Category Archives: Online Funding / Investing Campaigns

October 24, 2022   FinTech and Alternative Finance, Fintech International, Fintech Services, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Leadership, Competition, Human Capital, Health, NCFA Supported Events, Online Funding / Investing Campaigns   No comments

[Event Nov 23, 2022]: Rebuild Ukraine Business Conference 2022

Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce | Oct 24, 2022

Rebuild ukraine business conference 2022

Event Details

Date and Time: November 23rd, 2022 at 8:00 am – 7:00 pm 
 
Location: The Omni King Edward Hotel (37 King St E, Toronto, ON M5C 1E9)  

Cost: $150 + HST 

Description

The Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Business Council of Canada (BCC), Embassy of Ukraine in Canada, Embassy of Canada in Ukraine and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade in Ukraine invite you to the Rebuild Ukraine Business Conference on November 23rd, 2022, at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto.  

The Rebuild Ukraine Business Conference will showcase investment projects aimed at rebuilding and modernizing Ukraine in the agriculture, energy, construction/infrastructure, and digital sectors. It will also highlight the tools and instruments offered by Export Development Canada, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, World Bank, and International Finance Corporation to support Canadian companies interested in investing in Ukraine.  

Conversations about rebuilding Ukraine have already started in Europe and the U.S. The time is ripe to start these conversations in Canada to give Canadian businesses the opportunity to be a part of the rebuilding process and to help Ukraine fight on the economic front.  

Event Partners

Embassy of Ukraine in Canada
Business Council of Canada
Ukraine Invest
Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine
Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine
CEO Club Ukraine
Embassy of Canada

Register for this event on Eventbrite --> here

NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

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October 6, 2022   Blockchain, Crypto, Digital Assets Regulations, Blockchain, Crypto, Digital Assets, Tokens, CBDCs, Stablecoins, Metaverse, NFTs, FinTech and Alternative Finance, Fintech International, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Legal Issues, Regulation, Consultation, Online Funding / Investing Campaigns, Press Releases, Regtech, Compliance, Governance   No comments

Kim Kardashian Pays $1.26M to the SEC in Penalties for Unlawfully Touting Crypto

SEC | Release | Oct 3, 2022

KardashianThe Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Kim Kardashian for touting on social media a crypto asset security offered and sold by EthereumMax without disclosing the payment she received for the promotion. Kardashian agreed to settle the charges, pay $1.26 million in penalties, disgorgement, and interest, and cooperate with the Commission’s ongoing investigation.

[approximately $260,000 in disgorgement, which represents her promotional payment, plus prejudgment interest, and a $1,000,000 penalty.]

The SEC’s order finds that Kardashian failed to disclose that she was paid $250,000 to publish a post on her Instagram account about EMAX tokens, the crypto asset security being offered by EthereumMax. Kardashian’s post contained a link to the EthereumMax website, which provided instructions for potential investors to purchase EMAX tokens.

See:  AltFi Series (2 of 3): Regulatory Landscape on Stablecoins

Kardashian also agreed to not promote any crypto asset securities for three years.

 

SEC Chair Gary Gensler:

This case is a reminder that, when celebrities or influencers endorse investment opportunities, including crypto asset securities, it doesn’t mean that those investment products are right for all investors. We encourage investors to consider an investment’s potential risks and opportunities in light of their own financial goals.  Ms. Kardashian’s case also serves as a reminder to celebrities and others that the law requires them to disclose to the public when and how much they are paid to promote investing in securities.

View the original release --> here

NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

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September 13, 2022   Blockchain, Crypto, Digital Assets, Tokens, CBDCs, Stablecoins, Metaverse, NFTs, FinTech and Alternative Finance, Fintech International, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Innovation and Resources, Online Funding / Investing Campaigns, Venture Funding and Building   No comments

KKR Partners with Securitize to Launch Part of Health Care Fund on Avalanche’s Public Blockchain

WSJ | Miriam Gottfried | Sep 13, 2022

blockchain tokenized fundsKKR & Co. is making a slice of one of its private-equity funds available on the public blockchain, in the latest bid to expand individual investors’ access to private investment vehicles.

