DC startup Throne is crowdfunding and raising VC for a Series A

DC’s very-own toilet tech company is taking on a new approach to fundraising.

Throne, which offers an accessible, tech-based public restroom, is raising $2 to $3 million for its Series A round — with a twist. The company simultaneously started seeking out traditional investments and launched a Wefunder round to get investments from the public. Investors in either method receive the same terms, and CEO Fletcher Wilson told Technical.ly that he has no set goal for how much comes from the traditional investment route or the Wefunder campaign.

The company decided to launch a public funding effort, he said, after users approached the company wanting to get involved (the Wefunder campaign is available now, but won’t be promoted on the site until Throne reaches approximately $250,00 on the platform).

“We heard enough people saying, ‘Could I put in a couple of thousand dollars or something?’ that we decided to open this up and really leverage that,” Wilson said. “I think it’s just because this is one of those problems that so many people are familiar with.”

Thrones are eco-friendly public toilets accessible via phone (the company also has a tap card option for those without reliable access to smartphones) through a QR code or app. The app also features a map of available Thrones in the area and real-time cleanliness ratings.

Over the past year, the company developed an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant version of Throne and commercially launched that product on the National Mall. It’s also added Thrones in Northern Virginia — two in Arlington and two in Fairfax with a third on the way.

Throne, Wilson said, solves an issue that impacts everyone, so adding a Wefunder component allowed the company to leverage that public interest. It also makes the product more open and equitable, he added, by expanding the public’s involvement.

Opening the investment round to the public goes hand in hand with the company’s mission of expanding bathroom access for everyone, Wilson said. Right now, the company is building its network density, and one day hopes to have a network of Thrones all over the country. By getting people involved as investors, he aspires to build a network of advocates that can compel local governments and elected officials to add Thrones to their communities.

“Part of the strategy is also: Let’s get a country full of people behind the Throne mission, and potentially even investors, who can be there on the local level to talk to their congressperson or local officials to help us get an anchor there,” Wilson said.

Wilson hopes that solidifying the company’s DMV-area presence and adding new Thrones in the area will make it easier to tell the story of what they can do for the local community.

With the funds, Throne leadership primarily wants to launch faster in another market. Over the next year, Wilson and the team will be proving the scalability of the Thrones and the business model, as well as working on being a multi-market company. They’ll also plant the seeds for even more markets later on, he said.

“It’s really about starting to be in three or five cities and be a little bit more part of the certain national conversation when it comes to bathroom access,” Wilson said.