This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/crowdfunding-your-startup-is-making-a-big-comeback.
Crowdfunding is back. As VC chases AI, founders are raising from their communities and discovering belief is the most powerful thing in business.
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Venture capital has gone all-in on AI, leaving DTC, marketplace, and consumer-tech founders out in the cold. That vacuum has reawakened the crowdfunding ecosystem — not as a fallback, but as a first-choice power move. Founders like Scott Hansen of Maverick Brands are showing that raising from your community doesn’t just fund your company; it builds belief, ownership, and trust in a market that desperately needs it.