  • Securitize, a leading digital asset securities firm, today announced the launch of a fund tokenizing an interest in KKR’s Health Care Strategic Growth Fund II (“HCSG II”) on the Avalanche public blockchain. This is a major step toward making institutional private market strategies more accessible to individual investors.
  • The new Securitize tokenized fund (the “Fund”) marks the first time exposure to one of KKR’s alternative investment strategies has been offered in a digital format in the U.S. The Fund is managed by Securitize’s digital asset management arm, Securitize Capital, and provides exposure to KKR’s health care growth equity investing strategy.
  • Executives said the move by KKR will be the first time a major private-equity firm has made a portion of a fund available on the blockchain in the U.S.
  • KKR managed about $70 billion of private-wealth assets as of the end of the second quarter, out of a total of $491 billion. It said last November it expects 30% to 50% of its annual fundraising will eventually come from wealthy individuals, up from 10% to 20% at the time.

See:  Binance’s co-founder, Yi He, Steps in the Limelight to Oversee $7.5 Billion Crypto Portfolio

  • A tokenized fund will allow individuals to invest smaller amounts than would be required of institutions and provide a smoother process for monitoring transactions and vetting investors through Securtize’s digitized onboarding process, as well as greater potential for liquidity, said Dan Parant, co-head of U.S. private wealth at KKR.
  • Qualified purchasers—generally those with at least $5 million in investible assets—who create a digital wallet and sign up with Securitize will be able to invest in the KKR fund via what will effectively be a tokenized feeder fund. After a year of holding the security, investors will be able to sell it to other qualified individuals on a secondary market managed by a unit of Securitize.

Continue to the full article --> here

NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

NCFA Financial Innovation MapNCFA Innovation Opportunity BriefsNCFA Fintech Insights
NCFA Fintech WhispererNCFA Fintech Fridays PodcastNCFA Weekly Newsletter

 

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August 5, 2022   Entrepreneurs, Start-ups, Small Businesses, Equity Crowdfunding, Alternative Funding, FinTech and Alternative Finance, Fintech International, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Innovation and Resources, Leadership, Competition, Human Capital, Health, Legal Issues, Regulation, Consultation, Online Funding / Investing Campaigns, Online Funding / Investing Portals, Venture Funding and Building, Voices   No comments

Regulatory Committee: SEC Small Business Advisory Votes to Improve Secondary Trading of Reg A+ Securities

Crowdfund Insider | JD Alois | Aug 2, 2022

Funding and Raising capital for small businessesThe Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) met today to discuss liquidity for certain exempt securities in the form of secondary trading. More specifically, the Committee addressed securities issued under Reg CF (Regulation Crowdfunding) and Regulation A (Reg A+).

In opening remarks, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler stated:

“I look forward as well to the Committee’s discussion on secondary market liquidity for investors in Regulation A and Regulation Crowdfunding companies, and for smaller public companies. I would be interested to learn about the Committee’s thinking on these matters as it relates to promoting investor protection and facilitating capital formation.”

Ryan Feit, CEO and co-founder of SeedInvest:

  • Highlighted multiple successful offerings listed on SeedInvest that generated significant returns to investors, said there were two major outstanding hurdles to the market.
    • First diversification. Given the high rate of failure for younger firms, Feit advocated for the ability to create funds of early-stage firms under the exemptions.
    • Second liquidity - Waiting five to ten years to get a return, even when the firm is performing well, ultimately leads to less capital for these businesses. The lack of liquidity is a “huge issue,” and regulatory changes could create a “vibrant secondary market.” He also shared that greater clarity on digital securities would be helpful as distributed ledger technology could drive efficient trading in a number of ways.

Joan Adler, partner at Ellenoff, Grossman and Schole:

  • In the early days of the JOBS Act, great focus was on primary issuance. Now there is interest in secondary transactions, yet individual investors are challenged to sell shares, and issuers must manage a fragmented regulatory environment as secondary trading does not benefit from state pre-emption – meaning you must deal with the peculiarities of all 50 states and territories. A herculean task.

