EarlyBirds FAQs
What is the EarlyBirds Innovation Ecosystem?
EarlyBirds is an open innovation ecosystem that connects organisations - Innovators, Early Adopters and Subject Matter Experts - to accelerate capacity, speed, and culture to innovate and solve wicked business and technical challenges.
The EarlyBirds platform is a Business to Business (B2B) platform for Innovators (Startups, Scaleups and mature) and Early Adopters to exchange value early on. Innovators are able to list their innovations with Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or product/solution and configure offer starting from US$ 500 up to US$ 25,000 for each sale. For price over $25,000, please contact us. Early Adopters are able to search and buy innovations in their industry and business functions based on what business outcome these provide. Early Adopters are able to list Challengeson the platform to request potential solutions from Innovators. The platform provides escrow capability to reduce risk for both sides as well as capability to provide feedback for both parties.
The Early Birds platform is the most efficient way for Innovators and Early Adopters to connect and buy innovative products and services. In the Early Birds platform, you can discover, interact with and explore and learn about innovations and challenges. You can also initiate collaboration, arrange a trial or a proof of concept, and purchase a product or service.
Who are the EarlyBirds customers?
EarlyBirds customers are both Innovators (Startups, Scaleups and mature organisations) and Early Adopters and all of them come from a diverse background of disciplines, industries and geographic regions.
Who are Innovators and Early Adopters?
Innovators are mostly startups/scaleups/mature organisations seeking to emerge as high-growth companies that use technology and innovation to tackle a large and often global market for their products and services.
Early Adopters are organisations or people who embrace innovative/disruptive solutions before other organisations or people do to validate ideas and provide key insights on how a product or service can be improved.
How do I get started in the EarlyBirds platform?
You must be registered on the EarlyBirds platform as an Innovator, Early Adopter or be a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Consultant Partner to access and interact in the EarlyBirds. Registration for the platform is free but then you can choose a suitable subscription.
What can I do in the EarlyBirds platform?
In the EarlyBirds platform, you can:
Discover and learn about Innovations (Startups, Scaleups and mature organisations) ideas, products and services and Early Adopter’s business and technical challenges that have been posted in the EarlyBirds platform.
Start a free trial instantly.
Identify and engage with an Innovator or an Early Adopter.
Provide feedback on Innovations and Challenges or negotiate a Proof of Concept.
Find an idea, product or service you like and negotiate a purchase.
What are the key benefits of the EarlyBirds platform?
We take the hard work out of connecting Innovators and Early Adopters to validate solutions and challenges that will lead to a sale and resolving a business challenge. Following are the key benefits to our key stakeholders:
For Early Adopter organisations - EarlyBirds helps you to become a self-learning organisation through: continuous improvement across all business functions; resolving business and technical challenges quickly; and exploring disruptive business models, solutions and innovations.
How do I engage with an Innovator?
You must be registered on the EarlyBirds platform in order to engage with an Innovator. You can then search for Innovations and set up alerts for the type of innovation you need, when you identify an innovation you like, you can engage directly with the Innovator. You can also search our big data using advanced search capability to identify potential innovators based on your business or technical challenges.
How do I engage with an Early Adopter?
You must be registered on the EarlyBirds in order to engage with an Early Adopter. You can then search for Challenges, when you identify a challenge you like, you can collaborate with the Early Adopters through the platform.
What Innovations and Challenges are available in the EarlyBirds?
Innovators and Early Adopters are constantly adding new ideas, products, services and challenges to the EarlyBirds platform. All of these are searchable in the EarlyBirds platform and you have a range of options on how to collaborate to achieve a sale or to find a solution for a business challenge. The Innovations and Challenges available to you will depend on what you want to achieve and where you are in the life cycle of your activity.
How do I make a purchase from the EarlyBirds?
