Symbid and Catena Partner Up to Offer Independent Risk Scoring With Loan-based Equity Crowdfunding

The Funding Network by Symbid, Online Funding Platform for Small Businesses, Adds Professional Third-Party Scoring

By Robert Hoskins

Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Symbid Corp. (OTCQB: SBID) announced a partnership with Catena, spin-off of leading European treasury and risk management firm, to provide INRISC, an automated credit risk scoring and pricing service for its upcoming loan crowdfunding product. The partnership means Symbid becomes one of the first online funding platforms to use an independent third party to score investment opportunities and set objective interest rates. Using standardized accounting data and fully automated processes, it represents efficient risk management for entrepreneurs and investors.

Symbid is the only platform in the Netherlands where investors become shareholders

“We’re delighted to announce this strategic partnership with Catena Investments while The Funding Network continues to grow and mature. As our monthly transaction volume exceeds $35 million it is right that we keep pushing for more professionalism,” said Korstiaan Zandvliet, co-founder and CEO of Symbid Corp. “With Catena on board, we’re confident that our upcoming loan crowdfunding product will be the most transparent on the market. Looking ahead, instant scoring and pricing will be a cornerstone of our offering to professional investors. This is a big step forward in our mission of simplifying the way small businesses are funded.”

Catena Investments, a Zanders spin-off specialising in the development of state-of-the-art financial technology solutions, will assess the credit risk of loan propositions with its INRISC service using data provided by Monitoring by Symbid. This data is, in turn, streamed via accountant reporting systems. This automated scoring and pricing process is expected to be an improvement on the market standard. Most online funding platforms continue to operate scoring models internally that allow companies have a say in the final interest rate of a loan.

“With INRISC we mean to provide the market off-the-shelf solutions that will ultimately enable the investment industry to benefit from more transparency on risk and pricing, specifically for alternative investments such as crowdfunding,” said Marco Behling of Catena Investments. “Working together with Symbid represents a unique opportunity for us to link to the day-to-day needs of the crowd with independent and state-of-the art scoring models and adequate pricing of requested credit facilities.”

The Funding Network by Symbid is a go-to platform for start-ups and small businesses in search of funding. Through advanced investing, monitoring and data tools Symbid is connecting traditional and alternative finance in a new, online model. With over $100 million provided to small businesses via The Funding Network in its first 3 months, this partnership validates Symbid as a leading European player in financial technology. Although this funding volume does not currently equate to a significant revenue stream there is potential for a monthly recurring revenue model to be added in the near future.

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Symbid Launches New Crowdfunding Network with 30,000 Investors for Providing Traditional and Alternative Finance to Start-ups and Small Businesses in Europe

The Funding Network is one of the first comprehensive online platforms for SME finance, providing entrepreneurs with direct access to equity and loan crowdfunding, bank loans, venture capital, angel investors and investment funds

By Robert Hoskins

Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Symbid, a go-to equity crowdfunding platform connecting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to all types of funding, traditional and alternative, announced the launch of The Funding Network, which represents the next phase in the evolution of the peer-to-peer fundraising model in the European financial industry.

Symbid’s The Funding Network is one of the first comprehensive online platforms for SME finance

All over the world people are becoming better connected, creating cheaper, faster and easier access to products and services. Entire industries are being concentrated into single online destinations – termed ‘go-to’ platforms – disrupting as well as simplifying the way we live our lives.

The Funding Network is the first comprehensive online platform for SME finance, providing entrepreneurs with direct access to equity and loan crowdfunding, bank loans, venture capital, angel investors and investment funds. Built around user-friendly investing, monitoring and data tools that enable everyone to track the performance of companies 24/7, The Funding Network bridges the information gap between crowdfunding and traditional investment methods through standardized data protocols.

“Our mission at Symbid is to simplify the way small businesses are funded through technology that enables a more transparent and efficient way of doing business. The launch of The Funding Network in the home of the world’s first stock market is a step towards a more democratic financial future for us all,” said Korstiaan Zandvliet, CEO and co-founder of Symbid Corp. “As an early mover in crowdfunding, we pushed ahead with paradigm-shifting technologies that help to level the financial playing field for investors and entrepreneurs. This is a logical evolution for a financial industry still grounded in a traditional, vertical, offline way of operating. The Funding Network will be the most efficient capital market for private companies.”

