EuroCrowd is ten years old. Originally called the European Crowdfunding Network, the association has long been an important voice advocating on behalf of online capital formation and a key proponent in the fight to enact pan-European crowdfunding rules.
A recent email distributed by EuroCrowd noted that in February 2013, 20 representatives of crowdfunding platforms met in Brussels to formalize the European Crowdfunding Network. The mission was to enable professional private cross-border fund allocation into creative, innovative, and sustainable businesses and ideas, to support job creation and economic impact across the European Union.
EuroCrowd has been organizing events around the continent for years, helping to educate and allow platforms and partners to interact in this sector of Fintech.
CI interviewed long-time EuroCrowd Executive Director Oliver Gajda in 2020 about European Crowdfunding Service Providers Regulation (ECSPR) about the formation on the new rules, and he told us that they basically started the European Crowdfunding Network with this goal in mind, framing ideas in 2012 and incorporating in 2013.
“So this has been an 8-year journey in which many highly skilled and motivated people from our membership have joined open discussions and provided input to policymakers here in Brussels. We are very proud to have been able to work with all of them.”
EuroCrowd has also provided guidance to policymakers on match-funding with ESIF funds, the EU Prospectus Regulation and other policy developments linked to the Capital Market Union and the Fintech Action Plan. They are also engaged in the development of Markets in Crypto Assets.
The email signed by Gajda states:
“After ten years, we would like to thank the many members that have supported our work over the years, individuals that provided their time and knowledge to support our efforts and policymakers and stakeholders that have lent us their credibility in our maybe sometimes-unconventional path. We believe that crowdfunding has not lost any of its appeal, that is has benefited from the mainstream always moving to the next exciting topic, be it ICOs, NFTs, or DeFI. Unlike any other innovative sector in the financial markets, crowdfunding has achieved real economic accomplishments and gained the trust and widespread support. It has remained comparably small and can now grow within a clear framework into a professional and sustainable market.”