Strategy

May 13, 2016 @ 1:00 pm By Paul Swaddle  |  

In case you hadn’t noticed, crowdfunding is HOT news right now. Regardless of sector or business vertical, if the onus is on raising money then crowdfunding appears to be the contemporary fairy godmother of fiscal aid. If you don’t believe me, do a quick google… Read More

May 8, 2016 @ 5:38 pm By Dharmash Mistry & Fiona McIntosh  |  

Raising capital for a young company is never an easy task. Financing an early stage company can be both complex and a lot of work.  There is not necessarily one simple answer.  For our company, blow LTD, we were a fast growing firm in an… Read More

May 4, 2016 @ 8:24 am By JD Alois  |  

Starting and creating a new business is a highly risky endeavor.  Yet these same small businesses are the ones that create the most jobs and drive economic growth. In brief, SMEs are imperative for society as a whole. The UK has supported an innovation-based economy… Read More

May 3, 2016 @ 4:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Global consulting firm PwC has published a report on the marketplace lending industry.  The timing is good as the industry is being buffeted by the broader challenge of a stumbling economy. The document aptly starts by noting the marketplace lending sector is oh, so much… Read More

April 26, 2016 @ 1:27 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

The US’ largest marketplace lender LendingClub Corp. is planning its first sale of bonds backed by its unsecured loans, reported the WSJ, seeking new funding sources in today’s challenging market. Working with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Jefferies Group on the offerings, LendingClub’s plans to discuss updates with potential investors as early as this week, reported the WSJ; Goldman… Read More

April 23, 2016 @ 12:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

Coolest Cooler founder and creator Ryan Grepper recently offered an alternative to backers who have yet to receive their Kickstarter reward.  While having delivered over 20,000 coolers to backers, more than 30,000 remain in limbo as the company ran short of cash creating a critical… Read More

April 22, 2016 @ 8:37 am By JD Alois  |  

Noted researcher Ethan Mollick published his opinion on crowdfunding on the pages of the Harvard Business Review this week. Mollick, an Assistant Professor of Management at Wharton where he focuses on entrepreneurship and crowdfunding, believes crowdfunding is not just about the money but the creation of a… Read More

April 21, 2016 @ 1:32 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

This week, Crowdcube co-founder and CEO, Darren Westlake, revealed his very own entrepreneurs guide to looking after investors. Westlake shared: “The people who have invested in a company have a right to know how their money is being spent and have a vested interest in… Read More

April 18, 2016 @ 8:31 am By JD Alois  |  

Regulation A+, an updated exemption created by Title IV of the JOBS Act of 2012, took a largely moribund exemption and turned it into something useful. Old Reg A was crippled by state blue sky review. The SEC, given the necessary latitude by Congress to… Read More

April 5, 2016 @ 11:35 am By Jodi Avergun and Colleen Kukowski  |  

  “Silicon Valley is coming.  There are hundreds of startups with a lot of brains and money working on various alternatives to traditional banking.” This warning came not from a pundit or Silicon Valley lobbyist, but from Jamie Dimon, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer… Read More

April 1, 2016 @ 1:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

NewsBeat Social is a social news platform that has many unique users (around 59 million) but little in the way of revenue – yet. The company is now working with WR Hambrecht to raise growth capital by using updated rules under Title IV of the… Read More

March 31, 2016 @ 8:47 am By Ethan Senturia  |  

This time of year, taxes are top of mind for consumers and business owners alike, but few people like to think about tax liens.  Tax liens are serious business and can have a significant impact on your credit and ability to secure financing.  Since eCommerce… Read More

March 28, 2016 @ 4:00 am By Samuel Guzik  |  

  It’s been five months or so since the SEC published its long awaited investment crowdfunding rules.  Though Congress dictated that this task be completed by the end of 2012, the SEC missed the mark by nearly three years.  Now, with rules in hand, and… Read More

March 25, 2016 @ 11:24 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Friday, crowdfunding platform Indiegogo announced that it has teamed up with Google’s Primer App to present a “short lesson” on why email marketing is important for crowdfunding entrepreneurs. The funding portal declared: “Overall, we find that building momentum early can help set up a… Read More

March 22, 2016 @ 3:51 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

  Earlier this month, Snowball Effect’s head of deal flow, Shaun Edlin, recently shared some advice on how businesses can find success through crowdfunding initiatives. During his interview with Xero Accounting Software, Edlin revealed: “Businesses are literally raising hundreds of millions of dollars through crowdfunding at the… Read More

March 13, 2016 @ 5:52 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is continuing to pound the drum on investor fraud, a serious issue that impacts thousands of duped individuals every year. The Office of Investor Education and Advocacy has launched a slick campaign designed to warn individuals to beware of… Read More

March 10, 2016 @ 3:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

Enforcement is how the bulk of the Securities and Exchange Commission spends their budget and much of their time. There will always be a never-ending trail of ne’er-do-wells and scoundrels looking for an opportunity to separate hard-earned money from good people via duplicitous means. High… Read More

March 10, 2016 @ 6:28 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Companisto founders David Rhotert and Tamo Twinge announced a new safety initiative called crowd voting, offering Companists “the chance to invest in venture capital with a safety net.” After collecting feedback and communicating with investors over the last months, the process of crowdsourcing inspired the founders to offer crowd… Read More

March 8, 2016 @ 9:38 am By JD Alois  |  

Small business is extremely important for the economy. This is not just a US or UK issue, it is a global phenomenon. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the drivers of economic growth, job creation and thus wealth. Fostering an ecosystem that facilitates access to… Read More

March 7, 2016 @ 4:00 am By Scott Andersen  |  

The recent economic downturn is not the only challenge for entrepreneurs in the EB-5 and JOBS Act industries.  Rather, the challenges include close regulatory scrutiny by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Enforcement.  While both EB-5 and the JOBS Act were… Read More