Equity Crowdfunding Site, ReturnonChange.com, Raises $1 Million to Finance Solar Rooftop Installations

Geostellar, a leading online solar rooftop marketplace successfully raises $1 million round of funding on Return on Change, an online investment platform based in New York

By Robert Hoskins

New York, NY – Noted as the “KAYAK of solar rooftop installations,” Geostellar helps homeowners secure the best deals on solar rooftop panels by comparing and tailoring a variety of installation and financing plans. The majority of the capital raised will be used to further develop Geostellar’s platform to facilitate interactions between solar sales agents and homeowners, and an API for integration with third-party Web sites and mobile tools.

“Return on Change was particularly helpful in finding the right investors for us. They had all the information in front of them, and pushing the ‘Invest’ button was a simple way to express their interest in participating. It was easy for me to update the site, rather than circulating new documents…Raising capital online since the JOBS Act makes it much easier to spread the word, get potential investors engaged and provide information,” the CEO of Geostellar, David Levine stated.

Geostellar set the terms for their raise on Return on Change. Howard Teich, an investor of Geostellar stated, “The ease of Return on Change’s investment program allowed me to invest in one of the most important companies on the planet Geostellar. Without Return on Change we would not have been able to show up and take action to participate…”

“We believe Geostellar is a clear example of a business that has profit potential for investors and long term sustainable value. Our team had a great time working alongside Geostellar’s team, collaborating on sharing the opportunity with potential investors to reach the $1 million goal. Additionally, Geostellar’s proactive strategy in attracting investments was paramount to their successful fundraise. We’re excited to form a long term relationship with Geostellar and see how we can continue to be of value to their growth,” Sang H. Lee, CEO of Return on Change shared.

Return on Change’s platform provides startups with the tools to efficiently connect with accredited investors online. Its centralized capital raise management tools allow entrepreneurs to easily disseminate information, handle investor accreditation, and access investors outside of an entrepreneur’s direct network. Partnering with CrowdCheck and WealthForge Holdings, Return on Change will continue to provide useful tools and networks to enable investors and startups to thrive in the equity crowdfunding space.

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Crowdfunding Securities Research and Valuation Firm Signs Agreement with Technology and Services Company to Expand International Opportunities

New relationship adds value to Crowd Valley and Zacks CF Research by expanding the reach of both companies

By Robert Hoskins

Chicago, IL – A strategic relationship between two crowdfunding leaders holds the promise of an expanded reach and increased value for both companies. Zacks CF Research and CrowdValley look forward to expanded international services in the partnership.

Zacks Investment Research is a Chicago based firm with over 30 years of experience in providing investors with the analytical tools and financial information necessary for the success of their investment processes.

“The opportunity to expand into foreign markets just cannot be underestimated. The global market for direct investing is huge and getting bigger all the time. International crowdfunding will become increasingly important in the next few years,” says Howard Orloff, vice-president and director of Zacks CF Research.

In fact, the crowdfunding space has grown in the last five years from a handful of sites to nearly 1,000 securities crowdfunding platforms operating across the world.

“The growth and globalization of the crowdfunding and private securities market is driving the need for more information so that investors can make informed decisions,” said Crowd Valley CEO, Markus Lampinen. “We believe Zacks is well positioned to provide much needed information and transparency in this emerging market, in large part because Zacks is an established and respected public and private company research market leader, with an outstanding reputation among US financial industry actors. This is the type of credibility needed in the international securities crowdfunding space.”

He added “Crowd Valley is committed to working with exceptional companies and we look forward to working with Zacks and continuing to expand and develop the services we offer to our customers and partners.”

Expanding into international markets is something Zacks CF Research has planned to do from the beginning, Mr. Orloff says. The company was waiting for the right opportunity and the right platform provider to partner with.

“When Zacks CF Research approached Crowd Valley about doing their securities research, we knew this exactly the opportunity we’d been looking for. Crowd Valley operates on six continents, which gives us immediate global access that wasn’t possible elsewhere.” he said.

For their part, Crowd Valley was looking for a company which could provide independent and reliable valuations for its clientele. “Foreign markets do provide a potential for excellent returns, but obtaining information on foreign investment opportunities could present challenges to investors, simply for the reason that the rules differ from those in the US. By partnering with Zacks we aim at filling this informational gap, providing our customers with reliable information sources, and fostering international investments in the securities crowdfunding market”, he added.

Zacks CF Research provides independent, 3^rd party valuation reports for crowdfunded securities offered through our portal partners. Zacks CF Research is the leading provider of crowdfunding valuation reports for Title III, Intrastate and International crowdfunded issues. Zacks employs over 600 professionals between our Chicago headquarters and offices overseas and is the second largest independent financial research firm in the nation.

Crowd Valley provides the platform, back office and ecosystem services for crowd funding, peer to peer investing and alternative asset marketplaces for securities professionals. The Crowd Valley infrastructure also allows customers to syndicate investments and tap into networks of investors around the world.

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Licensed Broker-Dealer Signs Deal with Due-Diligence Services Provider to Provide CUSIP Identifiers for Private Placement Offerings

WealthForge will be the first broker-dealer to offer CUSIP identifiers for private offerings

 By Robert Hoskins

New York, NY – CUSIP Global Services (CGS) and WealthForge announced acollaborationin the registrationofCUSIP identifiers for private placement offerings.   Meant to serve the rapidly growing market for online capital formation colloquially known as “crowdfunding,” this joint initiative will bring the precision and reliabilityofCUSIP identifiers to a new sector of the market.

WealthForge will be the first broker-dealer to offer CUSIP identifiers for private offerings

Useful primarily for trade communication as well as clearing and settlement activities, CUSIPs for Crowdfunding will function like CUSIPs for other types of securities, and will feature the same 6-character issuer and 9-character issue format upon which so many market participants have come to rely.  CUSIPs for Crowdfunding are available upon request for most offerings with valid support documentation.

“Making CUSIPs available to private placements adds credibility and legitimacy to this emerging asset class, making crowdfunding more like existing markets,” said Mat Dellorso, CEO of WealthForge. “Just as publicly traded securities are easy to find and easy to track through a CUSIP, we believe the same should be true of these new online securities. This partnership will make that possible.”

In addition to the functionality available through WealthForge’s portals, CUSIPs for Crowdfunding are available via a jointly promoted website, .

“We are pleased to enter this new market with WealthForge as a partner,” said Jim Taylor, Managing Director and Head of CGS. “With the support of our industry-appointed Board of Trustees, it is CGS’ mandate to bring the efficiency and reliability of CUSIP identifiers and descriptive data to new markets – Crowdfunding is a natural extension of that philosophy.”

WealthForge will be the first broker-dealer to offer CUSIP identifiers for private offerings.

Added Dellorso, “In the near term, we are focused on enabling our partners to better communicate and promote their offerings to potential investors. In the long-term, our vision is to create increased liquidity opportunities for private securities – a CUSIP on each one is an important step toward achieving that goal.”

WealthForge Holdings, Inc. is a firm that enables online private investments – investments made in companies, particularly small businesses and startups, that are not on a public exchange. WealthForge provides the technology and oversight needed to complete these private investment transactions within SEC regulations through its wholly-owned licensed broker-dealer subsidiary.

Some of WealthForge’s services include compliance, investor verification, transaction processing, shareholder services and access to larger pools of capital. WealthForge’s broker-dealer subsidiary has been operating as a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) since 2009.

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