Tech Startup Prizeo Changes The Landscape Of Celebrity Fundraising

What does UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, charity fundraising, and Oxford University all have in common? Moreover, how do they relate to the payments industry? The common link that unites these seemingly disconnected entities is a trendy startup called Prizeo.

Techies and those working in the celebrity philanthropy industry are likely familiar with this clever young platform, which was developed by three friends — Bryan Baum, Leo Seigal, and Andrej Pancik — who met while studying at Oxford University.

In essence, Prizeo is organizes, promotes and customizes celebrity-backed charity fundraising, employing a raffle-style approach to helping raise money for charity. Most recently, Prizeo partnered with Worldpay to accept donations through international card payments using credit and debits cards, as well as PayPal accounts. Prizeo currently receives 10 percent of the funds for fees, but like many startup companies, insists this number will drop as the business matures. Prizeo also works with Boku, a mobile payments company, to provide mobile billing in the UK.

Past celebrity campaigns have been primarily UK-centric, curating fundraisers featuring musical acts One Direction and JLS; actor Stephen Fry; and most recently celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. The Jamie Oliver campaign, which raised money to bring food education to schools, was launched March 22. This was Prizeo’s first international campaign, pushing them into the U.S. market. Thus far Prizeo’s campaigns have been celebrity-backed, but there has been rumors of future projects involving major brands such as Adidas.

Seigal told Social News Daily, “Prizeo’s tools let celebrities and influencers connect directly with their fans in a more meaningful way. By offering creative and unique prize experiences, stars get to highlight causes close to their hearts and mobilize fans toward a common good.”

Prizeo has recognized that celebrity endorsed charities are a great way to not only raise money for great causes, but it has the ability to bring public attention to new mobile and payment technology.

For more on Prizeo, click here and here.