Investment Platforms and Marketplaces

June 16, 2015 @ 10:16 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Tumblbug, South Korea’s crowdfunding platform for independent creators, has raised 1.7 billion KRW (just over US$1.5 million) in Series A funding led by DCM Ventures, Naver and Strong Ventures. Tumblbug is considered one of the country’s fastest growing crowdfunding platform with 65 percent of the more than… Read More

June 16, 2015 @ 9:53 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Mindful Crowd has launched its new equity-based hybrid VC/crowdfunding platform. The new platform offers accredited investors the opportunity to directly invest in disruptive, advanced technology companies making a positive impact by improving our health, environment, and lifestyles. This is the first time a venture fund will open… Read More

June 16, 2015 @ 9:44 am By JD Alois  |  

  Seedrs has become a go-to platform for other crowdfunding platforms. The growing list includes stalwarts like LandBay and TrillionFund.  Now they have added another crowdfunding platform to the ranks of aspiring platforms raising capital on their site; Swiss-Crowd. Swiss Crowd only recently launched their… Read More

June 16, 2015 @ 9:30 am By Midori Yoshimura  |  

  When navigating the increasingly popular path of real estate crowdfunding, Jilliene Helman is among the leaders at the front of the group. Named to Forbes’ 2015 30 Under 30 list, Jilliene is the CEO and founder of Realty Mogul, a fast-growing real estate crowdfunding platform that has invested over… Read More

June 16, 2015 @ 8:12 am By JD Alois  |  

Etsy is pushing into crowdfunding.  The wildly successful independent makers platform is launching a crowdfunding pilot program that melds e-commerce and the ability to raise capital prior to a product launch. This comes after a successful IPO that saw shares rocket to $30 shares only… Read More

June 16, 2015 @ 7:56 am By Erin Hobey  |  

In the news again, Startupbootcamp, a European accelerator, today announced the launch of the Startupbootcamp Insurance accelerator program. Based in London, the program invites global startups from across different areas within insurance, including retail insurance, corporate risk management, re-insurance, back-office efficiency and new risk models, to… Read More

June 15, 2015 @ 11:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

Leading peer to peer lending site LendInvest has received a £22 million investment from Chinese internet firm Beijing Kunlun. This is according to an article in the FT but was also referenced in a Board Meeting release from earlier this week. Christian Faes, co-founder and… Read More

June 15, 2015 @ 10:21 am By Therese Torris  |  

How does equity crowdfunding co-exist with business angel networks and seed investment clubs? Does it enable networks to attract new members, or, on the contrary, does it lure existing members away from the networks? Numbers from France Angels, the French Federation of business angels, seem… Read More

June 15, 2015 @ 9:16 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

In an effort to help startups get off the ground, Rob Love of UK’s reward-based crowdfunding platform, CrowdfunderUK has teamed up with Virgin’s founder, Sir Richard Branson, Julie Deane of the Cambridge Satchel Company and Rapha’s Tom Wood to offer up tips on how to be successful in the business world…. Read More

June 15, 2015 @ 8:34 am By JD Alois  |  

Leading peer to peer lending platform, Lending Club, has formed a partnership with the Opportunity Fund, an entity that targets community based lending.  Announced that the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI America), the agreement is designed to help provide capital for small businesses in California. Former… Read More

June 15, 2015 @ 8:11 am By JD Alois  |  

Money360, a commercial real estate peer to peer lending platform, has hire Laura Catalino as a Senior VP to manage investor relations. “Online marketplace lenders such as Money360 are providing commercial real estate borrowers with more loan options than ever, while also offering investors a… Read More

June 14, 2015 @ 10:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

With new rules pending, the peer to peer lending market is jostling for position.  CreditEase, the first P2P lender in China, recently cemented an agreement with China Guanfa Bank as part of a push to assure investors their money is safe. According to a report… Read More

June 12, 2015 @ 1:20 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Yesterday, the Malaysian Securities Commission (MSC) has approved of six equity crowdfunding (ECF) platforms to start their operations by the end of the year. Today updates and further comments were shared by key innovators regarding the approval. “It is timely to further widen access through innovation in financial… Read More

June 12, 2015 @ 12:49 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

  Asian Crowdfunder launched its Malaysian platform with three projects, while also indicating the platform is in the process of starting in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, according to Digital News Asia.  Cofounded by Frank Holle of Quant Asset Management Pte Ltd, Graham Paling of Mongoose Publishing and Kenneth… Read More

June 12, 2015 @ 11:32 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Friday, Gurgaon-based peer-to-peer lending platform Faircent announced it has raised ₹250,000 in its pre-series A round, which was led by M&S Partners Pte. Ltd. Faircent is said to be India’s largest P2P lending site.  The platform has been in operation since mid 2014 and… Read More

June 12, 2015 @ 10:58 am By JD Alois  |  

“It’s Time to Rethink Ownership.” RocketClub Allows Anyone to Earn Shares in Startups. RocketClub, a new spin on crowdfunding, launched their platform today.  The concept is simple: the crowd uses new products and services and in exchange for their feedback and participation, they earn shares in promising… Read More

June 12, 2015 @ 8:14 am By JD Alois  |  

The Moneywise Custome Service Awards 2015 took place this week.  Described as the “authoritative stamp of approval by the UK consumer” recognition is given to financial service firms for providing exemplary service to their customers.  In recent years as finance has altered direction and moved… Read More

June 11, 2015 @ 4:31 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

RealtyMogul, an online capital markets portal for real estate investing, announced today that it had successfully completed its equity capital raise for a multi-tenant medical office building in a large metropolitan area in Texas. RealtyMogul’s accredited investors used its peer-to-peer marketplace to help purchase the property…. Read More

June 11, 2015 @ 2:42 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

As you may remember, in an earlier post entitled “Investor Protection Issue – Why You May Want To Reconsider How “Secure” You Feel About Your Real Estate Crowdfunding Investment,” I took issue with the fact that the majority, if not all, currently offered Real Estate… Read More

June 11, 2015 @ 12:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

LendingRobot, an automated investment platform for peer to peer / marketplace lending investors, has launched secondary trading for Lending Club loans. The Seattle, Washington, based company raised $3 million in a Series A funding round earlier this year to help finance the new service. LendingRobot allows… Read More