September 16, 2016 @ 5:53 pm By JD Alois  |  

NextGen has scheduled its next live crowdfunding event. On September 21st (8pm ET),  NextGen Crowdfunding’s Interactive Ignition Event will present several crowdfunding campaigns live. Once again, everything will be livestreamed via the NextGen site and viewers will be given the opportunity to ask questions and… Read More

September 16, 2016 @ 4:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

Speaking on CNBC earlier today, French Deputy Minister for Innovation & Digital Affairs Axelle Lemaire promoted the French startup scene. Lemaire mentioned that  buses in Shoreditch are not necessary as the “startup scene is booming” and the amount of investment from VCs and funds is… Read More

September 16, 2016 @ 1:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

File this one under recently discovered, but the European Commission published a report earlier this year that pretty much crushed any hope for a more synchronized approach for debt and equity crowdfunding across Europe. As highlighted in the editorial by Alessandro Lerro earlier this week,… Read More

September 16, 2016 @ 9:53 am By JD Alois  |  

The JOBS Act of 2012 legalized three different variations of investment crowdfunding. Title III or Reg CF, allows for anyone to invest in smaller companies that are raising up to $1 million.  Title IV, or Reg A+, allows issuers to raise up to $50 million… Read More

September 16, 2016 @ 9:04 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission has scheduled the next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Small & Emerging Companies for October 5th.  The meeting will be held at SEC Headquarters in Washington, DC and is open to the public. The proceedings will be live-streamed via… Read More

September 16, 2016 @ 8:10 am By JD Alois  |  

Snowball Effect, the leading equity crowdfunding platform in New Zealand, is celebrating 2 years of operation in the Kiwi nation. In recognition of their anniversary and platform growth, Snowball Effect has shared some platform highlights along with a deck (embedded below). New Zealand, in many… Read More

September 16, 2016 @ 12:10 am By JD Alois  |  

First Publicly Traded Company to Raise Money via Equity Crowdfunding Platform in New Zealand. G3 Group Limited (G3) (NXT:GGL), the first company to list on the new NXT market 15 months ago, is raising up to $3 million in additional capital using equity crowdfunding platform… Read More

September 15, 2016 @ 4:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

Indiegogo has quietly added a new vertical to its crowdfunding platform: sex toys and sexual wellness. We saw the new niche crowdfunding vertical emerge this past August to establish itself as a leading marketplace for cutting edge sexual toys and implements. The Indiegogo After Dark… Read More

September 15, 2016 @ 3:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Chicago Federal Reserve has jumped into the ongoing discussion regarding Fintech innovation, banking, and financial services. Reflecting on the Chicago Fed’s annual risk conference earlier this year, author Marshall Eckblad stated; “The landscape for banking and financial services is changing at an accelerating pace… Read More

September 15, 2016 @ 9:09 am By JD Alois  |  

Ron Suber, President of Prosper Marketplace, presented at the Fall AltFi conference in Manhattan yesterday and delivered a keynote address on the status of marketplace lending. Now most industry observers know that  the online lending industry was hit with a one-two punch this year. As the economy… Read More

September 15, 2016 @ 8:04 am By JD Alois  |  

  TWINO Group, a European consumer lender, has announced that it has reached a new funding milestone of €300 million in issued loans. TWINO also operates a peer to peer lending platform that has funded approximately €50 million in loans.  Interestingly, TWINO points out that 8%… Read More

September 14, 2016 @ 8:43 pm By JD Alois  |  

BrewDog, “the fastest-growing food and drinks producer in Britain, and the fastest-growing bar and restaurant operator”, has cruised across the Atlantic to set up operations in the Heartland of the America.  The Columbus brewery is nearing completion and  management believes it is a good time… Read More

September 14, 2016 @ 5:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

Lending Club (NYSE:LC), the leading marketplace lending platform in the US, just announced the hiring of its new CFO, Thomas Casey, following the departure of Carrie Dolan announced several weeks back. Today, Lending Club is revealing what they had to pay Casey to gain his… Read More

September 14, 2016 @ 5:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

SEC Chair Mary Jo White reaffirmed her interest in providing improved liquidity for shares in smaller companies mentioning specifically Reg A+ and Reg CF. In a wide-ranging speech on equity market structure, White injected a “word on quality markets for smaller companies.” White stated; “…I… Read More

September 14, 2016 @ 4:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

Tipalti has closed on a $14 million funding round led by SGVC, a company that has invested in big tech/Fintech names like SoFi, Addepar, OpenGov, HomeLight, LoopCommerce and Sunbit. Tipalt is a payments automation platform. The new funding will be leveraged to accelerate adoption of… Read More

September 14, 2016 @ 11:44 am By JD Alois  |  

FinanceEstonia and Deloitte have collaborated on a document that defines best practices for the emerging investment crowdfunding sector in Estonia. The first five Estonian crowdfunding platforms joined the “Crowdfunding Best Practice” in May of this year and were granted the Best Practice Labels at Law Firm… Read More

September 14, 2016 @ 10:50 am By JD Alois  |  

The SEC is constantly churning out releases and statements and, at times, advice for investors. Earlier this week they revisited an important topic: fees and expenses ladled on by funds and firms can harm your long-term investment returns. Most investors focus on top line numbers… Read More

September 14, 2016 @ 9:57 am By JD Alois  |  

In multiple reports, Chinese authorities raided the offices of “two crippled peer to peer lending platforms”.  Both Jinlu Fund and Dangtian Wealth were visited by Shanghai police on suspicion of “illegally pooling deposits”, according to China News. Both platforms are affiliated with Shanghai Kuailu Investment… Read More

September 14, 2016 @ 8:28 am By JD Alois  |  

LendInvest, an online mortgage marketplace that has facilitated over £740 million in financing, has launched the “first” Property Development Academy in an attempt to boost construction of new homes. The UK has had supply challenges for housing for some time now. Of course, the result… Read More

September 13, 2016 @ 10:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

Small business loan approval rates at larger banks, institutions with $10 billion or more in assets,  bounced back in August, according to the most recent Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index. Further, approval percentages at institutional lenders hit a new Index high. Meanwhile, approval rates at small… Read More