Opinion

February 28, 2016 @ 8:33 pm By Joe Whitwell  |  

In the beginning there was the crash, then came the innovation. The innovators, at least in the fintech space, wanted to disrupt, which was perhaps a euphemism for what they truly wanted to do: destroy. Many had been recently let go from the banks and… Read More

February 25, 2016 @ 10:48 pm By Ron Miller  |  

As equity crowdfunding under Regulation A+ continues to grow since its implementation in June 2015, it’s no surprise that there is a plethora of information about this new financial resource. Unfortunately, that info is not always accurate. From my experience, it’s not just investors or… Read More

February 25, 2016 @ 9:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

There were several informative presentations delivered today at the convening of the Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies (ACSEC) at the SEC.  One of the presentations, shared by Jeffrey Sohl, Professor of Entrepreneurship & Decision Science Director, at the University of New Hampshire, addressed… Read More

February 25, 2016 @ 1:01 pm By Manuj Grover  |  

Out With the ‘Old Boys’ Club’ Approach to Investment. What is a common characteristic of iconic companies like: Eastman Kodak and Blockbuster? As the world changed, all these great companies stood flat-footed as the competition took their dominant positions from underneath their noses.  The same… Read More

February 24, 2016 @ 9:49 pm By JD Alois  |  

In a report published today by HM Treasury, in partnership with EY, the UK declared global domination in the world of Fintech. The UK has consistently punched above its weight-class when it has come to financial innovation.  The Brits have benefited from elected officials that… Read More

February 22, 2016 @ 9:59 pm By Candace Klein  |  

A common theme in business and finance circles is that women are underrepresented, less capitalized, and face an uphill battle when it comes to building and financing their small businesses.  While the statistics may bear this out to some degree, the women-owned business horizon is… Read More

February 22, 2016 @ 9:11 pm By Oscar Jofre  |  

Banking, finance, and insurance have been largely constant and unchanging for decades. It’s been the very definition of an “old boys’ club”, static, institution, monopolistic, and powerful.  Competition hasn’t come from within, at least not to the same extent that it once did, with monster… Read More

February 22, 2016 @ 10:41 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK has been the leading country in regards to internet finance as the sector has garnered solid support from not just entrepreneurs but elected and appointed officials. Their simplified “light touch” regulatory approach has created a sector that has experienced rapid growth. In 2015,… Read More

February 21, 2016 @ 10:29 pm By Nathan Rose  |  

  The recent changes in the retail equity crowdfunding regulatory environment make this a useful time to take stock of the international landscape and compare regimes between countries. Some countries have moved faster than others, and different countries have taken different approaches to regulation, ranging… Read More

February 20, 2016 @ 5:41 pm By JD Alois  |  

Question: What do the following have in common? Smart Tracker 2 Smart Tracker Swiss White Teeth Last Crime Answer: They are each crowdfunding projects on Indiegogo involving a Mr. Julian Buschor. Another fun fact regarding the above campaigns, none of the promised rewards have delivered for… Read More

February 19, 2016 @ 12:22 pm By Conrad Ford  |  

In an allegory for the wider problem of SME funding, recent research has revealed that the UK’s small construction firms are struggling to return to the profits they achieved before the recession, while large housebuilders have already recovered beyond their pre-crunch highs. Small firms saw… Read More

February 19, 2016 @ 9:04 am By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a report on due diligence and assessing suitability of investments for clients. This is an important subject for traditional finance, as well as new asset classes. As all finance moves online access to investment opportunity will expand to… Read More

February 18, 2016 @ 10:25 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

  There has been a lot of chatter and debate lately on how, or even if, the current definition of “accredited investor” should be substantively changed. To date, however, there has only been one affirmative action taken to actually change the definition which I am… Read More

February 18, 2016 @ 1:55 pm By Dom Wolf  |  

The P2P and crowdfunding industry was worth £3.2bn in 2015, according to the new University of Cambridge and Nesta report published this week. That sounds good, but what does it actually mean? We’ve done the hard work for you and pulled out the top five… Read More

February 18, 2016 @ 8:26 am By JD Alois  |  

Orchard platform, the company at the epicenter of marketplace lending, has published a thought-provoking missive that makes one wonder about the state of the economy.  David Snitkof, co-founder and data guru at Orchard, states that after only 6 weeks in – 2016 is a very… Read More

February 17, 2016 @ 9:48 am By Georgia Quinn  |  

Virtuix, a virtual reality motion platform that may transform the gaming industry with a previously unheard of sense of immersive gameplay experience, is preparing to raise capital under Regulation A+ on SeedInvest.  The company has generated over $19 million in indicated interest to date.  The… Read More

February 17, 2016 @ 8:45 am By JD Alois  |  

AngelsDen, an investment crowdfunding platform with roots in the analog past, believes “angel-led” investing is the way of the future. In comparison to other UK platforms, AngelsDen is small having raised just £11 million in 2015.  But regarding post funding success, so far to date, companies… Read More

February 15, 2016 @ 1:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

Peer to peer (marketplace) lending is poised to supplant all types of debt markets. While many platforms have focused on the low hanging fruit of providing consumer credit, online lending will someday soon be the norm across many verticals.  In the UK, the mortgage market… Read More

February 14, 2016 @ 1:56 pm By JD Alois  |  

In an Q&A session with Steven Bochner of the Securities Regulation Insitute, SEC Mary Jo White shared some insight into the rule-making process surrounding the JOBS Act and the various investment crowdfunding regulations enacted by the SEC. In listing the agencies accomplishments under her guidance,… Read More

February 13, 2016 @ 7:17 pm By JD Alois  |  

Independent research firm Autonomous has published a report on “Digital Lending” that estimates that online lending has an addressable market in the US and Europe of $2 trillion dollars.  This outsized opportunity (that others have estimated at being far larger) is married with many opportunities… Read More