See:  Private markets propelled by ‘push and pull’ have grown exponentially

Andrea Seidt, the Ohio Securities Commissioner and representative of NASAA:

  • She understands the need for capital formation, but she “strongly opposes” a statement in support of secondary trading.
  • Pre-emption will lead to harsher outcomes.  She also said Feit’s examples of successful offerings that generated returns for investors was “cherry picking” and demanded more data on the success and failure rate of crowdfunded securities.

Outcome

In the end, the Committee voted on a recommendation to request the Commission allow pre-emption for securities issued under Tier 2 of Reg A+, an exemption that enables issuers to raise up to $75 million and must be qualified by the SEC. The Committee described it as a “pilot program” to support secondary trading that will provide for a harmonized environment to address the issue – one that the Committee has been discussing for years.

Continue to the full article --> here

NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

NCFA Financial Innovation MapNCFA Innovation Opportunity BriefsNCFA Fintech Insights
NCFA Fintech WhispererNCFA Fintech Fridays PodcastNCFA Weekly Newsletter

 

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June 29, 2022   Entrepreneurs, Start-ups, Small Businesses, Equity Crowdfunding, Alternative Funding, FinTech and Alternative Finance, Fintech International, Fintech Services, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Innovation and Resources, Online Funding / Investing Campaigns, Venture Funding and Building   No comments

Startup CityFALCON raises $2m equity on Seedrs including participation from Holt

CityFALCON | Release | Jun 23, 2022

making investment decisionsLONDON, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- London and Malta based fintech CityFALCON closed an equity fundraising campaign on Seedrs of £1.65m ($2m) to scale up the business and bring even more insightful products to market faster.

On Seedrs, the leading UK private investment platform, CityFALCON has leveraged individual investors from their growing fanbase and onboarded institutional investors.  The commpany boasts 2300 existing investors, with 1200 coming on in this round, including new and repeat investors.

See:  Brex is Off-boarding Tens of Thousands of Small Businesses, Not Startups

eToro, the social investing network with over 27 million registered users globally, took a small position in the company. eToro is a client and powers its News tab with CityFALCON content, providing users with a quality contextual newsfeed to inform investment decisions and increase engagement.

As further validation, The Holt Xchange, a global early-stage VC firm and platform in Canada, and Terance Butler Holdings (TBH), a property investment company in the UK, have both taken stakes.

TBH's investment enhances their portfolio of high-growth, IP-based companies. Stephen Walker, Investment Director at TBH, said "We are excited to invest in CityFALCON at what we believe is a pivotal time for the company. Having gained traction, we believe now is the right moment for the company to scale up its sales & marketing effort whilst continuing to develop the product".

See:  Are you a Pig, Gazelle or Bear? Beyond Unicorns, Zoology of startups

Managing Partner at Holt Xchange, Elisabeth Laett, stated:

The democratisation of financial information is the result of a global demand to access better education and deeper financial insights for a broader audience. We have been impressed with the team's mission at CityFALCON and pleased to further support them in this seed round.

Continue to the full article --> here

 

NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

NCFA Financial Innovation MapNCFA Innovation Opportunity BriefsNCFA Fintech Insights
NCFA Fintech WhispererNCFA Fintech Fridays PodcastNCFA Weekly Newsletter

 

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June 16, 2022   Entrepreneurs, Start-ups, Small Businesses, Equity Crowdfunding, Alternative Funding, FinTech and Alternative Finance, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Innovation and Resources, Online Funding / Investing Campaigns   No comments

Hardbacon: Why we launched an equity crowdfunding campaign in the middle of a bear market

Hardbacon | Julien Brault | Jun 16, 2022

Julien Brault – Hard Bacon

When we launched our equity crowdfunding round in May, the stock market was down 20% year-to-date and the value of Bitcoin had fallen 35%. While many of our investors were eager to reinvest, it was also obvious that many of our investors were impacted by the downturn and could decide not to reinvest in Hardbacon.

