Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Karsten Wenzlaff is a Crowdfunding and Fintech Expert from Germany. He is Secretary-General of Digit[...]
Category Archives: Equity Crowdfunding, Alternative Funding
When banks balk, ordinary investors can become city builders with ‘small change’
The Globe and Mail | | June 22, 2018
In today’s new model of real estate investment, a prospective investor can search for projects of interest on a laptop and, several mouse clicks later, send funds along. With no middlemen and no banks to decide which projects are worthy of financing, investment opportunities are no longer restricted to the very wealthy or the tried-and-true.
“This is investing democratized, and this is how capital will be formed going forward,” said Eve Picker, a Pittsburgh-based architect, city planner and founder of a real estate equity crowdfunding platform called Small Change.
Ms. Picker was a keynote speaker at the recent Building a Better City forum at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, co-hosted by The Globe and Mail and Dream REIT. She was among a diverse group of panellists who discussed the challenges of progressive development as urban populations continue to grow around the world.
According to Statistics Canada, more than 80 per cent of Canadians live in cities, which is one of the highest rates of urbanization in the G7. And as municipalities across the country tackle challenges that range from protecting heritage to improving road safety, finding capital to create more liveable cities is an ongoing challenge.
Ms. Picker believes crowdfunding is the answer, citing figures from the World Bank that estimate a global crowdfunding market potential of up to $96-billion by 2025.
“In 2010, that figure was under $1-billion. In 2016, crowdfunding surpassed all investments made by venture capital,” she said.
See: Real estate crowdfunding in Canada: portal insights for 2017/18
At Small Change, Ms. Picker uses crowdfunding to fill the financing gap by matching investors with developers, raising funds for transformative real estate projects with the goal of making cities more vibrant and liveable.
When she first arrived in Pittsburgh to work as an urban designer for its planning department, the city had lost half of its population due to the relocation of the steel mill industry. She began purchasing and remaking buildings in abandoned neighbourhoods in which no one else was ready to invest.
What she found was that making abandoned buildings functional and attractive again was the easy part. Despite the success of ground-breaking and innovative improvements that paved the way for the city’s revitalization, she struggled to find enough capital.
As banks became more skittish and federal community-building funds dried up, it became increasingly impossible to continue. Her financial partners evaporated, leading her to create Small Change.
“Innovation makes banks really nervous. They want to finance tried-and-true solutions, not new ones. But we need innovation – lots and lots of it – to build better cities,” she said.
“So how do we break the cycle? How can we finance change?”
Cue the arrival of fintech – the merger of finance with technology that has made possible now-ubiquitous products and services such as shopping on Amazon, online bank transfers and the ability to purchase bitcoin. As one of the fastest growing areas for venture capital, fintech is all about innovation.
“Banks won’t lend to tiny houses, your village on a barge, or your condos on a cruise ship, but the crowd just might,” she said.
“This rapidly growing tiny industry is the future of capital formation.”
So how does crowdfunding build better cities? Ms. Picker cited several of her own success stories when banks refused credit, which include funding a construction loan to build Pittsburgh’s first tiny house in an underserved neighbourhood.
With the use of crowdfunding, Small Change helped to convert a historic building to a premier co-working space, build affordable starter homes in New Orleans, and bring to fruition an artist co-op bed and breakfast that will provide affordable housing to artists.
Along with the need to provide more affordable housing and reimagine public spaces, other panellists at the forum spoke of the need to be more intentional in reflecting diverse cultures and meeting the needs of local populations.
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Nov 12, 2026 Buying a Canadian money services business starts with identifying what the buyer will acquire: a legal entity, a registration history, contracts, records and possibly an active operation. The value of that package depends on whether it supports the services the new owner intends to provide. A FINTRAC registration entry is an important starting point. It does not establish the company’s financial condition, the quality of its compliance programme or the availability of banking relationships after an acquisition. A payment business may also need a separate assessment under the Retail Payment Activities Act, or RPAA. For investors evaluating a Canadian MSB company for sale, due diligence should connect registration status, actual activities, transaction structure and financial evidence before the parties agree a completion timetable. Verify the Canadian MSB registration and legal entity Begin with the target’s exact legal name, incorporation details, registration number and current status. Match the entity in the corporate documents to the entity in FINTRAC’s Money Services Business Registry. FINTRAC explicitly states that registration does not mean it endorses or licenses a business. It also states that it does not issue licences or certificates of registration. A sales presentation using the phrase “FINTRAC licence” should ...
November 12, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Digital Assets Blockchain And Tokenization, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Wealthtech Investing And Trading Strategy still runs a software business, but Bitcoin now dominates its assets and capital raising. MSCI no longer treats that balance as an index eligible operating company. November 11, 2026, MSCI confirmed Strategy’s removal from the MSCI USA and MSCI World indexes after the November 30 close under its new methodology for non operating companies. MSCI is one of the world’s largest index providers, and its benchmarks are followed by funds investing across global equity markets. Japan’s Metaplanet is also being removed from an MSCI index. MSCI has decided that Strategy no longer qualifies for its equity indexes because Bitcoin now dominates its assets and much of its capital raising. Strategy still sells software and reports operating revenue, but MSCI is drawing a line between a business that holds investment assets and one where those assets have become the main financial story. Why Is MSCI Removing Strategy From Its Indexes? MSCI first looked at a rule aimed specifically at digital asset treasury companies. It later dropped that proposal and change it's methodology to cover companies whose finances ...
Nov 12, 2026 Crypto market cap is calculated by multiplying an asset's reference price by its circulating supply. A token priced at $2 with 50 million units circulating has a market cap of $100 million. The calculation estimates the value of that supply at the reference price; it does not total the money investors deposited. To understand a change in the ranking, examine both inputs and the provider's definitions. A larger number can result from price changes, supply changes, or revised reporting. Establish what the two inputs represent The arithmetic is simple, but neither input is self-explanatory. “Price” may be a reference assembled from selected trading pairs and venues, rather than the last transaction on the exchange you use. A provider may exclude observations or convert quote currencies. Two services can publish different estimates because their source selection and methods differ. Circulating supply is an estimate of units treated as available in the market under a provider's rules. It may differ from the number minted, the total recorded by a contract, or the maximum permitted under a protocol's current design. Locked balances, treasury allocations, burns, and scheduled releases require interpretation. A transparent methodology matters because identical arithmetic can still use ...
