Investment Platforms and Marketplaces

November 8, 2018 @ 9:32 am By JD Alois  |  

The Blockchain Transparency Institute (BTI) has published their second exchange rankings report and according to their numbers – wash trading persists as a profound problem as crypto exchanges seek to boost their perceived relevance in the lucrative sector of crypto. According to the BTI: “many of these exchanges are… Read More

November 8, 2018 @ 8:44 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Sono Motors GmbH, a Munich-based electric car startup, is revving up to surpass the €6M milestone in its most recent Seedrs equity crowdfunding campaign. At this writing, over 645 investors have plugged in funds into this overfunding campaign, surpassing €5,984,710 for 5.15% equity offered. Electric cars… Read More

November 8, 2018 @ 7:18 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

INSIKT (pronounced “in-seekt”), a Lending as a Service (LaaS) company, announced on Thursday it has closed a private social impact bond issuance of $26 million as part of its mission to accelerate financial inclusion in America and invest capital into its low-income communities. Insikt reported that… Read More

November 8, 2018 @ 7:06 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

LandlordInvest, a peer-to-peer lending platform for residential and commercial mortgages, is now seeking a minimum of £300,000 through its equity crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube. Founded in 2014, LandlordInvest is a fully FCA authorized secured peer-to-peer lending platform and is an ISA manager. The online lender provides a marketplace… Read More

November 7, 2018 @ 9:02 pm By JD Alois  |  

RealtyShares, one of the more promising entrants in the once-hot real estate crowdfunding sector, is shutting down, according to several sources. A write up in the RealDeal from earlier today said the investment platform had been unable to raise additional growth capital as investors failed to… Read More

November 7, 2018 @ 7:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Zopa, the UK’s largest consumer peer to peer lending platform, has closed on a £60 million funding round – its largest capital raise to date. This most recent funding round was partially announced back in August when Zopa reported it had raised £44 million. The new capital… Read More

November 7, 2018 @ 7:26 am By JD Alois  |  

Leading European VC group, Draper Esprit, has led a £8.5 million funding round in UK crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. According to a release by the company, Draper Esprit has taken a £6 million stake in Crowdcube. The funding round also saw the participation of Balderton Capital… Read More

November 6, 2018 @ 10:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

This past September, Australia finally allowed “proprietary firms” to use “Crowd-Sourced Funding” (CSF) or investment crowdfunding to raise capital online. New legislation was signed into law that should help boost online capital formation in Australia. Before the change, only “unlisted public companies” were allowed to… Read More

November 6, 2018 @ 4:54 pm By JD Alois  |  

Marketplace lending platform LendingClub (NYSE: LC) has reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018. According to the company, net revenue rose 20% year over year to a “record” $184.6 million. Loan originations came in higher too at $2.9 billion, up 18% year… Read More

November 6, 2018 @ 11:03 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Something’s brewing in Boston… Just two years ago Hopsters Brewery celebrated investors pouring in $2 million in its first Wefunder crowdfunding campaign. Just a few weeks ago Hopsters Brewery initiated its second Wefunder Reg CF round, this time seeking $1,070,000 to scale up in a new… Read More

November 6, 2018 @ 9:51 am By JD Alois  |  

Announced last week during Hong Kong Fintech Week, the Hong Kong Exchange (HKEX) has partnered with “Digital Asset” to incorporate blockchain tech as part of the trading process. In a speech by Charles Li, the Chief Executive of HKEX, the successful testing of a prototype… Read More

November 5, 2018 @ 9:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

Singapore based peer to peer lender MoolahSense has added a cloud and blockchain based Artificial Intelligence (AI) that is said to provide real-time anticipation of loan delinquency, fraud, and default. “MoolahSense Active Intelligence” (MAI) is designed to monitor loans and borrower business activities in real-time… Read More

November 5, 2018 @ 9:11 pm By JD Alois  |  

Abundance, a crowdfunding platform that allows investors the opportunity to earn money while making the world a better place, has hit their £1.2 million goal on Seedrs.  Abundance launched their equity offering for a 6.76 stake in the firm in October. Abundance reported that pre-registered investors… Read More

November 5, 2018 @ 7:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

LXDX, a crypto exchange that claims to operate with “military-grade security protocols,” has announced an initial Security Token Offering (STO). The Malta-based corporation will issue tokens that represent a 10% stake in the company along with dividend rights. LXDX claims to be the first digital asset… Read More

November 5, 2018 @ 1:28 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Though Coinbase announced it raised $300 million “from high-quality investors” last week, the cryptocurrency exchange also laid off an estimated 15 people working remotely in support, compliance, and fraud departments, Yahoo Finance reports. Coinbase would not confirm how many employees were cut, it did admit… Read More

November 2, 2018 @ 9:24 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Online lending exchange LendingTree(NASDAQ: TREE) announced earlier this week it has completed the acquisition of insurance comparison marketplace, QuoteWizard. As previously reported, QuoteWizard has helped nearly 40 million consumers find their ideal insurance policy with top-tier insurance carriers across key insurance markets, which are auto, home, and… Read More

November 2, 2018 @ 12:00 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Prop-tech startup Brickowner has successfully secured its initial £150,000 funding target on equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs. The funding round is now nearing £220,000 thanks to more than 180 investors. As previously reported, Brickowner’s investment platform has reportedly experienced significant growth throughout 2018, even completing five raises totaling £4.9… Read More

November 2, 2018 @ 10:37 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Online lending platform Funding Circle announced earlier this week it has formed a partnership with Just A Card, a grassroots campaign run by artists, makers, and small business owners, to help independent retailers increase sales during the upcoming Christmas season.  Funding Circle reported that in the run-up… Read More

November 2, 2018 @ 9:21 am By JD Alois  |  

The former Head of Equity Options at Cboe Global Markets Kapil Rathi has joined digital asset firm AlphaPoint as Global Head of Trading Markets.  Rathi will lead and manage the blockchain based company on its trading and exchange business. AlphaPoint is a Fintech that seeks to help… Read More

November 1, 2018 @ 7:37 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Seed&Spark, the independent film crowdfunding platform, announced on Thursday that pilots for 27 television series developed by creators of color were funded as part of a special month-long “Keep It Colorful” crowdfunding effort. According to Seed&Spark, approximately 50 content creators of color entered the crowdfunding… Read More