Archive | June, 2014

Estimated Crowdfunding Industry Growth Expected to Exceed $10 Billion in 2014

25 Jun

 Three new white papers aimed at financial advisors, asset managers and institutions to help them identify and understand new growth opportunities in crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending and other opportunities in the alternative asset space

By Robert Hoskins

OAK BROOK, Ill. Millennium Trust Company released three new white papers aimed at financial advisors, asset managers and institutions to help them identify and understand new crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending and other opportunities in the alternative asset space.

Estimated Crowdfunding Growth in 2014 Expected to Exceed $10 Billion

Estimated Crowdfunding Growth in 2014 Expected to Exceed $10 Billion

The first white paper, “New Opportunities In The Alternative Asset Marketplace” discusses what alternative assets are, provides an overview of the alternative asset marketplace, and reviews some of the challenges that have made it difficult for individual investors to access and understand alternatives.

The white paper dives into how uncertain financial markets and increased investor demand have led to regulatory changes that are transforming the alternative asset industry while simultaneously creating opportunities for innovative financial technology firms. The white paper highlights ways in which some responsive financial services firms – such as custodians that specialize in the custody of alternatives – are developing technology and service solutions to meet the rapidly changing needs of both institutions and investors.

The second white paper, titled “New Opportunities In The Alternative Asset Marketplace: Peer-To-Peer Lending” examines the ways that pioneering custody firms have been working to support the growing, yet relatively new, online peer-to-peer lending industry.

While media coverage has mostly looked at how the developing P2P space has caused a disruption in the traditional bank lending model, there has been little mention of how these changes have impacted the role of the industry’s critical service providers, including qualified custodians. This paper discusses this issue by examining what forward thinking firms are doing to address concerns about the safekeeping of client assets in this growing alternative asset class.

The third, “New Opportunities In The Alternative Asset Marketplace:  Crowdfunding” examines how relatively new investment opportunities presented by crowdfunding are becoming the best example of “creative destruction.” In other words, crowdfunding is becoming a disruptive force in the traditional model of how individuals and companies can secure capital by going directly to investors as opposed to long-established system of going to local banks or Wall Street.

New Opportunities In The Alternative Asset Marketplace:  Crowdfunding

New Opportunities In The Alternative Asset Marketplace: Crowdfunding

Driven by the credit crunch, investor demand for alternative investment opportunities, the JOBS Act and a growth in technology, this market has exploded in recent years. Of course, as this market continues to grow, today’s custodians must evolve along with it. Those that can’t, or those that don’t, will miss out on a potentially huge opportunity, finding themselves sitting on the sidelines unable to meet the needs of current and prospective clients.

“It is an interesting time to be involved in the alternative investment industry,” said Reggie Karas, Managing Director of the Alternative Solutions Group at Millennium Trust. “Education is almost always cited as a key concern for advisors and individuals who are looking to allocate to alternatives. As an independent custodian, we don’t give investment advice-or talk about the ‘why’-but we feel our custody work with many of the leading alternative investment platforms gives us unique insight into the ‘how.’  These white papers are a result of that work and are meant to offer an educated look into how these online marketplaces and supporting service providers are creating new opportunities for investors and to offer some basic education about alternative investments.”

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Students Launch $25 Million Crowdfunding Campaign to Offer Everyone on Earth a Digital Ride via Spacecraft to Mars for Only 99-Cents

23 Jun

Future space travelers are encouraged to join the Time Capsule to Mars Mission, which allows anyone to upload a digital photo for only $0.99 cents that will be uploaded to a spacecraft and sent to Mars

Largest Crowdfunding Campaign Ever Plans to Offer Everyone in the World to Make the Journey to Mars for Only 99 Cents Each

Students Launch $25 Million Crowdfunding Campaign to Offer Everyone in the World a Digital Chance to Make the Journey to Mars for Only $0.99-Cents Each

By Robert Hoskins

Washington, DC – Today, the Time Capsule to Mars (TC2M), a project of Explore Mars, plans to make history by connecting humanity’s shared history with a shared destiny by allowing anyone to upload a digital photo for only $0.99 cents that will be sent to Mars via the world’s 1st Ion-ElectroSpray Propulsion Cube Satellite (CubeSat).