November 11, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Risk Compliance And Regtech Financial firms are putting AI agents into production well before giving them broad financial authority. That creates time to set identity, permissions and transaction controls before autonomous execution becomes common. On November 11, 2026, Bank of England Financial Policy Committee external member Jonathan Hall used his final FPC speech to examine what happens when AI agents get more authority inside financial firms. A Bank of England and FCA survey of 196 firms found that 80% already deploy AI agents and another 14% plan to within 12 months. Only 2% reported agents with broad autonomy, and none of those were in trading and payments. Finance is adopting agents quickly, but firms are still keeping people and hard limits around the decisions that can change money, positions or customer outcomes. AI Agents Are In Finance But They Are Not Trading Alone The 2026 Bank of England and FCA survey separates four levels of authority: Decision support lets an agent recommend an action while a person decides and executes it. Constrained execution lets the agent act inside preset rules. Conditional autonomy ...
November 10, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Entrepreneurs Startups Small Businesses, Equity Crowdfunding And Alternative Funding A small group of large rounds is carrying Canadian venture totals while deal count and growth stage financing remain well below recent norms. On November 10, 2026, the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association published its Q3 2026 venture capital report. Canadian companies raised $4.3 billion across 397 deals through September, only 1% less capital than a year earlier. But 23 rounds of $50 million or more represented just 6% of disclosed deals and absorbed 58% of all venture capital invested. Deal count has also fallen every year since 2021. The national total is holding up far better than the number of companies getting financed. Six Big Rounds Carried 59% Of Q3 Venture Capital Q3 produced $1.35 billion across 129 deals. Capital was 1% higher than Q2, but deal count fell 15%. Six rounds above $50 million accounted for $793 million, or 59% of the quarter’s capital. That's a decent quarter for the companies that closed those rounds, but a weak quarter for everyone else. Mega rounds above $50 million totalled $2.5 billion across 23 transactions ...
November 11, 2026 | NCFA Story Intelligence | Competition And Market Structure, Wealthtech Investing And Trading, Regulation And Policy Canada is cutting bank fees and switching barriers after years of weak competition, high concentration and poor productivity. On November 7, 2026, the federal government proposed something Canadian investors have complained about for years. Banks would no longer be allowed to charge most investment account transfer fees, which typically cost about $150 per account. Ottawa also wants clearer transfer information and tighter timelines for moving investments to another financial institution. The fee matters because leaving can already be slow and frustrating. Receiving firms often reimburse the outgoing charge to win the account. That means a fee collected by the institution losing the customer can become part of the acquisition cost for the institution trying to win that customer. Canada's six largest banks hold roughly 93% of banking assets. The Competition Bureau was warning about barriers facing fintech competitors in 2017. Ottawa began reviewing open banking in 2018. A federal advisory committee later recommended an operating system by January 2023 and warned that government should not delay. January 2023 came and went. Real Time Rail also slipped years beyond its first expected ...
November 10, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Digital Assets Blockchain And Tokenization, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Regulation And Policy Funds, Collateral And Settlement Lead Canada’s Near Term Tokenization Opportunity On November 10, 2026, the Canadian Securities Administrators published its Project Tokenization Phase 1 findings, setting out where Canadian market participants see the strongest commercial opportunities for tokenization and what regulators plan to test next. The report draws on 233 organizations, 21 bilateral meetings and 80 survey responses, along with workshops attended by 281 people in Calgary and 491 in Toronto. Participants put investment funds, private assets, collateral, treasury and settlement infrastructure ahead of public stocks as the strongest near term opportunities. The report also cuts through one of tokenization’s biggest sales pitches. Blockchain can change how an asset is recorded, transferred or settled, but it doesn't automatically create liquidity, investor demand, broader eligibility or stronger ownership rights. Those outcomes still depend on the product, market, legal structure and infrastructure around it. The CSA now plans to take specific projects into Phase 2 through a 120 day public call for proposals. Firms may be able to use existing regulatory processes, tailored regulatory treatment or bounded testing in a ...
Nov 11, 2026 A positive work environment is key for any team that wants to succeed. Team morale is crucial for productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction. Engaging in activities that lift spirits and strengthen connections can lead to great results. Creating a positive team environment requires creativity, engagement, and some fun. Each activity can strengthen connections, boost motivation, and improve workplace dynamics. When teams focus on strategies to boost morale, they work toward shared success. These activities can lead to lasting memories and help build a stronger team culture. Here are some fun strategies to help improve your team's morale and make the workplace livelier. Fun at the Arcade Visiting an arcade spot is a great way to enjoy time together and build teamwork. Imagine your team facing challenges with various games. Whether it's racing or playing team games, the arcade encourages friendly competition and bonding. These fun experiences can help reduce stress and improve relationships among coworkers. Arcades offer many options to suit diverse interests and skill levels. The lively atmosphere invites everyone to relax and take a break from their daily tasks. Shared laughter and enjoyment can lead to better communication and teamwork when you return to the ...
November 10, 2026 | Market Activity | Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Leadership, Competition, Human Capital, Health A Brokerage Race Beyond $0 Commissions On November 10, 2026, Webull Canada added Nasdaq Basic Canada, giving clients free real time Level 1 quote and trade data across Canadian listed equities. The feed provides best bid, best offer and last sale information for stocks listed on the TSX, TSX Venture, CSE and Cboe Canada. Nasdaq says its consolidated feed can reduce Level 1 market data costs by more than 60% compared with traditional Canadian data packages. Webull isn't first to give Canadian investors free real time information. The more interesting story is how quickly another paid feature is becoming part of the basic brokerage account. Wealthsimple helped normalize $0 trading in 2019, Questrade followed in 2025 and Webull dropped its own commissions in April 2026. With the headline trading fee largely gone, brokers now need other reasons for investors to move money and keep it on the platform. Who Led Canada’s Race To $0 Trading And Free Market Data Wealthsimple Trade launched nationally on March 13, 2019 with $0 commissions on Canadian and U.S. stocks and ETFs. Questrade removed commissions on listed stocks and ETFs ...
