What Simbi.com does

Simbi.com, legally Simbi Community Development, is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in San Jose, California. The company operates a web-based community marketplace where individual members exchange skills, services, and products using an internal virtual currency called "simbi credits" that has no cash-equivalent value and cannot be converted to dollars. Founded by David Anderson and focused since 2013 on non-speculative digital community currencies, the platform serves a distributed base of individual members — including professionals, hobbyists, and micro-businesses — alongside non-profit organizations that receive pro-bono services. The platform operates globally with localization in 35+ languages and claims thousands of members across the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and other countries.

The technical stack is a Ruby on Rails web application with member authentication integrated through Facebook, LinkedIn, Apple, and Google OAuth, and Mixpanel deployed for engagement analytics. Core platform mechanics include the Simbi Credits currency (50 credits issued to each new member), a Skill Quiz that surfaces services members can offer, social-account verification for trust, and a layered badge and review system that ranks member activity. The product surface spans a categorized services marketplace (wellness, education, creative work, business consulting, crafts, and more) and a Simbi Market for physical and digital goods. There is no mobile application, no published API, and no disclosed SDK.

The business model is structurally non-revenue-generating: membership is free, there are no transaction or listing fees, and the cashless marketplace collects no monetary margin. Operating costs are sustained through donations, volunteer efforts, and direct board-member contributions — most notably a 2018 financial intervention by Treasurer Paul Meville that kept the platform solvent. Go-to-market is fully community-led and self-serve, relying on word-of-mouth, member referrals, social sign-on discovery, and a content blog rather than paid acquisition channels. Governance rests with a small board led by David Anderson (President) and including Paul Meville and Kjerstin Erickson, supported by a lean engineering and community-support team of fewer than ten people.

Name

Simbi.com

Legal name

Simbi Community Development, 501(c)(3)

Website

https://simbi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Simbi.com operates a global, non-profit cashless marketplace where individual members exchange skills, services, and products using internal simbi credits that have no monetary value. The 501(c)(3) platform serves thousands of users across 35+ languages with no transaction fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peer-to-peer skills exchange marketplace

akta.pro primary industry

P2P Small Business / SME Marketplace Lending (FSAKAHAC)

Keywords

• Cashless service exchange
• Skills barter marketplace
• Virtual community currency
• Nonprofit talent network
• Mutual aid platform

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Non-profit Organization - No Revenue Generation: Simbi is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The platform operates as a cashless marketplace where services are exchanged using internal simbi credits. As a non-profit, the organization does not generate traditional revenue. Operating costs appear to be covered by donations and volunteer efforts. The organization is governed by Simbi Community Development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Simbi is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit-operated online marketplace that enables individual members to exchange skills, services, and physical or digital products using an internal virtual currency called Simbi Credits, with no monetary transactions. Members join for free, receive 50 credits to start, and trade services such as wellness, tutoring, design, and consulting through peer-to-peer listings. The platform also hosts a dedicated Simbi Market for trading goods and includes community trust features such as social verification and member reviews.

Product overview

Simbi.com operates as a talent-exchanging network and non-profit community platform built around a cashless economy. The core platform enables members to trade skills and services using Simbi Credits, an internal virtual currency. The ecosystem consists of the main exchange platform for services, the Simbi Market for physical and digital products, and supporting features like a Skill Quiz to help members identify offerings. The platform spans diverse service categories including wellness, education, business services, creative work, and more, serving both virtual and local member exchanges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Simbi Platform A talent-exchanging network and online marketplace where individual members trade skills, services, and products using internal Simbi credits instead of money. Used by hobbyists, freelancers, and micro-business owners to monetize skills and access services they could not otherwise afford.
• Simbi Services Marketplace A categorized directory of thousands of services offered by community members, spanning Art & Design, Wellness & Fitness, Business, Learning, Beauty, Pets & Kids, and more. Services can be offered virtually or locally and are priced in Simbi credits.
• Simbi Market A marketplace section of the Simbi platform for physical and digital products including art, craftwork, household goods, and downloadable digital content. Items are purchased using Simbi credits, often with additional cash shipping fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of members globally exchanging services
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HeySimbi
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeySimbi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/simbi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors12 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 Simbi.com