Investment Platforms and Marketplaces

May 16, 2017 @ 10:59 pm By JD Alois  |  

According to a report by Bloomberg, Earnest is up for sale. The San Francisco based online lender is said to have an asking price of $100 million. Founded in 2013, Crunchbase reports Earnest has raised over $99 million not including an undisclosed sum in a… Read More

May 16, 2017 @ 4:34 pm By JD Alois  |  

One of the most challenging problems with perk-based crowdfunding is that too frequently project creators fail to deliver. While outright fraud may be rare, projects that don’t deliver or over-promise and under-deliver is commonplace. This has undermined the entire ecosystem as backers have become wary… Read More

May 16, 2017 @ 1:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

There has been much discussion about the potential of investment crowdfunding to empower women and minorities. Occasionally we receive data or research that shares encouraging information that underserved communities are benefiting by newfound sources of capital. Recently, I saw a datapoint on Crowdcube, the largest… Read More

May 16, 2017 @ 9:54 am By JD Alois  |  

Wefunder has sent a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). On the anniversary of the launch of Title III of the JOBS Act, or Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF), Nicholas Tommarello, co-founder and CEO of Wefunder, has taken a moment to reflect on… Read More

May 16, 2017 @ 8:33 am By JD Alois  |  

LendingClub (NYSE: LC), the largest marketplace lending platform in the US, has announced the appointment of Steve Allocca as President of the online lending company. Allocca will start at LendingClub on May 22, 2017 and will report directly to LendingClub CEO Scott Sanborn. Allocca will… Read More

May 16, 2017 @ 7:38 am By JD Alois  |  

Peer to peer property lender Lendy has surpassed £310 million in originations with £50 million coming in last 100 days. The P2P lender states that investors and developers are responding to post-Brexit slowdown in bank lending.  Lendy adds that quick turnaround, security and low Loan… Read More

May 16, 2017 @ 2:37 am By Jonathan Nieh  |  

  Equity crowdfunding and credit unions are a match made in heaven, according to a recent article on Business News Daily. At the heart of equity crowdfunding is the goal of democratizing capital formation; allowing companies to raise money from online communities of investors who campaign… Read More

May 15, 2017 @ 10:00 am By JD Alois  |  

AlphaFlow, an online real estate investment management platform, has appointed AdaPia d’Errico as Chief Operating Officer. The new hire was said to be part of an initiative to scale the investor platform and expand AlphaFlow’s channels. d’Errico has been well-known in the real estate crowdfunding… Read More

May 15, 2017 @ 8:52 am By JD Alois  |  

Razoo, a crowdfunding platform for charitable giving, has announced that its management has successfully concluded a buyout of the business from global investment firm and founder of Razoo, the Legatum Group. Razoo was founded in 2006 and has since enabled $550 million in donations globally…. Read More

May 14, 2017 @ 11:02 pm By JD Alois  |  

MarketInvoice, a UK based invoice financing platform, has received a £45 million lending commitment from Portuguese bank BNI Europa. “We are proactively working with Fintech businesses globally that prescribe to our vision of providing low-cost, innovative products with exceptional customer service. MarketInvoice has consistently delivered… Read More

May 14, 2017 @ 7:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Tennis star and Seedrs advisor Andy Murray has invested in three early-stage UK businesses. The Seedrs listed companies include Den, Morpher and Landbay. Murray’s Seedrs originated portfolio now stands at over 20 companies, according to the platform.  As has been the case in the past, Murray… Read More

May 13, 2017 @ 12:07 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

FundYourselfNow, a global cryptocurrency crowdfunding platform, announced earlier this week it is set to launch in the first quarter of 2018. The funding portal revealed: “The year 2016 saw over $200 million worth of cryptocurrency investments raised though the ICO (Initial Coin Offering) process. But… Read More

May 13, 2017 @ 10:56 am By JD Alois  |  

GLI Finance (LSE:GLIF) has announced a change in senior management. Russell Harte, Chief Operating Officer, will be leaving GLI on July 1st, 2017. Aaron Le Cornu, most recently CFO of Elian, will then replace Harte as Chief Operating Officer. Le Cornu’s role will include both GLI… Read More

May 13, 2017 @ 10:29 am By JD Alois  |  

Kromtech Security Researchers say they discovered a “massive trove of data” from both businesses and investors on the online lending platform Funding Circle. The data only referenced US based customers and did not impact other markets where Funding Circle originates loans. Reportedly, no data was… Read More

May 12, 2017 @ 11:53 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Friday, crowdfunding giant Kickstarter announced it is set to bring over 100 funded projects to the 2017 Maker Faire, which will be held May 19th through the 21st in San Mateo, California. Maker Faire describes itself as a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and… Read More

May 12, 2017 @ 11:48 am By JD Alois  |  

Yielders, and Islamic crowdfunding investment property platform, is out with a note saying non-Muslims now make-up over a third of users on the site. Yielders is a UK-based Fintech platform that offers ethical and Sharia compliant property investment through crowdfunding. The company said that a growing… Read More

May 12, 2017 @ 9:46 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

UK-based peer-to-peer lender Assetz Capital announced on Friday it is extending the deadline on its 30-Day Access Account promotional rate from May 11th to midday on June 6th. According to the online lending platform, since the rate increase went live on April 13th, investors have had access to a target, capped return of 4.75% per annum… Read More

May 12, 2017 @ 7:40 am By Therese Torris  |  

Since it opened for business in 2012, French lending startup Younited Credit has thrived by implementing strategic choices that ran contrary to common practice among lending marketplaces. It was the first of its kind (and still is the only one so far) to get a… Read More

May 12, 2017 @ 3:15 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Ameria, a German tech company which develops digital marketing and sales solutions for companies including HARIBO, MediaSaturn and Porsche has easily surpassed its original 700€K crowdfunding goal Companisto. Valued at 22,500,000€, Ameria has raked in over 1,380,904€ for 3.02% share offered. More than 851 investors have contributed to the… Read More

May 11, 2017 @ 2:24 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Thursday, peer-to-peer lender China Rapid Finance (NYSE: XRF) that the underwriters of its previously announced initial public offering (IPO) have exercised in full the option to purchase an additional 1.5 million American depositary shares (“ADSs”) from China Rapid Finance to cover over-allotments. According to… Read More