November 10, 2026 | Market Activity | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding A Toronto Fintech Riskfuel Analytics Brings AI Pricing Into BBVA’s Global Markets Workflow On November 10, 2026, BBVA deployed Riskfuel Analytics' neural pricing technology inside the pre-trade structuring workflow for autocallable products on its ePricer platform. Riskfuel is a Toronto fintech founded in 2019 that builds AI models for derivatives pricing. BBVA is a global bank with a large corporate and investment banking business. The deployment puts Canadian built AI directly into the calculations used to design complex structured products at a major global bank. Riskfuel's model is trained on BBVA's own pricing engine and uses more than 4,000 market and product inputs. The company says the surrogate was tested against more than 100,000 trades and can evaluate thousands of candidate structures in under a minute. BBVA had already added AI generated investment ideas to ePricer in September. Riskfuel goes further into the workflow by speeding up the numerical pricing work while BBVA's own model remains the reference. How Riskfuel Speeds Up BBVA's Autocallable Pricing Autocallables can depend on volatility, interest rates, dividends, maturity, coupon levels and several barrier conditions. Autocallables are structured investments ...
Nov 12, 2026 Buying a Canadian money services business starts with identifying what the buyer will acquire: a legal entity, a registration history, contracts, records and possibly an active operation. The value of that package depends on whether it supports the services the new owner intends to provide. A FINTRAC registration entry is an important starting point. It does not establish the company’s financial condition, the quality of its compliance programme or the availability of banking relationships after an acquisition. A payment business may also need a separate assessment under the Retail Payment Activities Act, or RPAA. For investors evaluating a Canadian MSB company for sale, due diligence should connect registration status, actual activities, transaction structure and financial evidence before the parties agree a completion timetable. Verify the Canadian MSB registration and legal entity Begin with the target’s exact legal name, incorporation details, registration number and current status. Match the entity in the corporate documents to the entity in FINTRAC’s Money Services Business Registry. FINTRAC explicitly states that registration does not mean it endorses or licenses a business. It also states that it does not issue licences or certificates of registration. A sales presentation using the phrase “FINTRAC licence” should ...
November 12, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Digital Assets Blockchain And Tokenization, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Wealthtech Investing And Trading Strategy still runs a software business, but Bitcoin now dominates its assets and capital raising. MSCI no longer treats that balance as an index eligible operating company. November 11, 2026, MSCI confirmed Strategy’s removal from the MSCI USA and MSCI World indexes after the November 30 close under its new methodology for non operating companies. MSCI is one of the world’s largest index providers, and its benchmarks are followed by funds investing across global equity markets. Japan’s Metaplanet is also being removed from an MSCI index. MSCI has decided that Strategy no longer qualifies for its equity indexes because Bitcoin now dominates its assets and much of its capital raising. Strategy still sells software and reports operating revenue, but MSCI is drawing a line between a business that holds investment assets and one where those assets have become the main financial story. Why Is MSCI Removing Strategy From Its Indexes? MSCI first looked at a rule aimed specifically at digital asset treasury companies. It later dropped that proposal and change it's methodology to cover companies whose finances ...
Nov 12, 2026 Crypto market cap is calculated by multiplying an asset's reference price by its circulating supply. A token priced at $2 with 50 million units circulating has a market cap of $100 million. The calculation estimates the value of that supply at the reference price; it does not total the money investors deposited. To understand a change in the ranking, examine both inputs and the provider's definitions. A larger number can result from price changes, supply changes, or revised reporting. Establish what the two inputs represent The arithmetic is simple, but neither input is self-explanatory. “Price” may be a reference assembled from selected trading pairs and venues, rather than the last transaction on the exchange you use. A provider may exclude observations or convert quote currencies. Two services can publish different estimates because their source selection and methods differ. Circulating supply is an estimate of units treated as available in the market under a provider's rules. It may differ from the number minted, the total recorded by a contract, or the maximum permitted under a protocol's current design. Locked balances, treasury allocations, burns, and scheduled releases require interpretation. A transparent methodology matters because identical arithmetic can still use ...
November 11, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Risk Compliance And Regtech Financial firms are putting AI agents into production well before giving them broad financial authority. That creates time to set identity, permissions and transaction controls before autonomous execution becomes common. On November 11, 2026, Bank of England Financial Policy Committee external member Jonathan Hall used his final FPC speech to examine what happens when AI agents get more authority inside financial firms. A Bank of England and FCA survey of 196 firms found that 80% already deploy AI agents and another 14% plan to within 12 months. Only 2% reported agents with broad autonomy, and none of those were in trading and payments. Finance is adopting agents quickly, but firms are still keeping people and hard limits around the decisions that can change money, positions or customer outcomes. AI Agents Are In Finance But They Are Not Trading Alone The 2026 Bank of England and FCA survey separates four levels of authority: Decision support lets an agent recommend an action while a person decides and executes it. Constrained execution lets the agent act inside preset rules. Conditional autonomy ...
November 10, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Entrepreneurs Startups Small Businesses, Equity Crowdfunding And Alternative Funding A small group of large rounds is carrying Canadian venture totals while deal count and growth stage financing remain well below recent norms. On November 10, 2026, the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association published its Q3 2026 venture capital report. Canadian companies raised $4.3 billion across 397 deals through September, only 1% less capital than a year earlier. But 23 rounds of $50 million or more represented just 6% of disclosed deals and absorbed 58% of all venture capital invested. Deal count has also fallen every year since 2021. The national total is holding up far better than the number of companies getting financed. Six Big Rounds Carried 59% Of Q3 Venture Capital Q3 produced $1.35 billion across 129 deals. Capital was 1% higher than Q2, but deal count fell 15%. Six rounds above $50 million accounted for $793 million, or 59% of the quarter’s capital. That's a decent quarter for the companies that closed those rounds, but a weak quarter for everyone else. Mega rounds above $50 million totalled $2.5 billion across 23 transactions ...