That said, postponing the round didn't necessarily seem like the right decision. First, I didn't have a crystal ball to tell me when, in the future, the markets would be more conducive to such funding rounds. Second, I knew that by successfully closing a round despite the economic environment, Hardbacon would be better positioned than ever for what comes next.

And it worked, since we reached our funding goal of $500,000 within a week of launching the round!

Right now, many fintechs are cutting positions in order to survive longer without seeking new capital. However, at Hardbacon, we’re actually looking to expand our team to accelerate our growth and to solidify our status as a key player in personal finance and financial product comparison tools in Canada.

As we plan to expand through acquisitions while simultaneously investing in our organic growth, the shortage of traditional sources of capital for start-ups could work in our favour. As VC funding is bound to get more scarce, our competitors will seek to sell themselves and we should be well positioned to snag the best in breed!

Hardbacon: a growth success story

As of today, Hardbacon reaches at least 232,000 unique visitors every month through its website, 38,000 registered users on its mobile app, and that doesn’t include our affiliate network and other owned websites! In February 2020, our website was only reaching 12,000 unique monthly visitors and our revenue was 10x lower than today. That’s what made people think that Hardbacon was an overnight success.

On Demand:  Fintech Fridays EP51: Bacon and Eggs with Julien Brault, CEO, Hard Bacon

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth! We tested one-thousand-and-one business models, price structures, and market segments! Most of our hypotheses were rejected by the market up until we embraced our current business model back in 2020. It is the affiliate marketing model.

Realistically, it means that we help our clients, who for the most part are financial institutions, acquire customers. On the other hand, contrary to traditional media which sells ads, we invoice based on results, which might be a credit card application, an account opening, or a sign up. If you’ve ever used our credit cards comparison tool and found a card you liked, chances are that we earned a bit of money!

If you want to know more about our business model and the terms of our current round, I invite you to visit our FrontFundr page.

NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

NCFA Financial Innovation MapNCFA Innovation Opportunity BriefsNCFA Fintech Insights
NCFA Fintech WhispererNCFA Fintech Fridays PodcastNCFA Weekly Newsletter

 

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May 24, 2022   Blockchain, Crypto, Digital Assets, Tokens, CBDCs, Stablecoins, Metaverse, NFTs, FinTech and Alternative Finance, Fintech International, Fintech Services, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Innovation and Resources, Online Funding / Investing Campaigns, Web3, Decentralization, DAOs   No comments

EBay Scores NFT business with an assist from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky

CNBC | Riley de León | May 23, 2022

Wayne Gretzky NFTs

EBay is getting into NFTs — with an assist from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

The company announced Monday that it's launching 13 limited-edition digital collectibles in partnership with Web3 platform OneOf, each of which contains a 3-D animated rendering of Gretzky making one of his signature moves on the ice.

See:  Meta to Start Testing NFTs on Instagram (Facebook and Other Apps To Follow)

During the recent collectibles boom, Gretzky trading cards have set records for hockey memorabilia, with a rookie card selling for $3.75 million in 2021. In 2020, another Gretzky card became the first hockey card to sell for over $1 million.

Wayne Gretzky 'The Great One':

I'm honored to bring this collectible experience to my hockey fans who have followed my career for decades.

Dawn Block, VP Collectibles, Electronics and Home, eBay:

NFTs and blockchain technology are revolutionizing the collectibles space, and are increasingly viewed as an investment opportunity for enthusiasts.  Through our partnership with OneOf [green energy efficient tech], eBay is now making coveted NFTs more accessible to a new generation of collectors everywhere.

The company says each NFT is "priced for the everyday fan" starting at $10 each.

See:  a16z Releases 2022 State of Crypto Report: 5 Key Takeaways

NFT collections have experienced a significant slide in value this month. Some of the more prominent collections, such as Bored Ape Yacht Club and Crypto Punks, saw prices fall 28% and 32%, respectively, according to CREBACO research.

Continue to the full article --> here

NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

NCFA Financial Innovation MapNCFA Innovation Opportunity BriefsNCFA Fintech Insights
NCFA Fintech WhispererNCFA Fintech Fridays PodcastNCFA Weekly Newsletter

 

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