Crowdfunding as an industry has grown exponentially with hundreds of platforms currently waiting to help project owners secure that all important start up funds from the ever generous crowd. Whilst there is greater choice beyond the more recogniseable names such as Kickstarter or IndieGoGo, the difficulty has arisen from the being to choose the right one from so many. CrowdsUnite is a new website recently launched to act as a one stop comparison site for the crowdfunding world providing information, reviews and articles on as many of the available platforms as possible. Project owners hopefully will be able to determine based on the information provided, the platform most suited to their venture.
Launched in October this year CrowdsUnite was devised by Alex Feldman, a graduate of New York University (NYU) with an MBA in Finance, Entrepreneurship as well as a BS in Computer Science & Mathematics. Over the last eight years Alex has worked with financial giants such as Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers spearheading an assortment of key IT developments. The idea for CrowdsUnite was derived from having spent considerable time monitoring the growth of crowdfunding along with numerous discussions with industry leaders from which he identified a gap in the market for the provision of information on crowdfunding service providers.
With the help of friends and interns Alex maintains the data held on CrowdsUnite and each day is looking to expand this online library of crowdfunding platforms. Each one listed is placed into appropriate categories of debt, equity, reward or donation based platforms. Visitors can view information about the platforms such as whether it is an all or nothing model, which countries it operates in, and projects suitable for the platform. These are then rated and reviewed by passing visitors with experience of those platforms, and those not yet rated should contain relevant articles to help make an informed choice. The platform is also open to those looking for the right kind of project to support.Right now we are focusing on uniting users with the best possible crowdfunding platform that they qualify for. We want to add every single crowdfunding platform no matter how small it is to our listing. We want that in the future when a person or a company decided to raise money they won't think of a bank first but instead think of going to CrowdsUnite and finding debt, equity, reward, or donation platform that they can use. - Alex Feldman, CEO/Founder CrowdsUnite
CrowdsUnite is a full time occupation for Alex, and for users there is no charge for using the service. The ultimate goal is to make the platform self sustaining and since launching has garnered positive feedback and considerable interest from industry leaders. CrowdsUnite has enjoyed significant support from New York's Soho Loft, a prominent organisation specialising in hosting events on all aspects of business and finance, who have signed as the site's partners. With so many crowdfunding platforms emerging following recent legislative changes as well as growing interest in alternative funding in the wake of the financial crisis CrowdsUnite has the head start in building the biggest library and comparison platform for crowdfunding service providers.
Image Credit; Ganderssen 1
Crowdfunding is taking hold in the UK rapidly with more organisations using it for commercial and charitable purposes, finding a lifeline where traditional forms of funding and investment are not available. Plans for a new book about crowdfunding have been announced by Modwenna Rees-Mogg, founder and CEO of Angel News, one of Europe's leading news service for the investment market. Research is currently underway and Modwenna is calling on anyone involved in crowdfunding to take part in a survey that will help shape the book.
Angel News was founded by Modwenna in 2003 initially as a hobby project. The idea came about after having identified a gap in the provision of investment news, specifically information about companies involved in funding rounds which left investors with little knowledge on the progress of their investments. Since then it has grown into a leading provider of information on over 1,800 rapidly growing businesses, as well as promoting investment opportunities to its network of angel investors and venture capitalists. Angel News also holds events every two months on hot topics surrounding the investment culture including exit strategies, as well as preparing the perfect pitch.
The survey is aimed at those who are or have been involved in crowdfunding, specifically project owners, crowdfunding service providers or platforms, and investors who have donated to projects. To take part and help shape a potentially insightful and informative UK publication on crowdfunding, click on the following links; Early participants could be in with a chance of winning a free copy of the book with around 150 to be awarded, that is fifty copies to the first fifty people who take part in the surveys. The book is as yet untitled and currently undergoing research. It is however billed as being a book written by the crowd for the crowd.
Image Credit; Alex E Proimos
So you have an idea for a project whether it be a business idea, an invention or a great way to help a charitable cause. What is lacking is the necessary funds to make the dream a reality. The banks are reluctant to loan the money and enticing investors is harder due to the current financial climes so crowdfunding becomes the potential financial lifeline for the project.
Crowdfunding in principle sounds straight forward; post a project online and invite the crowd to make a donation that will help fund the project, with a promise of some exciting rewards to follow. However, as previously reported on the Gazette there is much for a project owner to consider before embarking on the crowdfunding venture that could make or break their campaign. These include laying the groundwork, building up interest through regular & social media, as well as regular updates and promotion before the deadline for reaching the target has expired. Ben Hamilton of Pleasefundus presents some watertight marketing tips for your crowdfunding project.
