🦃 Birds, bonus shares, and big ideas

🔔 Your campaign updates feed

• VoltSafe has been selected to join NYC-based venture platform, Newlab. Newlab only accepts about 10% of the applications it receives – a testament to the highly curated environment in the tech centre. Read more in their campaign update.

• In case you missed it, the Flower Turbines podcast episode went out last week! If you’re curious as to where you can listen, check out their latest campaign update.

✍ What’s on our mind?

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and that means one thing: it’s time to start planning your turkey feast. But with food prices fluctuating wildly over the past few years, many are wondering if they’ll need to shell out extra cash for their holiday bird. Luckily, B.C. food experts have some good news—turkey prices should be relatively stable this year. However, don’t expect a crazy bargain either.

After years of pandemic-driven supply chain issues, avian flu outbreaks, and even a threatened rail strike, it looks like most of those hurdles are in the rearview mirror. Farmers, though, aren’t completely off the hook. Natalie Veles, executive director of the B.C. Turkey Marketing Board, points out that while production costs have eased, many farmers still feel the pinch from years of disruptions. That means they’re not exactly in a position to offer hefty discounts.

Still, don’t let that scare you away from the grocery store. Big retailers like Save-On-Foods and No Frills often use turkeys as “loss leaders,” slashing prices on birds to get you in the door in the hopes you’ll stock up on other (more expensive) items while you’re there. So, if you’re hunting for a deal, it’s worth keeping an eye on the flyers and getting to the store early.

For those looking to splurge, boutique farms may offer a premium option, especially if you prefer supporting local producers. Just don’t expect a price drop here—small-scale farmers are less likely to feel the same pressure to discount as the big players.

The takeaway? You might not find a turkey for dirt-cheap prices this Thanksgiving, but with supply issues mostly stabilized, there’s no need to panic. Whether you’re after a bargain at the big-box store or a hand-raised bird from a local farm, shop around, compare prices, and you’ll be able to enjoy a great meal without it gobbling up your entire budget.

👀 Equity Crowdfunding 101

Bonus shares may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about investments, but they are a valuable concept to know. In simple terms, bonus shares are additional shares that a company distributes to its existing shareholders at no extra cost. This means shareholders gain more shares without paying for them, though the overall value of their investment stays the same initially.

While stock splits adjust the number of shares and the share price proportionally, bonus shares serve as a reward to shareholders, without altering the company’s capital structure. In equity crowdfunding, companies often use bonus shares as incentives for early participation or to recognize loyal investors, providing an extra layer of value to their backers.

For instance, during a crowdfunding campaign, a company may offer bonus shares to investors who contribute a certain amount within the first two weeks. While the share price adjusts to account for the extra shares, investors still benefit from holding a larger number of shares, which may enhance their long-term position in the company.

Curious about how bonus shares work and what they mean for your investments? Read more on our blog to dive deeper into how bonus shares work, real-world examples, and how they fit into the larger equity crowdfunding landscape.

🌟 Founder Feature

Trevor Burgess | VoltSafe

💡 On the ‘lightbulb’ moment: We invented and patented a way of turning on plugs, instead of them always being electrified. We thought, what if plugs were always off, and instead, we could create an electricity gate between the outlet and the metal that’s there? Then we could expose the metal and once the plug gets close, it knows to turn on. We locked that down and matured the technology; it has to touch and has a unique electrical fingerprint so that if the signal is made and matches, it only then turns on.

🚀 On building a team: Any team, any company, it’s all a function of who your team members are. I realized that if you want to look awesome in the eyes of others, hire people who are more awesome than you, and they will make you look amazing.

🔌 The evolution of the wall plug: It’s not something people think about too much because it’s such a commodity and we’ve got 85% of the world’s population connecting with a prong plug daily. Since Hubble patented pronged plugs in 1905, every time we’ve ‘improved’ the design of a prong plug, it’s been at the expense of user experience. Anything with prongs whether it’s residential, commercial, or industrial, we can create a prongless plug that utilizes our blueprint and designs to do the job better.

Want to hear more?
YouTube / Spotify 

Made an investment on FrontFundr recently? Consider sharing your experience on Trustpilot.