Is Holly a Good Investment? We Break Down the Case for Investing In Holly Stock
/Holly is an entertainment technology platform that connects talent to resources, capital, and networking opportunities.
The platform was launched in early 2023 by Academy Award-nominated actor, singer-songwriter, and record producer Terrence Howard and his wife, Mira Howard. Their mission is to challenge decades-old Hollywood systems that favor industry insiders and those with deep connections.
And now, you have the opportunity to invest in this rising startup through Holly’s equity crowdfunding raise. But, is buying Holly stock a good buy? Keep reading to decide for yourself.
About Holly
Holly has been described as “LinkedIn meets Instagram” for talent. It’s a digital platform where actors can upload auditions, reels, and resumes to secure job opportunities.
“This is literally for those artists that are looking for real jobs that are out there. If an actor has a wonderful audition but they didn’t get the job, they’re still able to post their audition. It’s not wasted”, stated Terrence Howard in an interview.
In addition to connecting talent with jobs, the company is working on innovative platform features – including a marketplace for talent to find legal services, talent management, rights, and identity management.
Why Holly Investors Are Excited by the $2T Market Opportunity
Every aspect of the platform is developed to solve the issues Terrence Howard has identified first-hand in the industry. The primary issue is removing the gatekeepers that prevent talent from landing jobs.
“Hollywood is in serious need of a shakeup, and Holly is the answer to a more collaborative environment where we partner with agencies, studios and other industry players to provide more access for talent and more diverse content for viewers,” said co-Founder Terrence Howard.
Holly aims to democratize the entertainment industry, encourage collaboration between talent and industry professionals and empower diverse creators to share their talent and stories.
Howard goes on, “Tech has disrupted other legacy industries. But the business side of entertainment has remained mostly untouched. Actors and artists must go to and through third parties, especially talent agencies, for any shot at the opportunity to be a part of this industry. But a tech solution can change that. Holly is the tech solution that we’ve been waiting for two decades in this industry.”
How Holly and Terrence Howard Are Solving Hollywood’s Biggest Problems
Hollywood has been a game of who you know, and it’s time for it to be about what you can do. Sometimes the most promising talent is overlooked because they are not represented and lack access due to narrow-minded gatekeepers. Holly eliminates the need for representation by allowing talents to showcase their abilities directly on the platform using the best in digital technologies.
“Today’s audiences are looking for stories and voices they can relate to, but traditional Hollywood systems typically overlook the talent that can bring those projects to life. Holly is the platform that can facilitate this change across the industry. Holly is LinkedIn meets Instagram for talent, empowering a vibrant community to discover and elevate the best artists regardless of geography, background or socio-economic status.”
It’s clear that fans want a more diverse entertainment experience. As evidenced by the meteoric rise of social media and digital content creators. Holly is giving all of us the opportunity to enjoy the talent and projects we want to see.
To support its mission to level the playing field in Hollywood, Holly’s user-friendly platform is completely free for creative talent to join. Its technology allows actors and artists to upload their portfolios and demo reels, audition for projects, and build community with other members of the entertainment industry.
Industry executives and Hollywood insiders from studios, production companies, and talent agencies can join Holly for a subscription fee to scout and discover talent and post casting calls.
How will Holly make money?
Holly will monetize its platform through the following revenue streams:
Charge a subscription fee to use the platform
Charge referral fees or commissions to third-party marketplace professionals (casting, insurance, and other professional services)
Paid membership for access to talent database for entertainment insiders
Work with advertisers and sponsors
Live and virtual event ticket sales (including merchandise)
The value proposition for Holly is that it is a simple, easy-to-use platform for overlooked talent to turn their dreams into a financial reality.
Holly’s UI-centric platform makes it easy to discover high-quality projects and talent.
The projects are screened through hundreds of community-vetted actors, musicians, comedians, and raw talent – all without agents, managers, and casting calls.
Its marketplace will feature a variety of services from production assistance, rights and identity management, to talent representation.
Is Holly a good investment?
If you’re wondering, “should I invest in Holly?”, at Money & Mimosas we encourage you to ask yourself three questions:
What are the potential roadblocks?
What is the potential growth or upside?
How does this align with my values and/or overall investment strategy?
The two biggest potential roadblocks we see for Holly are building a two-sided marketplace and overcoming the entrenched legacy of agent representation in Hollywood.
The former, building a two-sided marketplace, means that Holly will need to market to two different audiences. One audience is the talent. The other audience is the folks casting for projects. In order for Holly to be successful, it will need buy-in from both parties. This is challenging, but it has been done. Ebay, LinkedIn, AirBnb are all examples of two-sided marketplaces that have been very successful.
The latter, overcoming the calcified gatekeeper mentality associated with the legacy of agent representation, is a big hurdle. There may be projects that refuse to work with talent who do not have representation. However, breakout successes such as Issa Rae and Michaela Coel have proven that the power lies in the audience. Fans want a more diverse entertainment experience. If Hollywood wants to remain relevant, its antiquated business approach will need to evolve.
With that stated, there are endless upside possibilities for Holly. First, the star power of Terrence Howard can not be overstated. In addition to his rockstar connections, the wealth of knowledge he has accumulated over his 35+ year career will ensure this platform is truly meeting the needs of its user base.
Secondly, the platform has identified a clear need. The rise of successful creators on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram demonstrates that fans want to experience quality, diverse entertainment not currently available through Hollywood. In 2022, Influencer Marketing Hub estimated the creator space to be worth $104 billion. Now, Holly will make it possible for talent and fans to gain access to the entertainment they deserve on all screens.
Lastly, the features that the Holly platform intends to roll out are truly innovative. The ability to empower a vibrant community to discover and elevate the best talent regardless of geography or socio-economic status.
How to invest in Holly stock
Holly is currently offering shares at $1. The minimum investment is $500.
The process of investing is really easy. You head over to the Holly investment page and enter your email information into the invitation box. From there, the website will walk you through the seamless process of becoming an investor with Holly.
Disclosure: This is a paid advertisement for Holly’s Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.myholly.app
