Strategy

June 28, 2016 @ 10:28 pm By Karsten Wenzlaff and David Heberling  |  

  Crowdfunding introduces a new dynamic to the classic retail business. Consumers have direct access to early stage products, can give valuable feedback and create through their own marketing power the viral reach to new mass market products. Large corporations, such as Sony with their… Read More

June 23, 2016 @ 11:04 am By Jess Harris  |  

Every business hits a period where they need more money than they have in cash reserves. For some, it’s at the very beginning of business while they build into their space, purchase equipment and take in stock. Others have an opportunity for expansion they must… Read More

June 22, 2016 @ 1:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

Global entrepreneurial ecosystem Gust has acquired Sharewave and Preferred Return in a push to provide affordable equity management solutions for early stage companies. The new product, named Gust Equity Management, will allow an affordable and “powerful cap table management and audit defensible 409A valuations” for young… Read More

June 19, 2016 @ 7:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this month, Crowdfund Insider Contributor Robin Sosnow wrote about “Simple Agreements for Future Equity” (SAFEs) and how they were quickly becoming the investment vehicle of choice for Reg CF crowdfunding portals. In brief, SAFEs are similar to convertible debt except founders are not faced… Read More

June 12, 2016 @ 4:39 pm By Alessandro M. Lerro  |  

Despite their obvious engagement capacity, crowdfunding projects in the performing arts still have a very low average deal size. While smaller projects such as personal exhibitions, books and documentaries are often successfully funded, grand theaters and organizations don’t use crowdfunding as a financing tool. Only… Read More

June 6, 2016 @ 11:58 am By Robin Sosnow  |  

    Exploring the emerging role of SAFEs or Simple Agreement for Future Equity in Reg CF offerings.   Examining SAFEs pros and cons to founders and financiers investing in seed stage companies. You’ve started a new business, established your team, and you’ve self-funded all… Read More

June 6, 2016 @ 7:24 am By JD Alois  |  

Nesta, a UK innovation foundation, has partnered with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) on a research document focusing on crowdfunding and “good causes.” By good causes, the authors mean charities and social entrepreneurs.  The report states that while “crowdfunding might be rapidly changing… Read More

June 5, 2016 @ 9:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

Any investing entails an element of risk.  Early stage investing is a very risky endeavor in comparison to many other asset classes. Of course, the risk is shouldered as the expected returns should be higher than less risky alternatives. The fact is that most early… Read More

June 1, 2016 @ 3:49 pm By Joe Green  |  

  Now that the long awaited and much anticipated federal crowdfunding rules under Title III of the JOBS Act have become effective, startup companies can raise seed capital from everyday, non-accredited retail investors through online equity crowdfunding platforms. Many of these investors are excited to… Read More

May 27, 2016 @ 12:48 pm By Nathan Rose  |  

  A “pitch” is the information about your company, your team and the investment proposition. Founders often find pitching to be difficult and time-consuming. But pitching is a critical and necessary step to successfully raising funds – and equity crowdfunding is no exception. Equity crowdfunding… Read More

May 25, 2016 @ 1:35 pm By Amy Wan  |  

  We’re still trying to figure it out. That seemed to be the theme of the crowdfunding panel at OTC’s event yesterday morning in Santa Monica. BeautyKind CEO John Hilburn Davis, which began raising money earlier this year under a Reg A+ acknowledged road bumps…. Read More

May 25, 2016 @ 12:23 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

With the Federal Title III rules effective, there is certainly a lot of excitement surrounding national level “retail” crowdfunding to non-accredited investors. That’s obviously great news for the industry, but it’s important to remember that the majority of the states currently have some form of “intrastate”… Read More

May 24, 2016 @ 9:46 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Global insurance provider, American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG), has announced the launch of a new insurance vehicle, Crowdfunding Fidelity, which was developed specifically to protect investors on equity crowdfunding platforms against issuer fraud. The launch of AIG’s new insurance comes just a little over a week after Title III… Read More

May 16, 2016 @ 12:30 pm By Victoria Silchenko  |  

  “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” ― R. Buckminster They say, if Monday had a face, we all would like to punch it. But surely not today, Monday, May 16th, 2016, the day… Read More

May 16, 2016 @ 8:36 am By Georgia Quinn  |  

Overview of the regulatory framework Although the Jumpstart Our Business Startups or JOBS Act was passed in April of 2012, the rules implementing Title III of that Act relating to retail investment crowdfunding have been a long time coming. They were finally promulgated on October… Read More

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