Investment Platforms and Marketplaces

September 14, 2017 @ 9:44 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

In an effort to help those who were in the path of Hurricane Irma’s devastating destruction last week, retired NBA player Tim Duncan has launched a crowdfunding campaign on YouCaring to raise $5 million. Speaking about the cause, Duncan stated: “I know not everyone can give,… Read More

September 14, 2017 @ 9:27 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

AI platform for data science and machine learning CrowdFlower announced on Thursday the first round winners of the “AI For Everyone” Challenge. The winning proposal, which receives $1 million, are computer vision projects that will label millions of images to build the largest collection of… Read More

September 14, 2017 @ 5:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

This week the Australian Parliament introduced new legislation that will extend crowdfunding or “crowdsourced equity funding” (as the Aussies call it) to private companies. This is an important fix that will create a far more robust and equitable crowdfunding ecosystem in Australia. Earlier this year,… Read More

September 14, 2017 @ 12:12 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

SmartBiz Loans, an SBA loan marketplace and bank-enabling technology platform, announced on Thursday it has topped $500 million in loans funded. The platform reported that this milestone comes on the back of its other recent successes, which includes the addition of a fifth bank to… Read More

September 14, 2017 @ 10:00 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Lendio announced on Thursday it has formed a partnership with Ocrolus, the emerging company in bank statement review automation. According to Lendio, the PerfectAudit API, powered by Ocrolus, analyzes uploaded bank statements with 99+% accuracy, replacing manual review with automation. Ocrolus’ technology notably allows lenders, for… Read More

September 14, 2017 @ 9:42 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

One Spark announced on Wednesday it has extended its creator application deadline once again after the devastating Hurricane Irma ripped through Florida and the Carribean last week. The Creator application deadline until midnight, September 16th. Innovators and entrepreneurs may apply for the 2017 Innovation Festival… Read More

September 14, 2017 @ 9:15 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Peer-to-peer lending platform JustUs announced this week it has received full authorization by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The online lender revealed that the full authorization is a pre-requisite to offer the JustUs Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA) and registration forms have been submitted to HMRC… Read More

September 14, 2017 @ 8:30 am By JD Alois  |  

Eureeca, a Dubai based multi-regulated global Equity Crowdfunding platform, has shared that it has successfully reached its funding target during its second self-crowdfunding round having raised over $400,000 in just 6 hours. The self-funding campaign represents a portion of an ongoing Series A round, which… Read More

September 13, 2017 @ 11:53 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

ThinCats announced on Wednesday it has appointed Geoff O’Brien as its new Origination Manager for Scotland services. The lender stated it has identified the need for a dedicated presence in the area and O’Brien will be the key contact for Scotland and will lead all… Read More

September 12, 2017 @ 3:56 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Reward-based crowdfunding giant Kickstarter announced on Tuesday it has officially opened to creators in Japan. The funding portal stated that artists, authors, filmmakers, musicians, designers, and creators of all types may now launch projects and find support from its backer community. “Japanese culture embodies a… Read More

September 12, 2017 @ 3:42 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Tuesday, global crowdfunding platform Indiegogo announced it has teamed up with Jif for a new young entrepreneur contest, Imagine If, With Jif. While sharing details about the contest, Indiegogo stated: “We’re excited to announce a new collaboration with Jif and the brilliant young thinkers of… Read More

September 12, 2017 @ 2:22 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Members of the UK online investment platform SyndicateRoom now have the opportunity to partake in an upcoming IPO for The People’s Trust. The target for the raise is £125 million, with the company listing on London Stock Exchange and the Social Stock Exchange in October 2017. “We’re… Read More

September 12, 2017 @ 1:17 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Monday, crowdfunding platform Crowdfunder UK announced voting is now open for the M&S Community Energy Fund. While sharing details about the initiative, Crowdfunder UK stated: “Looking to inspire a new generation of community energy projects, the M&S Community Energy Fund has got off to a… Read More

September 12, 2017 @ 9:47 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Following the devastation that Hurricane Irma in Florida and also the Carribean, DonorsChoose announced it launched a recovery fund dedicated to helping teachers rebuild their classrooms that were damaged by the storm. While sharing details about the recovery fund, Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose, stated: “Hurricanes Harvey… Read More

September 12, 2017 @ 8:42 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Real estate lending marketplace Groundfloor announced on Tuesday it has entered into a whole loan purchase relationship with Direct Access Capital (DAC), a specialty finance company focused on providing liquidity to non-bank lenders of short term residential backed business loans. According to the online lender, this… Read More

September 11, 2017 @ 1:12 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Monday, real estate crowdfunding platform Small Change announced the Pittsburgh Technology Council has named it a Tech 50 Awards Finalist in the “Start-Up of the Year” Category. Small Change revealed that the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s annual Tech 50 Awards recognize southwestern Pennsylvania’s most successful, innovative, and… Read More

September 11, 2017 @ 11:17 am By JD Alois  |  

PledgeMe, a New Zealand based crowdfunding platform, has announced an expansion into Australia just as equity crowdfunding regulations are scheduled to change. Australia has been slow to improve their regulatory environment for raising capital online but improved rules will be in place soon. “Australia is… Read More

September 11, 2017 @ 9:39 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube has announced early access registry for its upcoming Android app. The funding portal revealed that its team has spent the past few months developing the app. “Before we release the app to the Play Store, we will be running an exclusive… Read More

September 9, 2017 @ 1:16 pm By Xu Gao  |  

Online Marketplace Lenders Banned from Lending to College Students in China On September 6th, Zhao Jianjun, deputy director of the Department of Finance at Ministry of Education, announced at a press conference that online marketplace lenders are banned from lending to college students in China…. Read More

September 8, 2017 @ 2:30 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

In an effort to stop crowdfunding campaign failures and scams, Indiegogo’s Trust and Safety Team announced on Thursday several updates designed to reassure users that their money is going towards projects with potential future success. The funding portal’s team stated: “Indiegogo would not be where it… Read More