 micro businesses in Kenya, with at least 75% owned by women. IFW is connected through Visa's broader women's empowerment initiatives.
• SquareSpaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSquareSpace has worked with IFW as part of their brand partner ecosystem supporting entrepreneurs.
• GustominorGTM or Marketing PartnerGusto has worked with IFW as part of their brand partner ecosystem supporting entrepreneurs.
• Johnson & JohnsonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohnson & Johnson has worked with IFW as part of their brand partner ecosystem, including through the Neutrogena partnership.
• NovartisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNovartis has worked with IFW as part of their brand partner ecosystem for the Visionary Women grant program.
• DiageominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiageo has worked with IFW as part of their brand partner ecosystem, including through the Johnnie Walker program.
• P&G VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerP&G Ventures has worked with IFW as part of their brand partner ecosystem supporting entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• StartEngine: Equity crowdfunding platform for startups and small businesses under Reg CF and Reg A+. Comparable business model and SMB target customer to IFW's investment-crowdfunding layer.
• SeedInvest: Equity crowdfunding platform for vetted startups and early-stage companies. Directly competes with the Honeycomb Credit / IFW investment-crowdfunding offering on accredited and non-accredited SMB raises.
• Kickstarter: Rewards-based crowdfunding platform serving creators and small businesses. Directly comparable to IFW's core crowdfunding product, with broader creative-project scope rather than a women-founder focus.
• Kiva: Nonprofit crowdfunding platform for microloans to underserved borrowers worldwide. Comparable in mission alignment (underserved entrepreneurs) and 0% borrower fee model, though structured as microlending rather than rewards/equity crowdfunding.
• Wefunder: Reg CF equity-crowdfunding platform allowing anyone to invest small amounts in startups and SMBs. Direct competitor on the investment-crowdfunding side of IFW's offering.
• Indiegogo: Rewards-based crowdfunding platform for entrepreneurs and product launches. Competes head-to-head with IFW on campaign hosting, take-rate model, and SMB/creator funnel.
• GoFundMe: Largest consumer crowdfunding platform; comparable online fundraising mechanics and tip-gratuity revenue model, though primarily personal-cause rather than business use cases.
• Republic: Multi-asset investment crowdfunding platform for startups and SMBs. Competes with IFW/Honeycomb on equity-style community capital raises for early-stage businesses.
• Honeycomb Credit: Community investment-crowdfunding platform; now parent of IFundWomen post-2024 acquisition. Directly comparable investment-crowdfunding offering for SMBs and the source of IFW's expanded capital stack.

Broad incumbents

• Patreon: Recurring subscription funding platform for creators. Broader audience (individual creators rather than SMBs) but comparable funding-marketplace mechanics and community-driven monetization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ifundwomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifundwomen
• Instagraminstagram.com/ifundwomen
• TikToktiktok.com/@ifundwomen
• Xx.com/ifundwomen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IFundWomen