Online marketplace system and method

Abstract

A computerized online marketplace that facilitates the acquisition of funding and services for the development and operation of an online business. It provides a variety of investment opportunities for investors and facilitates an entrepreneur's acquisition of capital as well as skills and services needed to start an online business. Possible investment channels for potential investors comprise: money; skills; and services. Investors are awarded investment points for monetary and non-monetary investments and are compensated according to their points. Monetary compensation is awarded periodically to investors according to their rank in relation to the respective investor base of a given business entity. Businesses are hosted at the online marketplace and all aspects of investment and operations are managed through the marketplace thereby facilitating interactions between all parties involved in business initiation, development and operation, including customers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computerized method for enabling collaborative project initiation and execution comprising:
 at a computer server:   (A) initiating a proxy entity at an online site corresponding to said collaborative project;   (B) creating for said proxy entity a policy set comprising:
 (1) a description of said collaborative project; 
 (2) a plurality of permissible contribution types for facilitating contributions to said proxy entity; 
 (3) a mapping of investment points to each of said plurality of contribution types for allotting investment points to subscribers according to their contribution types; 
 (4) a set of rules governing said investment point allotment to subscribers; 
 (5) a definition of compensation to said subscribers against their respective investment points earned in relation to their contribution types; 
 (6) a settlement cycle definition describing conditions for executing an investment point settlement algorithm to compensate said subscribers; and 
 (7) a set of parameters to said investment point settlement algorithm; 
   (C) receiving from each of a plurality of subscribers a commitment to contribute or invest in said proxy entity, each commitment comprising at least:
 (1) a contribution type action; or 
 (2) an investment amount; 
   (D) allotting investment points to each of said subscribers as defined in said policy set for said subscriber's contribution type action or investment amount; and   (E) at completion of each settlement cycle, executing said investment point settlement algorithm with said parameters to calculate for each subscriber a monetary equivalent to said subscriber's investment points.   
     
     
         2 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said collaborative project is selected from the group consisting of:
 (1) an open source technology; 
 (2) a licensed product; 
 (3) a privately owned design implementation; 
 (4) a research topic; 
 (5) a technology specification; 
 (6) an industry specification; 
 (7) an engineering specification; and 
 (8) a collaborative initiative that operates in connection with subscriber contributed content, data and information. 
 
     
     
         3 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said subscribers are selected from the group consisting of:
 (1) an investor or a proxy investor who is an individual; 
 (2) an investor or a proxy investor who is a business proxy; and 
 (3) an investor or a proxy investor who is a project proxy. 
 
     
     
         4 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said contribution types are selected from the group consisting of equity investment types, proxy-equity investment types, and skill-based investment types. 
     
     
         5 . The computerized method of  claim 4  wherein said equity investment types are selected from the group consisting of direct monetary investments and indirect monetary investments. 
     
     
         6 . The computerized method of  claim 5  wherein said indirect monetary investments comprise skill-based services provided to said proxy entity resulting in equity stakes in said proxy entity. 
     
     
         7 . The computerized method of  claim 4  wherein said proxy-equity investment types are selected from the group consisting of:
 (1) writing a review; 
 (2) providing direct or indirect referrals to said proxy entity; 
 (3) blogging a topic related to said proxy entity; 
 (4) providing at a website a link to said proxy entity; 
 (5) describing products or services of said proxy entity; 
 (6) purchasing a product or service of said proxy entity; 
 (7) committing to purchase a product or service of said proxy entity before said proxy entity is initiated; 
 (8) committing to purchase a product or service of said proxy entity at a later time; and 
 (9) online or offline activities providing visibility to said proxy entity. 
 
     
     
         8 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said step of receiving from each of a plurality of subscribers a commitment to contribute or invest in said proxy entity comprises receiving a commitment to invest prior to initiation of said proxy entity. 
     
     
         9 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said step of allotting investment points to each of said subscribers comprises allotting proxy-equity stakes prior to initiation of said proxy entity. 
     
     
         10 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said collaborative project is selected from the group consisting of:
 (1) collaborative projects that are fully online; 
 (2) collaborative projects that operate partly online; and 
 (3) collaborative projects that do not operate online. 
 
