Activistic targets mobile giving

THE latest tech-based backdoor listing abides by the notion charity begins anywhere a philanthropic mobile phone user happens to be.

Activistic has developed a mobile-phone app to channel regular, small donations.

THE latest tech-based backdoor listing abides by the notion charity does not begin at home — but anywhere a philanthropic mobile phone user happens to be.

A scion of the founder of the Hornibrook construction empire is behind the proposed backdoor listing of Activistic, which has developed an app to channel regular, small donations.

The premise of the app, ­already launched as One Cent Call in Britain, is that donors are more likely to give in small amounts when a credit card is not required.

Overseen by joint lead managers Foster Stockbroking and Canaccord Genuity, Activistic has embarked on an investor roadshow to raise $6 million ahead of listing through the shell of dormant biotech Acuvax.

Activistic — owned by about 60 wealthy Perth and Asian individuals — was founded three years ago by Matt Hornibrook, the grandson of Hornibrook (now Baulderstone Hornibrook) founder Sir Manuel.

Mr Hornibrook said he was struck by the ubiquity of mobile phones while working on housing projects in Africa.

“Mobile phones are everywhere,’’ he said. “Even the poorest villages in South Sudan are connected by mobiles.’’

At the same time, credit card access globally is surprisingly low, with penetration of less than 1 per cent in Africa and India.

“Even in the US, 100 million people are unbanked or underbanked,’’ says Activistic CEO-designate Nigel Lee.

“While there are lots of ways people can give — via Amazon or PayPal — most of them are credit-card-based and one-off.’’

Mr Hornibrook said the US charitable market alone was worth more than $US300 billion ($385bn), a third of which was ­religious-based giving.

But the churches are losing 1.7 per cent of their constituency each year as young members — the ones most comfortable with mobiles — drop out.

“This solves the problem that churches aren’t talking to young people on their own terms,’’ Mr Hornibrook said.

Other target markets are the big US political parties — which, unlike in Australia, have millions of members — and veterans ­affairs and sporting groups.

Under the Activistic model, the givers nominate a monthly payment of a minimum 50c to a specified charity, with the amount debited on their phone bill. Charities sign up for free, but Activistic pockets 15 per cent of every donation.

Globally, Activistic has so far signed up 200 charities.