Investment Platforms and Marketplaces

January 17, 2014 @ 10:33 am By Charles Luzar  |  

  Fundable is a crowdfunding platform based in Columbus, Ohio. The company released the following infographic, and it makes some pretty interesting claims regarding the economic impact crowdfunding is expected to have in 2014. It borrows data from the recent Fung Institute report, Massolution’s 2013… Read More

January 16, 2014 @ 2:06 pm By Charles Luzar  |  

Y Combinator-backed Apigy created Lockitron just as the connected home movement was really taking off. The company promised some pretty slick features. The device integrated with your home’s deadbolt and promised to allow things like remote unlocking from a smartphone. It was even said to have… Read More

January 16, 2014 @ 9:34 am By JD Alois  |  

Health and technology equity crowdfunding platform ShareIn, launched in Beta this past December.  In a brief report to supporters ShareIn communicated they had received £96,000 of pledges during their first month of operations and have experienced 6000 site visitors.  The portal currently has 5 equity… Read More

January 15, 2014 @ 10:46 am By Charles Luzar  |  

Crowdcube has teamed with Start Up Loans, an organization that focuses on lending-based funding initiatives and training for UK entrepreneurs. We are thrilled to announce that Start Up Loans has partnered with Crowdcube. The government funded scheme that provides loans and mentors for entrepreneurs is… Read More

January 15, 2014 @ 8:56 am By JD Alois  |  

Omega acquires NuQuest Capital Match Point I to Aid Shift. Views Crowdfunding as Rapidly Evolving Opportunity. Omega Commercial Finance Corporation, a publicly traded financial holding company and NuQuest Incorporated filed an 8k on January 9, 2014 stating they have signed a Definitive Asset Purchase Agreement to successfully close… Read More

January 15, 2014 @ 7:36 am By JD Alois  |  

In a note to followers, founder Karen Darby shared a brief update on the progress of CrowdMission,  “the world’s first equity-based crowdfunding platform for social and environmental businesses”.   Her mantra is that businesses can do social good while turning a profit. Equity investment and ethics can… Read More

January 14, 2014 @ 11:09 am By JD Alois  |  

CEO of Assetz Capital Peer-to-Peer Crowdfunding Platform Expects Their Platform to Hit £100 Million in 2014. The alternative finance industry has now lent more than £1bn to UK businesses and individuals, according to the Liberium AltFi Index. The latest batch of research shows that Peer-to-Peer… Read More

January 14, 2014 @ 11:01 am By JD Alois  |  

In a report filed earlier this week from the Liberum AltFi Index, the crowdfunding industry including both debt and equity, has surpassed the £1 billion “milestone”.  The alternative finance sector categorized as P2P,  equity crowdfunding and invoice lending was quoted at £,028,340,769 as of December… Read More

January 14, 2014 @ 7:30 am By JD Alois  |  

Not very long ago there were no real estate crowdfunding platforms.  Today there are at least a dozen and that number will grow rapidly.  The efficiencies generated by crowdfunding to an industry which has traditionally been driven by large institutional investors and commercial developers will… Read More

January 14, 2014 @ 7:29 am By JD Alois  |  

MoolaHoop, a rewards-based crowdfunding platform for women entrepreneurs, has acquired Lucky Ant, a crowdfunding portal for small business. MoolaHoop has integrated Lucky Ant’s technology into its platform and is re-launching today.   MoolaHoop was represented in the transaction by law firm Ellenoff, Grossman & Schole.  Details… Read More

January 13, 2014 @ 10:40 am By Charles Luzar  |  

A new crowdfunding platform called Breakaway Funding launches next Tuesday. It aims to provide both equity-based and debt-based crowdfunding models for companies seeking to access the crowd’s capital. In order to take advantage of a new and ample source of business capital made available by the… Read More

January 13, 2014 @ 9:51 am By JD Alois  |  

According to a release, health industry crowdfunding platform Poliwogg has announced a new partnership with the Epilepsy Foundation and Alpha 1 Foundation. CEO and President of the Epilepsy Foundation Philip M. Gattone stated; “Encouraging innovation is a central pillar of our mission.  We are celebrating… Read More

January 13, 2014 @ 8:12 am By JD Alois  |  

Venovate Holdings has announced the creation of Venovate Marketplace, a new financial services firm whose mission is to provide smarter investment alternatives to institutions, accredited investors, and their advisors, find new sources of capital for private companies, and offer liquidity to investors in crowdfunded private placements…. Read More

January 12, 2014 @ 4:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

Crowdcube has published their year in crowdfunding for 2013 and they have taken some cues from rewards based platform Kickstarter in their presentation. Sharing some stats and highlights for the past twelve months Crowdcube has created a visual scrapbook highlighting campaigns and communicating some of… Read More

January 11, 2014 @ 6:55 pm By Charles Luzar  |  

Indiegogo’s Danae Ringelmann sat down with Entrepreneur to share her thoughts on entrepreneurship and what Indiegogo has done to blaze the trail in the crowdfunding space. She shares some tips for entrepreneurs that give some insight into her experience. Ringelmann says that truly disruptive businesses… Read More

January 10, 2014 @ 3:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

Crowdfunding portal software provider CommunityLeader has decided to show the ultimate validation of their platform;  the company is self-crowdfunding for equity in their business. In an email sent out to interested individuals,  CommunityLeader offered up their pitch: I am writing today to invite you to… Read More

January 10, 2014 @ 11:39 am By Charles Luzar  |  

Peer-to-peer lending platform CircleBack Lending has closed a $1.9 million equity funding round. Led by GETCO LLC founders Daniel Tierney and Stephen Schuler, the round will help CircleBack to prepare for nationwide expansion. GETCO is an electronic securities trading firm that merged with Knight Capital Group earlier… Read More

January 10, 2014 @ 9:56 am By Charles Luzar  |  

The implementation of an exemption under Rule 506(c) of Regulation D in September of 2013 creates a new set of opportunities for private issuers looking to raise capital. It also creates a new set of challenges, specifically a need for issuers (and, by proxy, the… Read More

January 9, 2014 @ 10:59 am By JD Alois  |  

angelMD Announces Crowdfunding-Based Private Equity Firm. Recognizing the capital marketplace for early stage medical companies is incredibly inefficient for both investors and startups, angelMD has launched a private equity firm that will leverage a crowdfunding platform to effectively match physician investors with leading medical startups… Read More

January 9, 2014 @ 9:56 am By JD Alois  |  

Social network for gaming gamesGRABR  has successfully closed its crowdfunding campaign, quickly achieving its £150,000 target and ending with nearly 20% of over funding. Investment in the growing gaming social network proved popular with the target amount being achieved in just 5 weeks. All 178 investors now… Read More