November 11, 2026 | NCFA Story Intelligence | Competition And Market Structure, Wealthtech Investing And Trading, Regulation And Policy Canada is cutting bank fees and switching barriers after years of weak competition, high concentration and poor productivity. On November 7, 2026, the federal government proposed something Canadian investors have complained about for years. Banks would no longer be allowed to charge most investment account transfer fees, which typically cost about $150 per account. Ottawa also wants clearer transfer information and tighter timelines for moving investments to another financial institution. The fee matters because leaving can already be slow and frustrating. Receiving firms often reimburse the outgoing charge to win the account. That means a fee collected by the institution losing the customer can become part of the acquisition cost for the institution trying to win that customer. Canada's six largest banks hold roughly 93% of banking assets. The Competition Bureau was warning about barriers facing fintech competitors in 2017. Ottawa began reviewing open banking in 2018. A federal advisory committee later recommended an operating system by January 2023 and warned that government should not delay. January 2023 came and went. Real Time Rail also slipped years beyond its first expected ...
November 10, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Digital Assets Blockchain And Tokenization, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Regulation And Policy Funds, Collateral And Settlement Lead Canada’s Near Term Tokenization Opportunity On November 10, 2026, the Canadian Securities Administrators published its Project Tokenization Phase 1 findings, setting out where Canadian market participants see the strongest commercial opportunities for tokenization and what regulators plan to test next. The report draws on 233 organizations, 21 bilateral meetings and 80 survey responses, along with workshops attended by 281 people in Calgary and 491 in Toronto. Participants put investment funds, private assets, collateral, treasury and settlement infrastructure ahead of public stocks as the strongest near term opportunities. The report also cuts through one of tokenization’s biggest sales pitches. Blockchain can change how an asset is recorded, transferred or settled, but it doesn't automatically create liquidity, investor demand, broader eligibility or stronger ownership rights. Those outcomes still depend on the product, market, legal structure and infrastructure around it. The CSA now plans to take specific projects into Phase 2 through a 120 day public call for proposals. Firms may be able to use existing regulatory processes, tailored regulatory treatment or bounded testing in a ...
Nov 11, 2026 A positive work environment is key for any team that wants to succeed. Team morale is crucial for productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction. Engaging in activities that lift spirits and strengthen connections can lead to great results. Creating a positive team environment requires creativity, engagement, and some fun. Each activity can strengthen connections, boost motivation, and improve workplace dynamics. When teams focus on strategies to boost morale, they work toward shared success. These activities can lead to lasting memories and help build a stronger team culture. Here are some fun strategies to help improve your team's morale and make the workplace livelier. Fun at the Arcade Visiting an arcade spot is a great way to enjoy time together and build teamwork. Imagine your team facing challenges with various games. Whether it's racing or playing team games, the arcade encourages friendly competition and bonding. These fun experiences can help reduce stress and improve relationships among coworkers. Arcades offer many options to suit diverse interests and skill levels. The lively atmosphere invites everyone to relax and take a break from their daily tasks. Shared laughter and enjoyment can lead to better communication and teamwork when you return to the ...
November 10, 2026 | Market Activity | Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Leadership, Competition, Human Capital, Health A Brokerage Race Beyond $0 Commissions On November 10, 2026, Webull Canada added Nasdaq Basic Canada, giving clients free real time Level 1 quote and trade data across Canadian listed equities. The feed provides best bid, best offer and last sale information for stocks listed on the TSX, TSX Venture, CSE and Cboe Canada. Nasdaq says its consolidated feed can reduce Level 1 market data costs by more than 60% compared with traditional Canadian data packages. Webull isn't first to give Canadian investors free real time information. The more interesting story is how quickly another paid feature is becoming part of the basic brokerage account. Wealthsimple helped normalize $0 trading in 2019, Questrade followed in 2025 and Webull dropped its own commissions in April 2026. With the headline trading fee largely gone, brokers now need other reasons for investors to move money and keep it on the platform. Who Led Canada’s Race To $0 Trading And Free Market Data Wealthsimple Trade launched nationally on March 13, 2019 with $0 commissions on Canadian and U.S. stocks and ETFs. Questrade removed commissions on listed stocks and ETFs ...
November 10, 2026 | Market Activity | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding A Toronto Fintech Riskfuel Analytics Brings AI Pricing Into BBVA’s Global Markets Workflow On November 10, 2026, BBVA deployed Riskfuel Analytics' neural pricing technology inside the pre-trade structuring workflow for autocallable products on its ePricer platform. Riskfuel is a Toronto fintech founded in 2019 that builds AI models for derivatives pricing. BBVA is a global bank with a large corporate and investment banking business. The deployment puts Canadian built AI directly into the calculations used to design complex structured products at a major global bank. Riskfuel's model is trained on BBVA's own pricing engine and uses more than 4,000 market and product inputs. The company says the surrogate was tested against more than 100,000 trades and can evaluate thousands of candidate structures in under a minute. BBVA had already added AI generated investment ideas to ePricer in September. Riskfuel goes further into the workflow by speeding up the numerical pricing work while BBVA's own model remains the reference. How Riskfuel Speeds Up BBVA's Autocallable Pricing Autocallables can depend on volatility, interest rates, dividends, maturity, coupon levels and several barrier conditions. Autocallables are structured investments ...
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with cryptocurrency, blockchain, crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, STO, and online investing stakeholders globally. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, services, and networking opportunities to thousands of members and subscribers and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
Equity crowdfunding is eroding the best returns VC funds used to enjoy
VB | Ron Wiener | May 13, 2018
There’s been a sea change in Series A investment rounds that has been gradually – but persistently – eating away at venture capital (VC) funds’ highest-ROI category investments, and the reason it’s happening may surprise you.
According to Cooley’s VC trends, the median Series A valuation has moved up from $16.5 million to $23.0 million in just the past two years. VCs aren’t just competing for fewer early-stage deals, they’re also paying a lot more for them. Around the time that orange became the new black, seed rounds became the new Series A, with valuations doubling between 2012 and 2017, according to Pitchbook. (What used to be called seed-stage is now termed “pre-seed.”)
How we got here
You might think this is just an organic consequence of too much money chasing too few deals, especially given that the last time we saw this much VC investment was in pre-bubble 1999. Ironically, one of the most powerful changes brought about by dot-com was the democratization of angel investing in startups, taking many early stage deals off the table before VCs could get a look at them.
