Investment Platforms and Marketplaces

June 14, 2016 @ 10:10 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Peter Hazlehurst, former CEO of Google Payments Corp., announced on Tuesday the beta launch of his new education crowdfunding platform, AngelScholars. According to its description, AngelScholars offers up a crowdfunding solution to the scholarship system providing a new and unconventional way of giving back. “Located in… Read More

June 14, 2016 @ 9:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Germany represents the fourth largest economy in the world, ahead of the UK and following  the economy of Japan.  The German economy is dominated by the Mittlestand: small and medium-sized companies, many which are family owned, that fuel prosperity with their robust productivity. These smaller… Read More

June 13, 2016 @ 3:37 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

  GoFundMe announced on Monday it is offering up $100,000 to the Orlando shooting victims. The devastating incident took place in at the nightclub, Pulse, and left 49 dead and 53 injured. The crowdfunding platform shared: “Today, GoFundMe donated $100,000 to the campaign supporting victims… Read More

June 13, 2016 @ 9:22 am By JD Alois  |  

Long-time Orchard Senior Advisor Bill Ullman has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer of the Fintech firm. Ullman has been providing his insight and perspective to Orchard since the firm was founded in 2013.  Ullman, reporting directly to Orchard CEO Matt Burton, will now direct global… Read More

June 13, 2016 @ 7:56 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Armed with an undergraduate degree in Electronics from Dharmsinh Desai University and MBAs from both the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and McGill University, Jaidev Janardana spent 12 years with Capital One, in the US and the UK. He was the CMO for Capital One UK, responsible… Read More

June 13, 2016 @ 7:39 am By JD Alois  |  

Tennis star Andy Murray joined up with Seedrs in June of 2015.  The relationship between Murray and Seedrs was described at the time as a long-term partnership agreement where he would advise the firm on areas of strategic interest. Murray also became an active investor… Read More

June 11, 2016 @ 9:30 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Peer to peer lending platform Zopa announced on Friday that it was named Moneywise Customer Service Awards’ Most Trust Loan Provider for the seventh year in a row. The awards event is described as the “authoritative stamp of approval by the UK consumer,” recognition is given… Read More

June 11, 2016 @ 9:14 am By Bret Conkin  |  

Innovative approach recognized with award from Citi and Village Capital Yemani Mason identified an accessibility problem related to real estate.  Real estate investing to build wealth has not been accessible to many Americans.  They lack the networks and required capital to participate.  So he launched… Read More

June 10, 2016 @ 4:51 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Lending Works, a UK-based peer to peer lender, announced this week that it has been named Best Peer-to-Peer Platform for Savers Winner at the 2016 Moneywise Customer Service Awards, which is described as the “authoritative stamp of approval by the UK consumer,” recognition is given to… Read More

June 10, 2016 @ 2:32 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Earlier this week, Helsinki-based crowdfunding platform Invesdor announced that it has appointed Nordea Bank’s former employee, Thomas Petroff, as its new country manager for Finland. According to the funding portal, Petroff brings over 20 years of banking experience. Sharing details about the appointment, Invesdor CEO Lasse Mäkelä explained: “We… Read More

June 10, 2016 @ 8:25 am By JD Alois  |  

Short term property lender LendInvest, has launched a new website designed to appeal to mortgage intermediaries. LendInvest states that further online tools will be added to the intermediary site in the coming months.  For now the Intermediaries site provides detailed information on loans as well… Read More

June 9, 2016 @ 4:43 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Spotfund, a mobile micro-donation platform, today launched its iOS app. Targeting millennials, Brooklyn-based Spotfund allows users to fund causes and current events with only $1, $2 or $3.  Donations made through Spotfund are tax deductible. At the end of each monthly billing cycle, Spotfund provides an itemized receipt of all… Read More

June 9, 2016 @ 3:50 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Thursday, crowdfunding platform, RealtyShares, announced that it has helped finance a significant portion of the outside equity required for the purchase of the Courtyard by Marriott Columbus West in Columbus, Ohio. The establishment secured nearly $1.5 million through the portal’s investors. Sharing details about the investment, Nav Athwal,… Read More

June 9, 2016 @ 3:25 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Online lender Prosper Marketplace has put its relationships with the loan referral websites LendingTree and Credit Karma on hold, according to The Wall Street Journal, signifying the platform’s own lending slowdown as it tries to shore up new deals with investors to buy loans. Earlier this week, LendingClub raised… Read More

June 9, 2016 @ 11:56 am By JD Alois  |  

ESF Capital has signed a deal to provide £4.6 million to Satago, an online lender that provides cash-flow/receivable financing to UK SMEs.  ESF Capital is the same entity that acquired peer to peer lender ThinCats while providing a significant capital injection. Satago is also interesting… Read More

June 9, 2016 @ 11:10 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Thursday, crowdfunding platform NakedWines announced that it has appointed Antonio Trevino as its new U.S. wine and technology director. Trevino was previously chief production officer and director of winemaking at Purple Wines and Spirits, where he managed the U.S. wine portfolio and guided global strategy. He… Read More

June 8, 2016 @ 4:29 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

This week, founder of PledgeMe, Anna Guenther, announced the platform is gearing up for its Tour de South Island. Guenther revealed why she and her team decided to launch the Tour: “As New Zealand’s first crowdfunding platform, we’ve noticed some of our most amazing campaigns don’t necessarily originate… Read More

June 8, 2016 @ 12:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

SoFi COO Joanne Bradford visited with CNBC yesterday to talk about their Fintech platform and their customers as part of the Disruptor 50 series. SoFi targets HENRY’s or High Earners Not Rich Yet customers with their growing portfolio of lending and financial services. In the… Read More

June 8, 2016 @ 10:41 am By JD Alois  |  

Real estate crowdfunding platform Patch of Land has added institutional investors to its marketplace. According to information provided by the company, Prime Meridian Capital Management and AlphaFlow have committed to investing in the offers on an ongoing basis.  The agreement should help shore up any… Read More

June 8, 2016 @ 10:01 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

This week, marketplace lending platform, LendingUSA, announced that it has appointed Richard Escarcega as its new senior controller. Escarcega notably has 20 years of accounting experience and will be reporting to Camilo Concha, founder and CEO of LendingUSA. According to LendingUSA, Escarcega will oversee the day-to-day accounting… Read More