Emerging Frontiers Launches Equity Crowdfunding Platform to Help the ‘Missing Middle’ of Small Businesses in the Developing World

Emerging Frontiers announced on Monday (January 12th) that it has launched its private investor platform that will disrupt the rapidly growing market for private investment opportunities in frontier and emerging markets.

Emerging FrontiersThe platform’s first listing on its equity crowdfunding platform is Endaga Inc., a California-based company that delivers profitable, low-cost rural telecommunications network solutions worldwide. The company has recently completed a US$800,000 seed round and has retained Emerging Frontiers to raise a further US$400,000 through its private investor platform.

Emerging Frontiers CEO, Kevin Virgil stated, “Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in frontier and emerging markets are often neglected by both developmental aid organizations and large institutional investors, leaving them, and entire market economies, vulnerable. Our mission is to connect them with our network of investors and provide the capital that they need to grow and succeed. We believe that high-quality entrepreneurs in frontier markets should have the same opportunities as their counterparts in Silicon Valley.”

Virgil, a serial entrepreneur and founding partner of Pathfinder Capital, a frontier markets investment advisor, is joined by an experienced team of finance professionals to include Baldwin Berges, the former managing director of Silk Invest; and Mark Moline, co-founder of the Seraph private investor network.

Mark MolineCo-founder of Emerging Frontiers, Mark Moline noted, “Today’s investment landscape for developing economies provides challenges both to the investor and the entrepreneur. The IFC estimates that the unmet capital needs for SMEs in these markets is in excess of US$1 trillion. However, sophisticated investors are often locked out of private investment opportunities in these markets due to the high investment minimums and exorbitant fees required by traditional fund managers. With minimum capital requirements of as little as $5,000 per investment, sophisticated investors can browse the Emerging Frontiers platform of pre-screened, private investment opportunities that have until now been hidden from view within frontier and emerging markets around the world.”

Endaga CEO Kurtis Heimerl added,”Endaga’s growth strategy will largely be driven within frontier and emerging markets, and therefore Emerging Frontiers is a natural fit for us. We are excited about the value that the Emerging Frontiers platform can create for us, both because of the management team’s experience in developing markets, and because they have built an ecosystem of accredited investors who understand and appreciate the opportunities and potential in the countries where we will do business.”



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