Strategy

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

March 6, 2016 @ 4:50 pm By JD Alois  |  

Investing via online platforms, be they a marketplace lender /P2P site, or a real estate crowdfunding platform, takes time and typically entails jumping from platform to platform.  As the internet finance industry matures, it is inevitable that new channels crop up to help facilitate investors… Read More

March 4, 2016 @ 2:28 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

This week, University of Buffalo School of Management released a new study that found three key factors that crowdfunding campaigns need to achieve their goals. According to the research, high-quality photos and video, previous crowdfunding success and positive comments. Study co-author Yong Li, PhD, associate professor… Read More

March 2, 2016 @ 12:33 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

On Wednesday, Kickstarter announced it was opening creator community space “Campus” for everyone. “Campus” was reportedly created a year ago  and allowed creators to connect with one another through the community to ask for advice and trade insights about the creative process. The crowdfunding giant… Read More

February 26, 2016 @ 1:57 pm By Ethan Senturia  |  

I was recently asked, “What should a small business owner in a major cash crunch do to make payroll?”  Well, honestly, my first response was to say, “Try to not get to that point in the first place.”  As the old saying goes, an ounce… 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 23, 2016 @ 7:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

International investors have always played an important role in providing capital to private placement offers.  The private placement market under Regulation D is enormous. Since Title II made actionable by the SEC in September of 2013, until the end of 2014, over $1.5 trillion in… Read More

February 17, 2016 @ 9:15 pm By Ethan Senturia  |  

I just returned from the Prosper Show in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is a two-day continuing education event for more than 700 Amazon sellers, focused primarily on education, rather than sales.  Using moderated panels of competitors, the event is focused on key business practices… Read More

February 16, 2016 @ 3:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has published an investor bulletin on Reg CF or retail crowdfunding. This is the portion of the JOBS Act that allows anyone to invest in securities online, not just accredited investors. The new exemption is different from Reg A+,… Read More

February 9, 2016 @ 11:45 pm By Ron Miller  |  

With eight companies currently posted on our equity crowdfunding site representing more than $62 million in investor reservations from over 15,000 unique investors, our experience in the sector has given us a wealth of insight into what it takes to run a successful campaign. Here’s… Read More

February 3, 2016 @ 10:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

Invivo Wines raised a respectable $2 million on Kiwi investment crowdfunding platform Snowball Effect last year. Prior to listing shares on the site, Invivo was described as the fastest growing wine brand in New Zealand. The company had set a funding target of $500,000 on… Read More

January 29, 2016 @ 10:25 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Following the launch of Wriggle’s second crowdfunding campaign, founder of the startup Rob Hall revealed the five things he’s learned from crowdfunding on Seedrs. Hall shared: “Here we are, 18 months down-the-line on Wriggle’s journey. As the Wriggle team prepares for phase two of growth,… Read More

January 25, 2016 @ 12:19 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Ready to offer up some tips for crowdfunding campaign organizers, Crowdfunder unveiled some details about 506(b) and 506(c). The equity crowdfunding platform explained in a recent blog post: “With the passage of the JOBS Act in 2012, startup fundraising and investing has changed drastically. An opaque… Read More

January 14, 2016 @ 4:37 pm By Georgia Quinn  |  

As discussed in part one, the SEC’s final Regulation Crowdfunding rules require thorough analysis to not fall prey to potential traps. While I firmly believe that we can make crowdfunding work regardless of the roadblocks set forth, it does not mean that we can afford… Read More

January 13, 2016 @ 1:30 pm By Ron Miller  |  

  With equity crowdfunding poised to take off in 2016 with the recent additions of Regulation A+ and the final rules of Title III, Reg CF, I have compiled a list of predictions for the coming year. The internet has facilitated profound efficiencies in many… Read More

January 7, 2016 @ 5:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

The SEC dedicates much of its time and resources hunting down crooks and white collar thugs. In fact, the agency spent almost a billion dollars in the last fiscal year fostering and enforcing compliance with Federal securities laws. And why is that? Because there will… Read More

January 6, 2016 @ 1:18 pm By Georgia Quinn  |  

  When SEC Commissioner Piwowar lodged his controversial “NO” vote for the final rules implementing Title III Regulation CF last October, he did so with concern that the overcomplicated rules were laden with “traps” that could snare an unassuming company trying to raise funds. Unfortunately,… Read More

December 28, 2015 @ 10:11 am By JD Alois  |  

I just saw this video pop up into my Facebook timeline.  The video is about Seabin a “trashcan for the ocean”.  Basically, the device floats at water level and vacuums up anything floating nearby. Think of it as a jumbo sized pool cleaner except it is targeting… Read More

December 13, 2015 @ 7:58 pm By Dan Hesketh  |  

After a 2-month campaign Someone.io closed it’s equity crowdfunding campaign on FundedByMe. By the end of the campaign 45 investors had purchased 12.8% of the company for €129,508. Following a team debriefing session, the group decided to share some of their findings. Someone.io feels that as… Read More

December 10, 2015 @ 4:40 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

This week, crowdfunding platform Kickstarter announced the completion of its latest project called the Creator Basics video series. Kickstarter Creator Basics is made up of 56 videos that feature dozens of creators from all the campaign categories on the platform. The videos provide specific/helpful advice on… Read More