Based on over 30 years of raising capital, plus my own participation in the ecosystem as an angel investor for the past last 20 years, my sense is that widespread angel investor empowerment began after the dot-com bubble. By 2000 a lot of “new money” investors were minted, and only a relative few had taken enough gains off the table before the bust to be able to invest in venture capital funds. Many took to the streets, joining angel investment clubs and online communities to start sprinkling their money around on green shoots.
See: Jan 8, 2018: Intro Presentation on Raising Equity and Funding for your Startup
As fans of the TV show Startup Junkies will recall, in 2007, my company at the time, Earth Class Mail, was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to accept a venture investment from Ignition Partners (the largest VC fund in Seattle at the time). We raised a lot of eyebrows among Silicon Valley VCs for raising $12 million in angel money, including $8.9 million from 96 Keiretsu investment club members alone (what “crowdfunding” was before it moved online). Most VCs were dismissive of the investment prowess of angel groups at the time.
Take VC money, lose control
Our concern over taking VC instead of more angel money? By investing just $6 million out of a total of $18 million, one VC would redefine the Series A term sheet, effectively take control of the board, and ultimately determine the company’s destiny.
That concern turned out to be justified. After all, we had a good thing going with an army of “brand ambassador” angel investors who helped us find customers, strategic partners, and plenty of capital. Alas, our management team was drawn to the allure of a prestigious VC investment like a moth to a burning light.
We knew that taking institutional VC with aggressive Series A preferences meant ceding control to a single concentrated investor.
Just one year later, Ignition had its own internal scandal that caused an implosion within the partnership. The shrapnel impacted many of its portfolio companies, including us. As a result of this external event, our founders, 70 percent of our employees, 140 angel investors, and three board members were kicked to the curb. The company lost its engine room and bridge in one catastrophic event, sending it into survival mode for the next five years and an eventual packaged bankruptcy designed to get only the VC’s money out when the fund reached its 10-year term.
For my next startup, I went to the fledgling AngelList platform (before they introduced deal syndication) and put our seed round together from a handful of savvy angel investors pitched over a web conference, and a F500 corporate strategic investor.
I used AngelList again with my current startup, iMovR, to raise a quick $225,000 round through the Barbara Corcoran Venture Partners syndicate in 2015. Even angel groups were beginning to lose their popularity due to the many time-consuming stages of their processes.
An exciting alternative: Equity crowdfunding
It was the JOBS Act of 2012 – creating Title III and Title IV equity crowdfunding structures – that ultimately squeezed VCs out of many of the best early-stage deals. Why? Instead of just the four percent of the population that have the income to declare themselves accredited for participating in Reg D rounds, anyone in the general public could invest in a Reg CF or Reg A+ offering.
While equity crowdfunding rounds attract large numbers of small investors, these angels become avid brand ambassadors for companies and help them generate more visibility and sales. The SEC even managed to catch some of the lightning of Kickstarter’s popularity by enabling “investor perks” as part of the security offering, now a fairly common feature of crowdfunding deals.
More:
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Venture Capitalists Seek ‘Safe Harbor’ for Virtual Currencies
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How to Think About Your Business Model and Pitch It to Investors
Eighteen months ago, I started a spreadsheet to track dozens of crowdfunded deals to help us choose between Reg CF, Reg A+, and the new breed of “side-by-side” Reg CF/Reg D hybrid offering structures. At the beginning there were virtually no other companies at our stage of revenue ($10 million+). A study commissioned by the SEC indicated one-third of the crowdfunded companies were pre-revenue, and the majority had generated under $1 million in sales. Issuers were often first-time entrepreneurs.
Remarkably, in recent months there have been numerous Reg A+ and side-by-side rounds issued by companies with $5 million-$15 million in revenues-to-date and led by seasoned entrepreneurs who clearly had the connections and track records to raise traditional VC. In interviewing some of these CEOs I sensed many of them chose this path after having similar challenges with VCs in their prior ventures.
Many angel investors have startup experiences of their own and have seen first-hand how some VCs can push perfectly good companies to exit too fast or for valuations that advantage the VCs over all other stakeholders. They also recognize that investing directly into companies means they get to pocket the fund expenses and 20 percent profits interest that are deducted before winnings are shared with limited partners.
Continue to the full article --> here
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with cryptocurrency, blockchain, crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders globally. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, services, and networking opportunities to thousands of members and subscribers and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
Report: Crowdfunding Platform OurCrowd Reaffirms Expectation to Top $1 Billion this Year
Crowdfund Insider | | May 6, 2018
OurCrowd is one of the largest crowdfunding platforms in the world and, perhaps, the largest early stage platform globally by now. The five year old firm has quickly gone from zero to nearly $1 billion in capital raised with the expectation to surpass the billion dollar mark at some point in 2018.
See: Israeli crowdfunding co OurCrowd raises $72m
Recently, OurCrowd CEO and founder Jon Medved visited with SkyNews in Australia to update on their progress. Medved explained their approach of providing access to the venture capital access class to a far wider audience. You can’t pick up the phone and call Sequoia Capital if you are a smaller investor. Medved said the most exciting news is the fact OurCrowd now has had 20 exits from their portfolio companies. One of the more recent exits was with Jump, a company in the bike sharing space that was sold to Uber and Invertex that Nike bought. OurCrowd’s success means that it is adding about 500 global investors each month.
Continue to the full article --> here
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, and networking opportunities to over 1600+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry in Canada. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
NCFA Marketplace – Conferences, Education and Services
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#FFCON Fintech & Financing Conference & Expo (Toronto | Spring)
Join Canada's largest fintech and funding conference, FFCON, held annually each Spring in Toronto (usually first week in March). The Summit attracts 600+ start-ups, fintech innovators, finance professionals, investors, regulators, government and early stage venture ecosystem and delivers an immersive experience with 70+ leading speakers, 12+ pitching companies, 30+ sessions including high profile international keynotes, TEDx talks, round tables, debates and world class networking. If you are launching or building a fintech business or seeking are an innovative company seeking capital, this is a not to be missed conference designed to accelerate growth in industry, your network and your business.
