July 16, 2016 @ 8:50 am By JD Alois  |  

Moody’s confirmed ratings on securities backed by pools of unsecured consumer installment loans originated by Prosper. The bonds which were sold by Citigroup got hit by a downgrade warning earlier this year. Moody’s has now removed the warning in a rating action this past Thursday. According to… Read More

July 15, 2016 @ 5:12 pm By JD Alois  |  

Creditexchange, an online lending platform, has raised $500,000 in seed funding. Kuber Financial participated in the funding round but did not disclose exact terms. Creditexchange, described as India’s first hybrid consumer loan platform and institutional marketplace, will originate loans where institutional investors may co-invest in… Read More

July 15, 2016 @ 11:58 am By JD Alois  |  

WeFunder, an investment crowdfunding platform, has quickly jumped out of the gate to become the leading listing site for Reg CF issuers. Someone recently asked Crowdfund Insider how WeFunder was sourcing so many deals. WeFunder explained they are mainly finding companies the “old-fashioned way”, face to… Read More

July 15, 2016 @ 11:18 am By JD Alois  |  

Orchard Platform is growing. So much so they have leased a lot more Manhattan space. Announced this week, Orchard is upgrading from the 7,000 square foot office space at 101 Fifth Avenue, to a 26,242 square foot space by taking over two floors of 386… Read More

July 15, 2016 @ 8:24 am By JD Alois  |  

Recently launched crowdfunding platform, Downing Crowd, an offshoot of London-based VC firm Downing, is finding success with its new platform. Powered by Edinburgh-based ShareIn, Downing Crowd has closed its second deal in two days raising a total of £3.2 million.  According to information provided by… Read More

July 14, 2016 @ 3:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

The SEC Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies (ACSEC) has published its agenda for its meeting next week and it should be a more interesting gathering. As part of the ACSEC program, the SEC Division of Corporate Finance will deliver an update on the… Read More

July 14, 2016 @ 10:03 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK Crowdfunding Association (UKCFA) is partnering on a forthcoming crowdfunding event scheduled to take place in London this coming fall. Crowdfest is described as a “multi-streamed forum with over 50 speakers, taking place in October with a capacity of 700.”  Crowdfest strives to be the industry’s leading… Read More

July 14, 2016 @ 9:16 am By JD Alois  |  

Mindful Chef, a young company that makes healthy eating easy by delivering  all the good-for-you ingredients to create meals, is raising £400,000 on Seedrs and the equity crowdfunding offer is off to a solid start. Launched today, Mindful Chef has already captured 45% of its… Read More

July 14, 2016 @ 8:35 am By JD Alois  |  

OTC Markets Group (OTCQX: OTCM) has received Blue Sky recognition in several states. Vermont has recognized the OTCQX market and Iowa, Wyoming and Washington have recognized both OTCQX and OTCQB.  Each state recognized these markets for their Blue Sky Manuel Exemption. Cromwell Coulson, CEO of… Read More

July 13, 2016 @ 9:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

  Do Online Lenders Benefit from Regulatory Arbitrage? Yesterday (July 12), the subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit (part of the House Financial Services Committee) hosted an educational hearing on Fintech and Marketplace Lending. The meeting saw the participation of several industry executives including… Read More

July 13, 2016 @ 4:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

The National Securities Exchange Regulatory Parity Act (HR 5421) passed the House of Representatives yesterday on a voice vote. It previously was approved by the House Financial Services Committee on a vote of 47-12 last month. The bill will alter how the SEC regulates exchanges. The… Read More

July 13, 2016 @ 3:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

During the first six months of 2016, at least 264 peer to peer lending platforms were shut down in China. This is a direct reaction to the tightening grip of Chinese regulators.  The report published in ECNS, states that even tougher oversight is in store… Read More

July 13, 2016 @ 2:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed rules today to streamline and simplify certain disclosure requirements to “eliminate redundant, overlapping, outdated, or superseded provisions.” SEC Chair Mary Jo White commented on the proposal; “The proposed amendments address outdated and redundant disclosure requirements while continuing to require… Read More

July 13, 2016 @ 2:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

At a Congressional hearing yesterday on Marketplace Lending that was described as being “educational”, Rob Nichols, of the American Bankers Association,  presented testimony and answered questions along with several other individuals engaged in finance. While the topic was  ostensibly “Fintech”, a better label may have… Read More

July 13, 2016 @ 11:23 am By JD Alois  |  

The SEC Advisory Committee on Small & Emerging Companies (ACSEC) has scheduled its next meeting for Tuesday, July 19, 2016 commencing at 9AM. These meetings are held at the SEC Headquarters in Washington, DC and are open to the public. The SEC will live-stream the… Read More

July 13, 2016 @ 11:15 am By JD Alois  |  

Below is an infographic created in conjunction with London Fintech Week which commences next Monday (July 18).  The research compiled on Fintech growth is quite interesting showing a dramatic increase in the Asia Pacific region and slowing growth in the UK.  China has overtaken Europe,… Read More

July 13, 2016 @ 10:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Revolut, a Fintech startup that recently decided to offer £1 million to retail investors as part of a much larger Series A funding round, has crushed all expectations for indications of investor interest.  The offer, which is scheduled to go live on Crowdcube this Monday,… Read More

July 13, 2016 @ 9:29 am By JD Alois  |  

The annual London Fintech Week will open on Monday with Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor for Business, kicking off the event. London is well recognized as perhaps the leading Fintech hub in the world so it is interesting to note the gathering takes place as Fintech… Read More

July 12, 2016 @ 8:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

Online SME lending platform Bond Street has announced today that it has hired Ben Solomon to lead their capital market strategy. Solomon is the former Global Head of Securitized Products Trading at Deutsche Bank. As marketplace lending platforms become more sophisticated and depending on multiple… Read More

July 12, 2016 @ 8:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

German investment crowdfunding platform Companisto has launched its self crowdfunding round, presently only available to registered users or “companists”. Management described the initiative as “another chapter in [their] company’s history.” Details of the offer were not immediately available as all information was only available to… Read More