Funding Wonder Crowd, LLC, a small business lending platform operator, announced on Wednesday it was approved by FINRA (the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) as a licensed Regulation Crowdfunding Portal.
Sharing details about the new crowdfunding platform, Michael Mildenberger, CEO of Funding Wonder, stated:
“Funding Wonder is taking a leadership position in the democratization of the finance industry. For the first time, small investors have the same opportunity as high net worth individuals and institutions to directly participate in alternative investments such as small business lending. This not only expands investment options for investors, but also provides increased access to capital for the many small businesses that are vital to our economy.”
The new platform explained with the adoption of Regulation Crowdfunding under JOBS Act, the SEC and FINRA have been registering funding portals to offer investments in private companies to the general public. Funding Wonder Crowd is in the process of onboarding the initial business loan offerings for the new portal. It also revealed anyone aged 18 or older will now be able to invest in private debt securities offered by small to medium businesses on its marketplace, subject to 12-month investment limits. Funding Wonder’s platform is set to go live on January 16, 2017.
Note: some industry followers believe that Reg CF platforms will migrate more towards debt than equity. NextSeed is a debt-only platform. Since May 16th, when Reg CF rules went into effect, investors have reportedly raised over $14 million in Reg CF offerings. There has also been 62 successful offerings, 16,552 investments, and three companies that have secured $1 million.