Annual VanFUNDING Conference (Vancouver | Fall)
VanFUNDING is a must attend innovative conference with 350+ participants pushing boundaries to bring forth the hottest debates and latest developments, educate, inspire and connect ‘You and your vision’ with leading innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, vendors, thought leaders and policy makers in the quickly emerging sectors of fintech, P2P, crowdfinance, blockchain ICOs, digital currencies and alternative finance. If you're building, buying or selling in Canada's innovation finance markets, VanFUNDING is an ideal conference to pitch on the national stage, increase brand recognition, exchange ideas with peers and investors, and help define the next iteration of an coalescing ecosystem with unbridled opportunities.
FintechCanada.io Directory and Networking Platform
FintechCanada.io is Canadian fintech directory and networking platform powered by NCFA and supported by Export Development Canada (Global Affairs). Discovering fintech companies and investors can be obscure at best, so we decided to create FintechCanada.io which is a one-stop destination for stakeholders to conduct research, share information, facilitate connections and Q&A and learn about Canadian Fintech companies and the growing ecosystem. Create a profile for your Canadian fintech company or organization and help us put Canadian fintech on the map.
Explore 900+ Fintechs in Canada:
Blockchain / Digital assets / Cryptocurrency
Capital Markets / DeFi / Crowdfinance
Digital Banking / Analytics / Infrastructure
Finance / Accounting
Insurtech
Lending / Borrowing
Payments / Transfers / Rewards
Personal Finance
Real Estate
Security / Identity / Regtech
Advocate for fair, efficient and more inclusive and competitive fintech markets in Canada
NCFA advocates for and is supportive of fairer, more efficient and more inclusive and competitive fintech markets in Canada. We need an ecosystem that fosters collaboration between industry participants, regulators, investors, governments and other stakeholders to create a vibrant and strong fintech and financing industry in Canada.
INSIGHTS: Tune into our weekly podcast: FINTECH FRIDAYS$
FINTECH FRIDAY$ is a weekly podcast brought to you by NCFA and partners, where we sit down with the incredible people in the Fintech and Funding community and talk about trends, product innovations, developments and challenges! Subscribe and tune in each Friday to check out all things Fintech, blockchain, crypto, open banking, digital assets, innovation ecosystems, human capital, crowdfunding, AI, and alternative finance. Interested in getting involved or supporting the program?
Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4
Global Fintech Program
Explore fintech's foundational building blocks, trends and gain in-depth insight into the companies shaping the financial system of the future. In the Global Fintech program, we’ve brought together a select group of the industry’s leaders, successful entrepreneurs and global thinkers. With more than $39B invested in 2018 across the world the Fintech space continues to attract healthy investment and attention from seasoned investors. With a multi trillion dollar financial pie to munch on, Fintech has lots of room to grow and prosper in the years ahead. As the vision of the financial system continues to evolve, numerous new opportunities will be created for savvy players. Entrepreneurs looking for a way to help shape the future. And for business leaders looking for ways to leapfrog their competition with the most up to date Fintech tools.
NCFA's Digital Magazine: FINTECH CONFIDENTIAL
A themed digital pop-up magazine featuring select content, insider views, best practices and global thought leadership. The inaugural issue's theme, CONVERGE, immerses participants and builds bridges across the most disruptive emerging technologies, capital market innovations and key stakeholders that are powering new global markets, new decentralized models, new forms of computer intelligence, new IP, new infrastructure and new alternative investment opportunities toward the vision of a Web 3.0. The world is undergoing unprecedented change that is already affecting our daily lives — how we interact with financial services, generate digital wealth, invest, evaluate, consume, vote, store, transfer, and purchase anything of value. Grab a coffee or your favourite beverage and enjoy!
Issue 1 | Issue 2 | Issue 3
NCFA Fintech Whisperer | Weekly Market Intelligence
In addition to daily featured articles, NCFA offers a live weekly market intelligence page tracking financial technology developments that significantly affect how fintechs build, sell, raise capital, and operate under scrutiny. Coverage prioritizes Canada and includes global events that directly influence competitive conditions, market access, and execution realities across fintech sectors. The page is updated throughout the current week with market movers in a live format and then each week NCFA closes the prior week's contents in prep for the upcoming week, and continues on a rolling basis.
View Fintech Whisperer
Access to Small Business Loans
While there are a variety of sources that can provide your business access to borrowed capital, in many cases your company may not qualify or the interest rates and fees are simply too high for the risk you believe is appropriate for the loan. Pay day lenders and credit cards as an example, may offer a quick solution in the very short term but can be detrimental in the longer term because of the exorbitant fees. If you are an existing small business that has been operating for minimum 1 year with defined revenues and seeking access to loans to help your business expand operations, purchase equipment or hire new staff to grow etc., and would like to learn more about marketplace lending options (debt-based crowdfunding), contact us to learn more info at info@ncfacanada.org.
Access to Startup Equity Funding
One of the great challenges for many start-ups and small to medium sized businesses is finding the appropriate investors and strategic capital partners to help your business launch or grow your venture to the next level. If you are wondering what your options are there are many resources online that may assist such as this presentation on 'raising equity capital for your start-up' here. If you have a high growth venture and seeking assistance from experienced professionals in capital raising with existing networks and channels, contact us to learn more at info@ncfacanada.org.
Connect with Intellectual Property Experts
Understanding the benefits and costs of implementing an intellectual property strategy, be it registering trademarks, copyright and/or patent rights, assessing licensing opportunities, or simply keeping things as a trade secret, are key in a business' day-to-day operations. Drawing from its pan-Canadian network of IP practitioners and the NCFA's efforts in promoting Fintech innovation, the NCFA can support you in understanding intellectual property and connect you with professionals. If interested, please email info@ncfacanada.org.
Media Monitoring and Influencer Database
Launching a new project/venture, crowdfunding campaign, an ICO or online financing round and looking to drive traffic and build brand and campaign awareness? Join NCFA as a contributing member and get access to current and targeted journalists and media influencers and discover contact details, background information, social media handles and recent coverage listed in their contact card. Advanced boolean search and keyword filtering.
