Birchal, the leading securities crowdfunding platform in Australia, has added a crowdfunding OG to its roster of resources. According to a note shared by Birchal, Darren Westlake, founder and former CEO of Crowdcube, joins Birchal as Strategic Advisor.
Additionally, Birchal says that Rod Bristow, former CEO of Investible, has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director on the Board. Bristow helped to scale Investible – an Asia-Pacific early-stage investment firm.
Westlake exited Crowdcube in early 2023, an online capital formation platform that launched on the eve of the industry in 2012. Under his guidance, Crowdcube enabled approximately €1.5 billion in funding to early-stage firms in the UK and continental Europe. This included 1300 early-stage firms, including well-known names like Revolut and Monzo.
Matt Vitale, the founder and CEO of Birchal, said adding these names highlights his company’s ambitions.
“Darren’s groundbreaking work with Crowdcube in the UK and Rod’s leadership in building investor ecosystems bring invaluable and complementary skills to our team. Their expertise will help us scale equity crowdfunding in Australia, creating new opportunities for founders and everyday investors alike.”
Westlake commented on his selection as an advisor, stating that the UK has proven how transformative investment crowdfunding can be adding that Australia is on the cusp of its own “boom.”
“Birchal has already laid the foundations as the market leader, and I’m excited to help the team take it to the next level, leveraging lessons from the UK to accelerate the growth of this industry in Australia.”
Westlake is currently in the midst of launching another startup this one focusing on music. Disco, founded by Westlake, recently leveraged crowdfunding to raise growth capital.
Birchal reports that it has raised over A$218 million via more than 300 successful offers, connecting businesses with over 79,000 active investors. The addition of Westlake and Bristow is described as reinforcing Birchal’s commitment to leading this growth and shaping the future of equity crowdfunding in Australia.
