Beam vs Influenster

Beam is the world’s first platform to crowdfund job training for homeless people and support them into stable work.

Beam works by embracing the power of technology to tell homeless people’s stories and share their dreams for the future. It allows the public to donate to personalised crowdfunding campaigns and follow the progress of those they’ve supported – influencing lives directly from a smartphone. To date, Beam has crowdfunded more than £1m in donations from members of the public, 100% of which goes towards the end cause. Working in partnership with registered charities and local authorities in London, Beam is helping hundreds of homeless people to gain work in sectors facing critical skills shortages.

Beam has won a number of awards for its work, including first prize in the London Homelessness Awards, and Best Use of Technology in the Homeless Sector in 2018. In 2019, the platform was named the overall winner of the Tech4Good Awards, and Hottest Tech for Good Startup in Europe at The Europas. Beam’s work has been covered in top-tier publications including the Financial Times, The Guardian and TechCrunch.

Location: London, UK

Product Discovery. Reviews. Rewards

Influenster is the ultimate hub for product discovery.

Influenster is a product discovery platform that encourages social activity about products, guides consumers on how to use products, and informs about what’s new and noteworthy. We help brands amplify their messaging and increase awareness about their products. We inspire a love for products by giving guides on how to use them and provide crowdsourced opinions through our product reviews and exclusive member testing services. We are all about facilitating discovery and creating conversation. We are a resource: we want all consumers to come to us for advice on products, product comparisons, and user reviews. We help people make educated purchasing decisions about products and give them a platform for sharing what they think.

Lastly, in Influenster Nation, influence is currency. The more influential and vocal you are, the more you get rewarded.