Investment Platforms and Marketplaces

October 5, 2017 @ 9:30 am By JD Alois  |  

Earnest, an online lender in the student loan space, has been acquired for $155 million by Navient (NAVI) – the largest student loan servicer in the US. Since 2015, Earnest has refinanced approximately $2 billion in loans saving an estimated $500 million for thousands of… Read More

October 5, 2017 @ 9:30 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

UK-based peer-to-peer property platform Lendy is currently seeking permission to launch an innovative finance ISA (IFISA). This news comes just after the online lender announced its 2016 earnings and additional growth plans. According to FT Adviser, head of marketing and communications for Lendy, Paul Riddell… Read More

October 5, 2017 @ 9:08 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Wednesday, equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube announced the launch of the Notification Centre for its iOS app. This news comes just one year after the mobile app made its debut. While sharing details about the Centre, the Crowdcube team stated: “The Crowdcube iOS App launched 1… Read More

October 5, 2017 @ 8:58 am By Erin Hobey  |  

  Desktop Genetics Ltd (DTG), a software company revolutionising the way biologists use CRISPR genome editing technology, and online investment platform SyndicateRoom have just opened a £1.5 million investment round. DTG plans to use the funds to commercialise products and support its expansion into the… Read More

October 4, 2017 @ 7:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

PeerStreet is getting bigger. The marketplace lender for real estate backed loans, has now topped $500 million in loans and the company is well on its way to $1 billion in online lending. Even more importantly, PeerStreet says that no money has ever been lost… Read More

October 4, 2017 @ 7:32 am By JD Alois  |  

ZOA Robotics, a “biologically inspired robot creator, has secured seed investment from the British Robotics Seed Fund (BRSF). The £85,000 investment is said to be the first of a series that have been made by the UK’s robotics-focussed investment firm. ZOA Robotics is also raising… Read More

October 4, 2017 @ 7:30 am By JD Alois  |  

Roofstock has just closed a substantial funding round led by Canvas Ventures. The online investment marketplace for single-family rental homes, has raised $35 million in Series C financing. The new funding included “substantial participation” from existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Bain Capital Ventures, Khosla Ventures,… Read More

October 3, 2017 @ 3:42 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

YieldStreet, an online marketplace for a diverse array of asset-backed investments, announced on Tuesday Rob Suber of Prosper Marketplace, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson of Gilt, and Mitch Jacobs of OnDeck, has joined its advisory board. While speaking about Suber, Wilkis Wilson, and Jacobs’ advisory appointments, Milind Mehere, CEO of… Read More

October 3, 2017 @ 11:37 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Co-founded by CEO James Egan and COO Adrian Murphy in 2014, Shaw Academy is a UK-based online education provider which teaches a variety of subjects live through their bespoke software platform. Having taught over 4,000,000 students from all over the world, the platform is currently growing… Read More

October 3, 2017 @ 9:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Crowdcube, the UK’s largest crowdfunding platform, is reporting another strong quarter of performance in 2017 along with over £1 million generated in company revenue. According to the platform, Crowdcube launched 70 offerings in Q3 of 2017 – 3X more than same period year prior. Platform… Read More

October 3, 2017 @ 8:59 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Blackbaud, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLKB), a cloud software company powering social good, announced on Tuesday it has completed its acquisition of U.K.-based crowdfunding platform, JustGiving. The acquisition, which was announced earlier this summer, will notably enhance Blackbaud’s capabilities to serve both individual donors and nonprofits, expanding… Read More

October 3, 2017 @ 8:42 am By JD Alois  |  

Shojin Property Partners is the newest entrant into the property crowdfunding space. The London based, FCA regulated crowdfunding platform was officially opened on 27th September. Shojin seeks to will investors looking to invest in property with property developers looking for funding.  Interestingly, Shojin said that… Read More

October 3, 2017 @ 6:46 am By JD Alois  |  

Global crowdfunding platform OurCrowd has established a new office in Spain thus expanding its operational footprint in Europe. The additional office, located  in Madrid’s financial district of the Paseo de la Castellana, brings OurCrowd’s global locations to multiple countries with the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore… Read More

October 2, 2017 @ 11:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

Seedrs, one of the leading UK based investment crowdfunding platforms, has closed on £10 million in funding with £4 million coming from Woodford Investment Management and the balance coming from retails investors via their own platform. The deal was announced earlier this month with Seedrs… Read More

October 2, 2017 @ 10:07 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Last week, Administrator Linda McMahon, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced the launch of Lender Match, the SBA’s online referral tool connecting small business borrowers with participating SBA lenders.  Lender Match is an upgrade to LINC (Leveraging Information and Networks to access Capital), which was… Read More

October 2, 2017 @ 9:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

Early in the crowdfunding game, RocketHub was a prominent platform in the rewards space. The platform was sold in 2015 for $15 million and eventually the founders moved on to pursue other ventures. The acquiring company, privately held Eleqt Group, has since repositioned RocketHub as… Read More

October 2, 2017 @ 12:38 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Monday, privately held mortgage-banking firm CMG Financial announced the launch of its new crowdfunding platform mortgage payments, HomeFundMe. The company claims HomeFundMe is the first industry approved crowdfunding service providing homebuyers the support, education, and platform they need to crowdfund a mortgage down payment. CMG Financial… Read More

October 2, 2017 @ 11:31 am By JD Alois  |  

Proplend, a UK based peer to peer lender in the property space, has now topped £25 million in online lending. Proplend revealed the accomplishment in a recent blog post where it also shared it has been shortlisted for the Best Peer to Peer Lender for… Read More

October 2, 2017 @ 8:12 am By JD Alois  |  

  ESF Capital, along with its operating subsidiary ThinCats – a secured peer to peer lending platform, reports it has concluded a funding program for loans of up to £5m for growing UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The new £200 million funding program comprises… Read More

October 2, 2017 @ 7:41 am By JD Alois  |  

Property Moose, (aka DFI Financial Services Limited) has appointed two senior finance professionals to its Board of Directors. The property crowdfunding site has added Richard Avery-Wright and Tim Parkes to the Board following a recent investment round, in which they both participated. Parkes previously was… Read More