Time to Mars Capsule Ion ElectroSpray Propulsion CubeSat Mars Mission

Students Plan to Raise $25 Million to Send Time Capsule to Mars by Launching the 1st Ion-ElectroSpray Propulsion Cube Satellite

The TC2M payload will carry digital messages from tens of millions of people from all corners of Earth in the form of text, images, audio and video clips.  The state-of-the-art “time capsule” will carry a crucible of today’s human race – to be rediscovered by future colonists of the Red Planet. Time Capsule to Mars™ intends to :

  • Enable tens of millions of people from every country on Earth to upload their pictures, short movies, text messages and other digital media to the time capsule.
  • Click here now to upload your digital payload to be sent to Mars.
  • Inspire and educate K-12-aged kids worldwide by enabling them to upload their content, track their spacecraft and lander, and participate via personalized Mission Control portals on the Internet.
  • Be the first private mission to Mars, the first student-led interplanetary mission, the first use of CubeSats for interplanetary travel, and the first trial of many advanced new technologies.
  • Unite Humanity under one mission, so we can travel together to Mars as one race, in the spirit of global cooperation and peace.

Mars Mission Technology Payload

Our technical teams are focused on designing, launching, and sending a CubeSat-based spacecraft to Mars — and landing on the surface a time capsule encoded with Humanity’s memories. Spacecraft will:

  • Consist of multiple CubeSat Class (0.3m x 0.4m x 0.1m) segments
  • Be propelled by revolutionary ion Electrospray propulsion, pioneered by MIT’s Space Propulsion Lab.
  • Deploy new technologies like inflatable antennae, deep space Internet communications, and novel interplanetary radiation sensors.
  • Be designed and constructed by technical teams from the world’s leading universities and student groups — and mentored by the space industries’ best engineering talent.

Mars Mission Crowdfunding Budget

The estimated cost of this mission is $25 million, which will cover all costs from design, to launch, to flight communications and vehicle control, to landing on Mars.

  • We need your help to make this the largest crowdfunded effort in history!
  • Uploads in the Developed World will cost $0.99; uploads in the Developing World will be free of charge for basic uploads, thanks to generous sponsorships that will be announced soon. We want everyone on Earth to have an equal chance to participate in this grand planet-wide mission.
  • The size, scope, and length of this project will require a continuous and stable flow of funds for which we will also rely on corporate donations.
  • Click here to sponsor the first package delivered to Mars.

Seeking Mars Mission Partners

This mission will aggressively partner with news, industry, and educational outlets to maximize our reach and enable us to tap into a truly global audience.

  • We want to involve all people of Earth — of all ages, backgrounds, and interests — encompassing the entire scope of Humanity and documenting Humankind in the process.
  • A focus market for educational engagement will include K-12-aged kids from all over the world.
  • We will virtually bring them along on the journey — from uploading their picture, tracing its progression through our Solar System, and right up to their landing on Mars.
  • Click here to see the Time Capsule to Mars Mission Management Team.

Time Capsule to Mars Press Conference

The project’s management team, which includes members from Duke University, MIT’s Space Propulsion Lab, Explore Mars, and retired NASA astronauts held a press conference tomorrow at 1:30 pm Eastern time in at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This following is the recorded version.

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More Mars Mission Press Coverage:

 

Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites Increase by an Average of 524% based on the United States Fastest Growing Internet Traffic Research Report

16 Jun

Over the past 12 months the top 10 crowdfunding sites have experienced exponential growth. Click here to research their website statistics to see what type of advertising, content marketing, email marketing, geographic locations, mobile wireless apps,  search engine results (SEO), social media, and referral partners are driving the world’s fastest growing crowdfunding rewards and equity investment websites

The Top 10 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites in the United States Increase Internet Traffic by an Average of 524%

The Top 10 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites in the United States Increase Internet Traffic by an Average of 524%


By 
Robert Hoskins


Austin, Texas
– Want to know who the Top 100 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding sites  in the world are? The graph above shows the top 10 crowdfunding sites based on their website’s internet traffic. From a competitive analysis standpoint it might make you wonder how these companies are growing at such a phenomenal rate.

What type of marketing campaigns are they running to achieve this success?  Advertising? Email Marketing? Affiliate Marketing? Referral Partners? Direct Traffic?  Search Engine Results?  Alexa provides a little bit of information, Compete has even less, but SimilarWeb is building a great business by providing a ton of competitive information that up and coming crowdfunding sites and crowdfunding campaign managers can use to improve their marketing efforts.

Want to see the competitive analysis marketing report for each of the sites below? Simply click the % link for each one and you’ll be able to see what type of marketing campaigns are driving these sites’ traffic, where that traffic is coming from, where their visitors are going next, plus a whole lot more.

For examples, scroll down to the bottom of this page to see what types of marketing programs are driving the top 10 crowdfunding site’s rapid acceleration of website traffic.