Crypto Processing and Conversions (coins, tokens)
CoinPayments is a payment solution allowing merchants to bitcoin and hundreds of altcoins in their store, through easy to use APIs and plugins for all the major ecommerce platforms. With over 1 million users in 182 countries and close to 1 billion dollars of transaction volume in 2017 alone, CoinPayments.net is the most comprehensive multi-cryptocurrency platform in the world.
Digital Identity Education
As the digital economy grows and the world increasingly moves online, the future of digital identity will deliver new frameworks and infrastructure to support digital commerce, online interactions and social identification in more secure and robust ways than ever thought before. This future is in fact here today, and there is a pressing need for entities of all types from individuals to businesses to establish digital representations of their identities to serve as the gateway to store and protect sensitive data, manage permissions and ultimately power trusted online transactions in a streamlined and networked way. See - Fintech Fridays Podcast with KABN North America: Why digital identity matters? Contact us to learn more and get plugged into a leading global digital identity network.
OTC Digital Currency and Asset Markets
For institutions, mining pools and large block holders seeking access to liquidity, safe and compliant over the counter (OTC) digital currency and asset markets contact us for more information.
Regulation and Compliance
Interested in launching a coin offering, crypto exchange, blockchain venture, or register as an exempt market dealer to facilitate capital raising for businesses or consumers? We understand that navigating regulations and compliance in all emerging 'fintech and funding' sectors is complicated. If you're ready to engage industry experts and legal resources to formalize your business, we can connect you with experienced industry professionals. Learn what it takes to comply and survive in this ever changing business and get ahead of regulations. Contact us info@ncfacanada.org.
Strategic Launch and Growth Services
If you are looking at launching or growing your Fintech & Funding business and want to engage industry experts that can help verify your strategic road-map and market development initiatives, then contact us today. From understanding market challenges and opportunities, to providing guidance and supportive execution on launching a new venture or growing an existing one, we know what it takes to succeed to raise capital, develop products, build and manage user groups and communities, and market your company to meet your goals. Contact us info@ncfacanada.org.
Capital Raising and Investment Management Software
Are you looking to launch your own investment crowdfunding platform and seeking either a fully developed 'out of the box' or bespoke capital raising software solution? There have been continual advancements and feature deployments since online fintech and funding models and exemptions emerged in the Canadian market in 2012, consider leveraging existing technology and partnerships to expedite the launch of your business. Contact us info@ncfacanada.org.
Video Content Designed for Your Budget
More than 500 million hours of video are watched on youtube every day. 84% of twitter users watch videos. Video drives 157% increase in organic traffic. Video landing pages can increase conversions by a staggering 80%. If you're not leveraging video marketing to launch or grow your business then you may not be capturing leads, conveying key messages or driving engagement. Our approach toward creating the best stories is pretty simple: understand the purpose of each video, put the right people in place to bring it to life, and follow our strategy and process to produce the most creative, effective and efficient videos for your needs and budget.
EDUCATION: Industry Reports and Research
Stay ahead of emerging regulations and commercialization opportunities, insights and challenges for all things fintech and funding. Access and download recent industry reports that collectively help provide business and market intelligence critical to the success of your venture or pinpoint an ideal entry point. Know of a hot new report that we should add to this list? Inform us today and help the community stay vibrant and 'in the know!
Join Canada's Leading Fintech & Funding Community
Join Canada's Leading Crowdfunding and Fintech Association, a distributed and decentralized Fintech & Funding community! Join a community of innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, registered dealers and funding portals, consultants, tech and finance professionals, services providers and vendors interested in advancing the development of innovation finance markets and financial technology in Canada and beyond. Since launching late 2012, NCFA Canada has grown to be one of the largest fintech communities in the country enabling numerous successful annual conferences, industry infrastructure, education, research, services, business development, market integrity, business development and partnerships for all.
Partnership Opportunities
NCFA offers partnership opportunities to aligned organizations that support the growth and development of various programs and initiatives implemented by the association each year. Since launch NCFA has been a core catalyst of the peer to peer innovation finance industry in Canada and has built one of the largest fintech networks in the country from investment to industry leaders and regulatory networks. If you are launching a fintech, blockchain, crypto, alternative finance or peer to peer venture and seeking to plug into the latest trends and opportunities, navigate the web of regulations and compliance or looking to raise capital to launch or grow your business in the financial innovation sector? Connect with us today: info@ncfacanada.org.
Industry Ambassadors
Interested in getting involved and taking a more active role in industry as a recognized leader, educator, supporter, and advocate of the Canadian fintech, crowdfunding, peer to peer, crypto, ICOs, digital assets, blockchain, internet finance and alternative finance sectors within regional communities across the country? Join us in our quest to transform Canada into a world class innovation finance destination expanding your profile and participation opportunities at the same time.
Help Develop a National Fintech Strategy and Support Industry Growth
NCFA was founded in October 2012 as a grassroots non-profit to fill a need in the marketplace and continues to be community-based, inclusive and membership-driven. Industry initiatives, events, programming, education, advocacy and infrastructure facilitation is largely organized by a volunteer network of advisors, ambassadors and board members. The organization receives some critical funding from key industry sponsors/partners and in-kind collaboration from the fintech innovation ecosystem. However we need your support to continuously build opportunities and value for members with more infrastructure, education and research, service aggregation, and domestic and global network expansion while working to develop a national fintech strategy. All contributions go directly towards keeping NCFA running and are essential to scale growth and impact. Join us today!
Here’s what motivates a crowdfunding investor to back a campaign
Insider.co.uk | By Philip Gates | Apr 23, 2018
Crowdfunding is a rapidly growing way to raise much-needed capital for businesses. But how can you make one eye-catching enough to attract investors? John Auckland of crowdfunding communications agency TribeFirst outlines the dos and don'ts
Equity crowdfunding campaigns - such as Drink Baotic - are all about attracting and engaging investors. So what exactly are investors looking for? What makes the difference in their decision to invest or not?
Retail investors versus sophisticated investors
You can categorise investors into two types: retail and sophisticated.
Retail investors are investing more emotionally. Sophisticated investors typically invest more than retail investors, but the amount they invest doesn’t necessarily reflect their level of sophistication.
