Appropriately – international funding platform FundedByMe is now accepting Bitcoin. The announcement has been matched with the launch of an equity crowdfunding campaign for Safello, a Bitcoin trading platform that is already halfway funded.
FundedByMe is using the Safello offer as a Pilot Program to test Bitcoin utilization. Management has explained that following the crowdfunding round FundedByMe will analyze and evaluate Bitcoin utilization with the intent on incorporating it across the platform.
“We see that among our investors, a great many of them are early-adopters. We also know that bitcoin users are familiar with new inventions at an early stage. That’s why we thought that we may offer both groups something interesting”, said Daniel Daboczy, CEO and co-founder of FundedByMe.
Frank Schuil, CEO and co-founder of Saffelo explained, “we have already done it in previous rounds of raising funds. On the other hand we know that many of our customers would be interested to invest if they can do so with Bitcoins. As a Bitcoin company we of course need to support this. For customers who are already verified with Safello this will also be the easiest way to invest.”
While Juniper views future growth of Bitcoin as “limited”, Safello notes the recent update by CoinDesk that total Bitcoin exchange trading volume grew by over 50% in 2014. All time VC investments into Bitcoin startups topped $400 million.
Incorporating Bitcoin into their funding platform will of course open up offers to the broader Bitcoin community.
“FundedByMe is probably the most flexible crowdfunding platform at least in Europe. Which means we support our investors whoever they are, wherever they are and whatever form they want to transfer their money”, said Daboczy.
Safello has the support of a lead investor, the Digital Currency Group. This investor, led by Barry Silbert, incubates and seeds bitcoin and blockchain tech companies. The Digital Currency Group has invested in over 50 companies in 15 different companies.
Based in Stockholm, Sweden, FundedByMe has always viewed itself as a dynamic, international funding portal. The platform offers both rewards and equity based crowdfunding and recently incorporated debt as well. Their first debt crowdfunding offer was for an ecological sushi shop that funded in just 56 hours.
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