If you would like to receive an Excel Spreadsheet that has last year’s statistics, this year’s stats, as well as the list of the Top 100 Crowdfunding Sites sorted by overall global ranking, fastest growing and biggest losses in website traffic, then follow these instructions to receive a free copy:

     1st Follow @Crowdfunding PRclick here to send a Connect Request via Linkedin, or do both.

     2nd  Tweet us a message that says, “Please send me a copy of the #Top100CrowdfundingSites”

     3rd We’ll follow you back and send a Direct Message for your email address

    4th Want to improve your crowdfunding site’s results/ranking? Call us at (512) 627-6622. Front Page PR will put together an aggressive marketing program to improve your competitive position!

Overall Rank Top 10 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Websites Past 12 Months
  #5 FundingCircle 1946%
  #3 Angel List 760%
  #8 YouCaring 597%
  #4 LendingClub 440%
#13 Crowdrise 429%
  #2 GoFundMe 360%
#10 GiveForward 355%
  #7 Quirky 222%
  #9 JustGiving 82%
#12 Kiva 52%

 

1st Place = FundingCircle

FundingCircle Top 10 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

FundingCircle makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

2nd Place = Angel List

Angel List Top 10 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

Angel List makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

3rd Place = YouCaring

YouCaring Top 10 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

YouCaring makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

4th Place = LendingClub

LendingClub Top 10 Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

LendingClub makes Top 10 List of the Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

5th Place = Crowdrise

Crowdrise makes Top 10 List of the Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

Crowdrise makes Top 10 List of the Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

6th Place = GoFundMe

GoFundMe makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

GoFundMe makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

7th Place = GiveForward

GiveForward makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

GiveForward makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

8th Place = Quirky

Quirky makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

Quirky makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

9th Place = JustGiving

JustGiving makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

JustGiving makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites

10th Place = Kiva

Kiva makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

Kiva makes Top 10 List of Fastest Growing Crowdfunding Sites Worldwide

 

Sixteen of the Top 100 Crowdfunding Websites Lose Traffic Due to Fierce Competition over the Past 12 Months

11 Jun

#1 Kickstarter Sees 25% Decline, #6 Indiegogo Falls 36%, #11 uInvest Loses 28%

By Robert Hoskins

Overall, the Top 100 Crowdfunding Sites worldwide saw a growth rate of 255%.  Not bad in a hyper-competitive market place. This demonstrates an impressive growth rate for the Crowdfunding industry, which is growing rapidly on a worldwide basis.   Click here to see the Top 100 Crowdfunding Sites and their growth rates over the past 12 months according to SimilarWeb Statistics.

Sixteen of Top 100 Crowdfunding Websites Lose Traffic Due to Fierce Competition

Sixteen of Top 100 Crowdfunding Websites Lose Traffic Due to Fierce Competition

And while most Crowdfunding sites grew, sixteen of top 100 crowdfunding sites saw significant website traffic decreases.   This is the result of fierce competition and shows how difficult it can be for the crowdfunding leaders such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo to maintain their growth due to the onslaught of new competitors.

The cool thing about the SimilarWeb statistics that were used to build this report was the competitive information they provide for each crowdfunding website such as the top referring sites, sites that viewers went to next and the amount of traffic being generated by direct traffic, referral partners, search, social media, email and display advertising.

Crowdfunding sites at the bottom of the Top 100 Crowdfunding List can use this information to improve their marketing program’s performance and try to work their way to the top of the list.

SimilarWeb Traffic Sources for Kickstarter

SimilarWeb Traffic Sources for Kickstarter

Top 10 Crowdfunding Sites that Experienced Decreasing Website Traffic over the Last 12 Months

Source:  April 2014 SimilarWeb Statistics

Rank Site Rank Link Growth
92 www.fundageek.com 2,376,689  (-3,636,206) -83.58%
80 www.solarmosaic.com 754,410  (-399,359) -52.94%
90 www.clickstartme.com 1,791,606  (-894,227) -49.91%
96 www.ipledg.com 2,841,472  (-1,375,367) -48.40%
100 www.getspringboarded.com 8,005,621  (-3,514,142) -43.90%
68 www.growvc.com 433,297  (-163,387) -37.71%
6 www.indiegogo.com 3,711  (-1,361) -36.67%
11 www.uinvest.com.ua 7,393  (-2,037) -27.55%
85 www.massivemov.com 1,119,512  (-295,027) -26.35%
1 www.kickstarter.com    964  (-244) -25.31%
76 www.appsfunder.com 570,311  (-105,800) -18.55%
97 www.dreambank.org 4,727,020  (-854,041) -18.07%
82 www.propellr.com 880,890  (-126,480) -14.36%
95 www.crowdfundingbank.com 2,735,695  (-343,103) -12.54%

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