Featured Headlines

September 7, 2016 @ 8:10 am By JD Alois  |  

Equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs has released data indicating their portfolio results have generated an annualised rate of return of 14.44% since platform launch in July of 2012. Seedrs has stated the solid returns are indicative of “equity crowdfunding coming of age”. The period started in… Read More

September 6, 2016 @ 6:00 am By JD Alois  |  

  Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance Publishes 2nd Annual Research Report on European Alternative Finance The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) has published its 2nd report on the rapid growth of alternative finance across Europe. Entitled “Sustaining Momentum“, the CCAF research has quickly become… Read More

September 5, 2016 @ 8:50 am By Therese Torris  |  

This summer, crowdinvesting platform WiSeed became authorized as Investment Services Provider (ISP) by the French regulator of financial institutions, the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR), with the approval of the securities market regulator, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). Obtaining this status… Read More

September 4, 2016 @ 5:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

This coming week the House of Representatives will debate several bills previously approved by the Financial Services Committee.  The legislation is designed to improve access to capital for SMEs by reducing regulatory burdens and streamlining the process. HR 2357, the Accelerating Access to Capital Act,… Read More

September 3, 2016 @ 3:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

Agency 2.0 was one of the very first marketing agencies in the rewards-based crowdfunding sector to get it right. Their participation in a campaign on either Indiegogo or Kickstarter almost guarantees success.  The years of honing their technique and perfecting their strategic approach to raising… Read More

September 1, 2016 @ 7:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

The list of approved and regulated Regulation CF platforms is growing. The roster now stands at 15 FINRA regulated crowdfunding platforms.  The most recently approved platform, ‘Mr. Crowd’ has an interesting progeny as it is being launched by Allen Au and his Ksdaq, Inc. corporation…. Read More

September 1, 2016 @ 4:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Having just gotten around to reading the order granting the motion to dismiss in the proceedings of the State of Florida vs. Michell Abner Espinoza, the document by Circuit Court Judge Teresa Pooler, is pretty interesting.  The case regarding Espinoza has been in the news… Read More

August 31, 2016 @ 4:09 pm By Spencer Li  |  

After nearly eight months since the original draft was first issued, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (“CBRC”) announced the official rules for the online lending industry on August 24, 2016. The unveiling came accompanied with a few policy curveballs that few industry participants were expecting…. Read More

August 30, 2016 @ 4:43 pm By Oleg Seydak  |  

In recent weeks, marketplace lenders have hit a rough patch. Once the darlings of Wall Street, they have now come under fire, after a string of internal scandals and disappointing earnings. For the traditional banks – who have been saying, “we need to disrupt these… Read More

August 30, 2016 @ 9:56 am By JD Alois  |  

South Korea is claiming a “world’s first” in launching the Fintech Open Platform designed to boost Fintech development in Korea, according to the Financial Services Commission (FSC). The Fintech Open Platform is described as a combination of a website where Fintech firms can download program… Read More

August 29, 2016 @ 12:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in charge of MAS, was questioned earlier this month on the policy measures incorporated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), in regards to investment crowdfunding. The query came from Ms. Foo Mee Har, an MP from the West… Read More

August 29, 2016 @ 10:46 am By JD Alois  |  

China is the largest alternative finance market in the world and Fincera (OTCQB: AUTCF) is a fast growing internet finance platform that is providing an increasing portfolio of services online.  But Fincera started in an entirely different business sector: commercial auto-leasing under the name of… Read More

August 29, 2016 @ 8:10 am By JD Alois  |  

Robert Herjavec, founder of Herjavec Group and star of ABC’s hit series Shark Tank, will be presenting a “Fireside Keynote Chat” at the forthcoming “Crowd Invest Summit” scheduled for this December.  The two-day equity crowdfunding conference has also upgraded their venue to accommodate demand. The Crowd… Read More

August 28, 2016 @ 5:33 pm By JD Alois  |  

Steven Dresner of Dealflow.com is one of the regular suspects in the online capital formation sector.  He has been an active voice and participant in the shift to leverage the power of the internet to make capital formation more efficient. Working with broker-dealers and other… Read More

August 26, 2016 @ 9:19 am By JD Alois  |  

BrewDog, the largest independent brewery in Europe, is crossing the Atlantic and setting up operations in the United States. The founders, James Watt and Martin Dickie, selected the mid-western city of Columbus as their base and the company is in the process of building a… Read More

August 25, 2016 @ 12:11 am By JD Alois  |  

Apple, Google, Amazon, PayPal & Intuit Provide the Firepower Behind Fintech Advocacy Group Financial Innovation Now. Back in the fall of 2015, an announcement was made regarding the creation of a new public policy coalition representing some of the largest names in tech: Apple, Google,… Read More

August 24, 2016 @ 10:01 am By JD Alois  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has opened its Fintech Innovation Lab which has been given the name Looking Glass @MAS.  The reference to the Looking Glass is a nod to Lewis Caroll’s classic novel “Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found in There”…. Read More

August 24, 2016 @ 9:08 am By JD Alois  |  

Peter Renton, founder of LendIt and online lending industry advocate, has take to the pages of Lend Academy to defend Lending Club (NYSE:LC) following a critical article by BloombergBusinessweek. The Bloomberg article, co-authored by Max Chafkin and Noah Buhayar, hammered Lending Club by questioning the… Read More

August 23, 2016 @ 10:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA), along with the help of Crowdnetic, has added some detail to the first 3 months of Reg CF / Title III retail crowdfunding.  CCA describes the progress as a “healthy start”.  Reg CF, a securities exemption that lets small issuers raise… Read More

August 23, 2016 @ 4:00 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Before founding Kabbage, Rob Frohwein established, led and advised a number of successful businesses, including LAVA Group, U.S. Micro Corporation and Surgical Biologics. Additionally, he served in business development and legal capacities for ZapMedia and Security First Network Bank. The Villanova law and undergrad alum… Read More