General News

January 26, 2016 @ 12:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Data provided by TheCrowdfundingCentre asserts that crowdfunding is the vehicle driving an “unprecedented” global wave of innovation.  In a report entitled, “2016: State of the Crowdfunding Nation”, the authors state that rewards based crowdfunding is providing much needed seed funding for smaller firms thus generating… Read More

January 26, 2016 @ 10:56 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Deloitte Digital (Africa) acquired the fintech services business Jinja Interactive, according to IT Online. The acquisition of Cape Town-based Jinja Interactive will boost Deloitte Digital’s growing value chain of digital expertise, particularly in digital financial services and fintech innovation.   “We’re very happy to have the… Read More

January 26, 2016 @ 8:18 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Tuesday, Crowdcube announced it was named of UK’s most innovative businesses by Bloomberg in its inaugural Business Innovators List. The equity crowdfunding platform declared in its blog: “Bloomberg unveiled its inaugural Bloomberg Business Innovators list, naming Crowdcube as one of the breakthrough businesses disrupting the… Read More

January 26, 2016 @ 7:16 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Swedish fintech investor NFT Ventures is launching a second fund targeting startups in Finland through a partnership with local broadcaster MTV. MTV, owned by the Swedish media conglomerate Bonnier Group, has reportedly invested 150 million krona ($17.5 million) into the fund and will also ensure “nation-wide media… Read More

January 26, 2016 @ 7:03 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Start-up ENIO wants to promote electric cars with the help of a crowd solution in partnership with Companisto. The demand for charging stations is also rising as more powerful electronic vehicles are arriving on the market. As a consequence, drivers need to know where the nearest… Read More

January 25, 2016 @ 1:51 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Earlier this month, Chicago-based startup Gramovox offered up production and shipping details about its Kickstarter success project, Floating Record. Floating Record is described as a high-performance turntable that plays records vertically through built-in, dynamic, full-range stereo speakers (or through an RCA line out). Each Floating Record sits… Read More

January 25, 2016 @ 11:48 am By JD Alois  |  

While the emerging sharing economy clearly produces economic benefits driven by intrinsic efficiencies the sector is confounding the UK government a bit – as they are struggling to quantify the overall benefit to society. This was discussed, to a degree, in a recent report published… Read More

January 24, 2016 @ 8:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

Elevate Credit, an online lender in the payday loan space, decided to hold off on its IPO last week as the realities of an exceptionally volatile market gave pause to management.   Elevate CEO Ken Rees stated; “Although the response to the marketing of our planned… Read More

January 23, 2016 @ 2:14 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

This week, online marketplace for commercial property loans, Proplend, asked an important question: Is it time to let go on buy to let? The website stated in its blog: “In our article on 26th November 2015, just after the Autumn Statement, we briefly summarised the… Read More

January 23, 2016 @ 1:12 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

This week, SeedUps Canada, the first investment crowdfunding platform to set up shop in the country, announced that it is launching the “Be the Dragon” Tour. The website shared the event will be making stops in Vancouver and Calgary with a mission to attract companies to the… Read More

January 23, 2016 @ 11:28 am By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a consultation paper to address the rules regarding client money requirements for “loan based crowdfunding platforms” including peer-to-peer & marketplace lending. According to the FCA, presently an investors money held in relation to peer to peer loans must… Read More

January 23, 2016 @ 10:50 am By JD Alois  |  

Digital Asset, a software company that is developing proprietary blockchain technology, just raised $50 million as 12 different financial services firms rushed to support the young company.  The investors include some of the biggest names in traditional finance like; Citi, JP Morgan, Santandar, PNC, BNP… Read More

January 22, 2016 @ 3:32 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Earlier this week, independent film distributor Array announced it was collaborating with Indiegogo for the 5th annual Array Soiree during the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. The Soiree will provide the opportunity to connect and activate this collective around the democratic advancement of diverse storytelling in independent… Read More

January 22, 2016 @ 2:06 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Earlier this month, crowdfunding platform for films Seed&Spark celebrated 2016 by taking a look back at its 2015 achievements. The Seed&Spark team shared: “2015 was a year of firsts (and thirds, and fourths) for Seed&Spark. We produced our first VR film. For the first time,… Read More

January 22, 2016 @ 12:57 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Thursday, crowdfunding platform PledgeMe announced details about its new feature, private campaigns. The New Zealand-based website shared: “While most Kiwis were at the bach over the holidays, Team PledgeMe were hard at work adding new features to the platform, inventing new products, and searching for… Read More

January 22, 2016 @ 12:38 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Global education technology company, Learning Enterprises Organisation (LEO), announced this week that it has debuted the beta version of LEOcrowd, a new crowdfunding platform.  LEO stated that the platform will draw on its core education skillset, to provide project creators with support and advice on pitching,… Read More

January 22, 2016 @ 9:38 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Horror Equity Fund, Inc, an investment platform for solicitation and sale of funding solutions for pre-screened and professionally vetted Horror genre entertainment projects, announced this week it has named a seasoned team of advisors, underscoring the company’s commitment to quality.  The advisory team includes the following:  David… Read More

January 22, 2016 @ 2:24 am By Midori Yoshimura  |  

2015 was a great year for financial technology (fintech), as recently released stats from Berkery Noyes show. Among other findings, 2015 saw 427 fintech mergers and acquisitions, a total transaction volume increase by 14 percent over 2014, from 376.  Total transaction value in 2015 more than doubled over… Read More

January 21, 2016 @ 12:41 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Last year, Hawaii-based company, Total Recall Technologies, filed a lawsuit against former employee and Oculus creator, Palmer Luckey, for breach of contract. Now, according to PCMag, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco this week has rules that part of the lawsuit against Luckey, which… Read More

January 21, 2016 @ 11:39 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

JumpStartFund’s Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Inc. (HTT) announced on Thursday the filing of construction permits with Kings County to kick off construction activities in Quay Valley. On-site preparation activities will commence in the coming weeks with principle construction beginning by the end of 2nd quarter 2016…. Read More