There’s a new social network in the United States. It is called Wishew and was developed by a London startup founded by three Italians: Giacomo Vose (39 years old), Antonino Risicato (29 years old) and Vincenzo De Caro (29 years old). Their project managed to capture the interest of Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, son of the current founder of Luxottica Chief Strategy Officer of the family business. Through his company LMDV Capital, Del Vecchio Jr. became the main investor of the new social network, which gathered over 50 thousand subscribers in just two weeks before launch. The actual debut of the platform took place on Monday 29 April, on the occasion of World Wish Day, the anniversary of the international Make-A-Wish foundation, which makes the wishes of seriously ill children come true.
Wishew, «the social network that makes wishes come true»
Wishew, which is pronounced American-style «wish you», is a product a little different from the many other platforms that already crowd the social media market. First of all, there is no room for the perverse logic of “likes”. Users can post their own video in which they tell a dream that they would like to realize but which is beyond their economic possibilities: an exotic trip, a musical instrument, anything. Other users can donate a dollar, knowing that the algorithm will reward those who donate more and more often. «Wishew will above all be a community of people with a dream in their chest, who ask for the help of others to make it come true and are, at the same time, ready to donate their own», explains Giacomo Vose, one of the founders.
The business model
For the moment, Wishew is only available in the United States, where almost half (49%) of the market is concentrated crowdfunding world. In the two weeks preceding the launch, the platform gathered 50 thousand subscribers, but the goal, the company says, is to reach one million by the end of 2024. «We will focus here for the next two years before make the app also available in Europe”, explains the founder of the startup. Wishew’s business model is quite simple. In fact, the company earns money by retaining a small share of donations and offering wish sponsorship packages, so as to reach an increasingly wider audience.
Lmdv’s new adventure
Wishew’s main investor, as mentioned, is Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, fourth son of the founder of Luxottica. A new entrepreneurial adventure for the 28 year old, who through his Lmdv Capital – writes Milan Finance – has exceeded 150 million euros in investments, of which 50 in the packaging giant Ima, 50 in real estate and 10 in the catering sector. At the end of 2023, Del Vecchio Jr. opened his third restaurant in just over a year in the Brera district, in the heart of Milan. Wishew is now added to Lmdv Capital’s business portfolio, a project for which the young entrepreneur seems to have quite a few expectations. «In the space of two years – announces Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio Jr. – we will open up to the global market but this will not be the only innovation: we aim to enrich Wishew with a whole new level dedicated to charities and the world of volunteering».
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