Check out: How to Think About Your Business Model and Pitch It to Investors
While it’s definitely more a spectrum than two clear camps, there are some common identifying features:
● Retail investor goes with gut decision/Sophisticated investors have an appraisal process.
● Retail investors make their decisions based on emotional attachment/Sophisticated investors made decisions based on rational attachment.
● Retail investors will typically look for pros/Sophisticated investors are looking for cons.
● Retail investors = heart first/Sophisticated investors = head first
● Retail investors are gambling with disposable income/Sophisticated investors view crowdfunding as one of the riskier assets in their portfolio.
● Retail investors want to be part of a journey/Sophisticated investors are investing to make a return.
Some critics of crowdfunding have claimed that retail investors shouldn’t exist at all. I find this view patronising.
Firstly, as long as you are aware of the risks, then it’s your money to do with as you will. Secondly, I have seen many well-managed and institutionally-funded companies still go on to fail.
See: Fintech lures millennial investors away from asset managers
Risk exists everywhere. But is it any less noble to invest in something because you believe in the idea, rather than investing simply to make a profit?
And the crowd has proven it has greater foresight than you’d think. The data suggests the crowd is often as good at predicting the future success of a company as professional analysts.
It’s not surprising, really. The crowd is representative of the market.
What can you do to stand out to both retail AND sophisticated?
So what can you do to appeal to both kinds of investors.
Assuming your company is in a healthy state, organise a consumer marketing and PR campaign to hit at the same time as your crowdfunding campaign.
You’ll be able to update investors with your progress in real time. Having a buzz about your company during your raise will drive retail investors to your campaign and give sophisticated investors confidence.
Also: Venture funding best practices
What will turn investors off?
There are some things that you need to avoid entirely, including:
● Not answering questions openly on the public forum.
● Not including a financial model.
● Not making yourself available during the campaign.
● Not doing your homework.
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The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, and networking opportunities to over 1600+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry in Canada. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
Canada’s Largest Investment Crowdfunding Platform Hits $10 Million of Combined Capital Raised to Support Growing Canadian Businesses
Digital Journal - FrontFundr Release | April 9, 2019
Investment crowdfunding is an alternative source for companies seeking capital to grow their businesses.
VANCOUVER, BC, April 09, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- "We are pleased to announce that we have now raised a combined $10 million for Canadian companies through our online platform," said Peter-Paul van Hoeken, FrontFundr's C.E.O. "We have enabled over 18 Canadian companies to obtain the funding they need to grow while creating communities of supporters and advocates for each company's products and services."
Craig Asano, Founder and CEO of the National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association, NCFA Canada said. "We are thrilled to see the growth of FrontFundr and congratulate them on reaching the $10 million milestone! It clearly demonstrates the availability and potential of investment crowdfunding capital to support the growth of Canadian businesses."
See: How to Effectively Market an Equity Crowdfunding/Reg A+ Offering
Investment crowdfunding is an alternative source for companies seeking capital to grow their businesses. Partly available in some Provinces it was fully legalized in 2015. Crowdfunding not only allows Canadians to invest in private companies, from as little as $100, but it allows companies access to capital and a community of stakeholders. A recent example, and part of the $10 million raise, is Red Mountain, that enabled people to own a piece of a ski hill in British Columbia, Canada. Over $2,500,000 was raised through the campaign, from 742 backers, many of whom gained perks such as lift passes as well as shares.
About FrontFundr:
FrontFundr is an online investing platform that empowers Canadians to find and make direct investments in the private companies they believe in - and become stakeholders in their future. FrontFundr's online exempt market dealer (EMD) status plus its modern technology lets users across Canada easily invest in innovative growth businesses in under 12 minutes and starting from $250. Own your share.
View source: here
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, and networking opportunities to over 1600+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry in Canada. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
Becoming a dragon in my own right.
FrontFundr | Jill Earthy | March 29, 2018
My parents were really good at giving me advice about most things. Most things that is, except investing. I guess they were brought up being told that you don’t talk about money. We never had any serious conversations about investing, which never bothered me until recently. I had reached that point in life (finally) where I had a good job, paid off my student loan, and had some rainy day money in the bank. It all left me wondering, what’s my next step?
I read a blog about the 50|30|20 rule, and I stick to that: 50% for fixed costs, essentials, food, rent, getting to work, 30% for discretionary spending, and 20% for saving.
I know I want to buy a condo and get on the property ladder, so that is a big goal for me. I have an online advisor who is helping me get that nest egg together. I’m maxing out my available RRSP limit which is 18% of my income. 10% of that I’ll use for my down payment, and the other 8% will go towards actually retiring one day. That leaves me with 2% of my income to invest as I see fit. But until recently, I was still struggling with where. And how?!
A couple of weeks ago I was scrolling Facebook and saw ad online for FrontFundr. Turns out they are Canada’s largest investment crowdfunding platform (which essentially is like crowdfunding for adults - instead of perks or early access to products, you get shares in private companies). I never knew that investing in private companies was even an option for me, given I’m no Kevin O’Leary!
See: Peter-Paul Van Hoeken, CEO and Founder of FrontFundr, Joins National Crowdfunding Association of Canada’s Advisory Group
Speaking of Dragon’s Den, I already knew that I loved watching the show and choosing the companies I would back if I were a Dragon. FrontFundr is kind of like that. I just go on their website, review the opportunities, and can invest starting at $100.
So, I did it, I backed a company with a very cool product. I completed the whole process from my phone, and it took me about 10 minutes once I decided which company I liked. I love the company. The team know what they’re doing and the numbers stack up. I know this is high risk, but I also know this is a company that I believe in -- I want them to be successful. I like the fact I can go out with my friends and talk about the company. It’s my company; I own shares in it. Most of my other investments are personless, I don’t connect with anyone, but this is one where I can truly say I own the shares.
Now you can #OwnYourShare of Canada’s largest online investment platform:
Become a dragon and invest in companies YOU believe in, starting at $250. Learn more from this person’s experience - http://blog.frontfundr.com/becoming-a-dragon-in-my-own-right
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The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, and networking opportunities to over 1600+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry in Canada. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