Both Innovator or Early Adopter can collaborate through the platform and negotiate the Terms and Conditions of the sale. Both parties can use platform standard terms and conditions as well as standard payment method. Once Early Adopter makes Innovator will have 3 days to accept your offer. Once offer is accepted by the Innovator, money goes into platform escrow account. Early Adopter will have 14 days to complete the order (means Early Adopter is happy with the Innovation) and money get released to the Innovator.
Is there any paperwork required to start a proof of concept or make a purchase from the EarlyBirds platform?
For a purchase both parties can use the EarlyBirds platform standard terms and conditions. On Mutual agreement, both parties can use sign their own contract terms and conditions.
What currencies are supported by the EarlyBirds?
EarlyBirds subscriptions and pricing are in US Dollars for self service but for organisational subscritions, we can work on their local currencies.
How are EarlyBirds platform subscriptions and commission priced?
Subscriptions are free for one Innovation and one challenge and Once this is consumed, subscription starts at just $100 per month for annual commitment. There are other types of subscriptions, please review a suitable subscription here. During free period, if Innovator accepts an offer from Early Adopter then subscription is required to process the order. Early Birds charges 20% commission of all sales. This fee includes credit card charges.
How do I pay for my EarlyBirds platform subscriptions?
You can use a credit or debit card to pay for your subscriptions that will be charged at the start of your subscription and then each anniversary date.
Where can I view my EarlyBirds platform subscription details and billing information?
You can see and review your subscription and billing information in your platform Profile.
What is required to register an Innovation or a Challenge on the EarlyBirds platform?
The process for registering an Innovation or Challenge on the platform is simply by clicking “Post a listing” option. User can register or login if already registered and then follow the process of entering information about the Innovation or Challenge. Apart from a narrative description of Innovation or Challenge you can also videos and provide links to cover additional information.
What countries and regions does Early Birds platform operate?
The EarlyBirds platform is a global platform and it accepts users from all over the world. Early Adopters can buy Innovations from any part of the world using their credit card payment option. As part of the initial launch, the platform is able to pay to Innovators in their bank accounts only in the following countries:
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Luxembourg
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
As an Innovator, if you are selling through the platform and don’t have your bank account in the above countries, you might like to open an account in the United States using services such as Transferwise (www.transferwise.com) and then provide details of the bank account to receive payment in your account.
How do I delete an Innovation or Challenge from the EarlyBirds platform?
You can go to your Innovations and Challenges using your login and then click on the title of the innovation or challenge. In viewing your listing (Innovation or challenge), you will be able to close a listing, edit, delete or open a closed listing. If you are an unpaid subscriber you won’t be able to open a closed innovation and similarly you won't be able to open a closed challenge..
Who do I contact for general support issues with EarlyBirds platform?
For general support issues please contact online support or email support@earlybirds.io or you can use contact form: https://earlybirds.io/user_feedbacks/new
Report and Issue
How do I report an issue?
You can report and issue by going to the Innovation or Challenge page under user profile there is a ‘Report a violation' link. If a user is trying to deal outside marketplace, do you trust such an Innovator or Early Adopter to have a strategic customer?
What type of issues should be reported?
If a user profile does not seem authentic.
If the Innovation or Challenge does not look authentic.
If a User is trying to deal outside of the Marketplace.
Or any ‘other’ issue or behaviour that breaches the terms and conditions of the Marketplace.
Events
How do I identify an Event that I would like to participate in?
Events will listed on the EarlyBirds platform home page and you can filter these by Event Date and Title.
How do I nominate to attend an Event?
Generally EarlyBirds team will contact for event presentation as this is invite only to suit the Early Adopters interests. If you find an Event you would like to attend then contact Early Birds team on events@earlybirds.io at the earliest.
News
Are you able to list my press releases in your news?
Yes, we publish our Innovators and partners news. Please email your press releases on news@earlybirds.io
Partnerships
We are a Start-up Hub, Accelerator, Incubator, Business/Members association or event/conference, can we partner with Early Birds?
Yes, please contact partnerships@earlybirds.io