     
     
         11 . The computerized method of  claim 11  wherein said collaborative project is a business. 
     
     
         12 . The computerized method of  claim 1  wherein said method is adapted to:
 (A) facilitate a process of starting and operating an online business by facilitating matching of various parties equipped with different skills and resources; 
 (B) assist an entrepreneur with a business plan or an investor with resources in completing a variety of activities and tasks related to starting said online business; 
 (C) facilitate location and engagement of individuals and other service providers adapted to assist a business initiator in starting said online business; 
 (D) facilitate acquisition of funding and services for development and operation of said online business; and 
 (E) facilitate compensation of parties according to respective contributions to said online business. 
 
     
     
         13 . A computerized method for enabling collaborative project initiation and execution comprising:
 at a computer server:   (A) initiating a proxy entity at an online site corresponding to said collaborative project;   (B) creating for said proxy entity a policy set comprising:
 (1) at least one permissible contribution type for facilitating contributions to said proxy entity by at least one subscriber; 
 (2) an identification of investment points associated with each said contribution type; 
 (3) a set of rules governing investment point allotment to said at least one subscriber; and 
 (4) a formula for determining compensation to said at least one subscriber in relation to the respective investment points allotted to said at least one subscriber; 
   (C) receiving from said at least one subscriber a commitment to contribute or invest in said proxy entity, each commitment comprising at least:
 (1) a contribution type action; or 
 (2) an investment amount; 
   (D) allotting investment points to said at least one subscriber as set forth in said policy set for said at least one subscriber's contribution type action or investment amount; and   (E) determining compensation to said at least one subscriber in relation to the respective investment points allotted to said at least one subscriber.   
     
     
         14 . The computerized method of  claim 13  wherein:
 (A) said policy set further comprises:
 (1) a settlement cycle definition describing conditions for executing an investment point settlement algorithm to compensate said at least one subscriber; and 
 (2) a set of parameters to said investment point settlement algorithm; and 
 
 (B) at completion of each settlement cycle, said compensation to said at least one subscriber is determined by executing said investment point settlement algorithm with said parameters. 
 
     
     
         15 . The computerized method of  claim 13  wherein said at least one contribution type is selected from the group consisting of equity investment types, proxy-equity investment types, and skill-based investment types. 
     
     
         16 . The computerized method of  claim 15  wherein said equity investment types are selected from the group consisting of direct monetary investments and indirect monetary investments. 
     
     
         17 . The computerized method of  claim 16  wherein said indirect monetary investments comprise skill-based services provided to said proxy entity resulting in equity stakes in said proxy entity. 
     
     
         18 . The computerized method of  claim 15  wherein said proxy-equity investment types are selected from the group consisting of:
 (1) writing a review; 
 (2) providing direct or indirect referrals to said proxy entity; 
 (3) blogging a topic related to said proxy entity; 
 (4) providing at a website a link to said proxy entity; 
 (5) describing products or services of said proxy entity; 
 (6) purchasing a product or service of said proxy entity; 
 (7) committing to purchase a product or service of said proxy entity before said proxy entity is initiated; 
 (8) committing to purchase a product or service of said proxy entity at a later time; and 
 (9) online or offline activities providing visibility to said proxy entity. 
 
     
     
         19 . The computerized method of  claim 13  wherein said step of receiving from said at least one subscriber a commitment to contribute or invest in said proxy entity comprises receiving a commitment to invest prior to initiation of said proxy entity. 
     
     
         20 . The computerized method of  claim 13  wherein said step of allotting investment points to said at least one subscriber comprises allotting proxy-equity stakes prior to initiation of said proxy entity. 
     
     
         21 . The computerized method of  claim 13  wherein said method is adapted to:
 (A) facilitate a process of starting and operating an online business by facilitating matching of various parties equipped with different skills and resources; 
 (B) assist an entrepreneur with a business plan or an investor with resources in completing a variety of activities and tasks related to starting said online business; 
 (C) facilitate location and engagement of individuals and other service providers adapted to assist a business initiator in starting said online business; 
 (D) facilitate acquisition of funding and services for development and operation of said online business; and 
 (E) facilitate compensation of parties according to respective contributions to said online business.