Crowdfunding is getting popular in the present world as an innovative method in which companies could generate funds and presently North America market is far advanced followed by the European market. Crowdfunding is the concept which comprises of funding a project or a business done through a number of individuals who tend to invest small amounts generally through a web-based platform.
Presence on a crowdfunding platform enables people to expose their business ideas to a large number of potential investors as well as business professionals. Fully funded crowdfund indicates that the group of investors and business professionals have faith in an idea and not just one investor. There is Equity Crowdfunding which involves a company offering equity share capital in return for the funding of cash which is not different with that of a Public Limited Company having share issue.
But Private Limited Companies do not have access to Stock Market and the cost of going Public in most cases will be prohibitive for smaller or new companies. Crowdfunding thus, enables private companies with the benefit of raising capital from a number of investors through a share issue, minus the cost, regulations as well as reporting implications of being a Private Limited Company.
Google Search – Rise of Crowdfunding
Loan Crowdfunding on the other hand does not need any issue of shares by the company wherein one can just apply for a loan from investors at the agreed rates and the repayment terms. Instead of an individual or a fund provide offering the total amount of the loan needed, the business receives loads of small loans which could have various interest rates.In recent years, Google search has provided some data supporting the rise of crowdfunding and one that stems out from a study done by the World Bank, indicates that the global crowdfunding market would touch between $90 and $96 billion towards 2025.
Till recently, the number given on investing in start-ups and entrepreneurs was only reachable to people with deep pockets and the democratization quests is the major benefits of the rise of crowdfunding. The development of renowned platforms in the world, such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, has provided many non-professional investors with the opportunity to back start-ups which tend to be appealing. Moreover, it could also provide a previously untapped way of capital for start-ups while acting as a competition for angel investing community and possibly also for the larger investment institutions.
Innovative Idea- A Game Changer
Jeff Lynn, CEO of Seedrs, one of UK’s leading crowdfunding platforms had a discussion with Hot Topics on the factors behind the rise of crowdfunding, on his thoughts on professional investor as well as his advice on building a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Crowdfunding tends to be an innovative idea; however like anything which promises to be a game-changer, it also has its benefits as well as drawbacks that have to be measured. Several individuals would want to assist their colleague or neighbour in launching a new business, an idea or a product, help someone in need or pre-purchase some of the latest innovative product and crowdfunding could have the potential to do so.
Equity crowdfunding via a portal tends to expose many individuals to investments in start-up business through the internet and with crowdfunding; investors send money in exchange of intangible right without being aware of what happens to their funds invested. Recent investor survey carried out by the Ontario Securities Commission indicated that people in favour of equity crowdfunding were not aware of the risk. More disturbing was the fact that 12% of those identified as low risk tolerance were strongly interested in equity crowdfunding.
Implementation of Equity Crowdfunding Model
Advocates recommend that the crowd would be capable of identifying fraud and weed out bad actors Experience together with research demonstrates that this is not the case; on the contrary investors tend to turn out to be victims of fraud at a shocking rate.Officials are probably proceeding in implementing an equity crowdfunding model and though the Canadian Foundation for Advancement of Investor Rights does not back an equity crowdfunding exemption individual could limit themselves to fraud and probable losses.
According to Jeff Lynn, `crowdfunding tends to be hard work and one of the issues which people always misunderstand is that you don’t just put up the listing and then wait for people to come and fund you. It is a tool for you to go into your networks and the public and get them excited about the deal’. They often inform the entrepereneurs that if they come there expecting that they will have to find the majority of the investments then a lot can be found from the network.
Crowdfunding tends to be useful in various ways, providing opportunities in fundraising for creative projects or for any start-up projects. It is a platform which enables the user to market their project, generate interest as well as receive funds. Its supporters could provide valuable feedback about a project and once the individual has settled with a stabilised support, there is no limit to the volume of projects one can fund.
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