Proof of Usefulness Report

SMBX

Analysis completed on 1/30/2026

+515
Proof of Usefulness Score
Industry Mainstay

SMBX is a legitimate, FINRA-registered small business bond marketplace that has raised ~$15M in venture funding (Series A) and facilitated millions in small business bonds. However, the project submission itself contains significant inaccuracies and low-effort claims (e.g., claiming 'most people have used my product' and 'everyone' as the audience). While the platform has verified utility and traction in the fintech space, the score is constrained by the niche nature of the user base (<50k estimated) compared to the exaggerated claims.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+200.0
Audience Reach Impact+48.0
Technical Innovation+112.5
Evidence Of Traction+150.0
Market Timing Relevance+90.0
Functional Completeness+2.5
Subtotal+603
Usefulness Multiplierx0.85
Final Score+515

Project Details

Project URL
thesmbx.com
Description
SMBX is a FINRA-registered funding portal and public marketplace for issuing, buying, and selling U.S. small business bonds. It is powered by a proprietary technology stack and financial services platform, which supports P2P securities issuances that aims to provide more affordable capital to small businesses while making peer investing more empowering, engaging, and rewarding.

Algorithm Insights

Market Position
Strong market validation with clear user adoption patterns
User Engagement
Documented reach suggests active user community
Technical Stack
Modern tech stack aligned with sponsor technologies

Recommendations to Increase Usefulness Score

Document User Growth

Provide specific metrics on user acquisition and retention rates

Showcase Revenue Model

Detail sustainable monetization strategy and current revenue streams

Expand Evidence Base

Include testimonials, case studies, and third-party validation

Technical Roadmap

Share development milestones and feature completion timeline