The Funding Network gives entrepreneurs access to all forms of finance, while offering (private and institutional) investors full transparency on the potential risks and returns of their portfolio. Every entrepreneur connecting to The Funding Network is guided towards the right type of funding with professional financial advice. Meanwhile, investors can personalize their deal flow according to key business criteria, pinpointing the investment opportunities that matter to them. This produces the most effective capital allocation service possible, underpinned by standardized XBRL data streamed from accountant reporting systems.

With over 40 funding partners already connected including banks, venture capitalists, angel investors, 30,000 private (crowdfunding) investors and affiliate platforms, the launch of The Funding Network™ on March 4 is just the beginning for Symbid. A signed partnership with financial advisory firm Credion means the expected total transaction volume of The Funding Network™ in 2015 is $800 million. “Symbid aims to revolutionize the financial industry in a way that enables more people to connect, fund and grow. We have but one message: let’s invest in each other,” said Korstiaan Zandvliet.

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New Equity Crowdfunding Site Predicts $850 Million for More than 1,200 Fundraising Campaigns in 2015

Credion will use the Symbid platform to connect its extensive nationwide network of investors and entrepreneurs, ensuring the most efficient access to capital for entrepreneurs

By Robert Hoskins

Rotterdam, Netherlands – Symbid Corp. (OTCQB:SBID), a new Dutch crowdfunding platform, and Credion, a leading financial advisory firm in the Dutch SME market, announced a contract to digitalize SME financing in the Netherlands through a new, online funding platform. Credion will process the funding for its 1,200 clients with an expected $850 million funding volume for 2015 via the Symbid platform. Symbid will receive monthly recurring revenue and transaction fees through the monitoring and deal-making tools available on the platform. This partnership is the first step towards creating an efficient capital market for SMEs worldwide.

Symbid is the only platform in the Netherlands where investors become shareholders via a cooperative

Credion recently celebrated its 14^th anniversary, during which time the company has connected over 6,000 entrepreneurs with $9.9 billion in funding. The partnership will see Credion use the Symbid platform to connect its extensive nationwide network of investors and entrepreneurs, ensuring the most efficient access to capital for entrepreneurs and greatly improving SME data monitoring standards for investors. Credion’s expected $850 million transaction volume in 2015 will be channelled exclusively through Symbid with the B2B component creating scope for an exponential growth of the service. By combining the various types of financiers into one funding platform, a hybrid of alternative and traditional finance, Symbid is creating the go-to platform for investors and entrepreneurs.

“With our crowdfunding platform growing exponentially, this agreement validates Symbid’s tiered business model and sees our crowdfunding brand expand into online deal-making and monitoring while adding new funding options,” said Korstiaan Zandvliet, founder and CEO of Symbid. “This partnership is the keystone of our funding platform and, alongside our upcoming European roll-out, means we’re adding solid monthly recurring revenue streams. It is now possible for the first time to track the real-time performance of SME investments with high-quality financial reporting. This technology means one of the biggest risks associated with SME investing is covered by Symbid.

“Through the combination of Credion’s years of experience in financial deal-making, Symbid’s technological innovations and, of course, the crowd, we’re making safe online investment a reality for both investors and entrepreneurs.”

With this long-term agreement, SMEs logging onto Symbid will have direct access to the top-tier accredited investor clientele of Credion, consisting of banks, equity based solutions and private investors, and Symbid’s thriving community of 27,000 active investors. As Symbid leads the transition from crowdfunding to online finance, the Symbid Financial Technology platform will now facilitate both B2C and B2B deals, creating additional monthly recurring revenue via Credion’s evergreen subscription to the Symbid funding platform.

“Working together with others to identify new ways to improve access to capital is a hallmark of our company philosophy,” said Carlo van der Weg of Credion. “Streamlining the way in which entrepreneurs find that crucial investment is a goal we share with Symbid. The open funding portal we’re creating with Symbid means we can connect all our clients with the right investors while also attracting, venture capital, investment funds and other financial firms.”

According to Jacob Nammensma, commercial director of Credion, it will allow Credion to develop new SME funding products: “We will be able to service front-, mid- and backoffice for institutional investors. That’s how this partnership is revolutionizing SME financing in the Netherlands, enabling Credion to offer the most efficient access to capital for entrepreneurs on the market.”

The long-term vision of this contract is to solve the ‘equity gap’ facing SMEs by combining Credion’s network and financial expertise with Symbid’s Financial Technology product portfolio. Symbid’s cloud-based monitoring technology uses current best practices in accounting to support the ongoing monitoring of SME investments.

Zandvliet continued, “Our standardized, interactive reports enable SMEs to match the accounting standards of listed companies, improving their chances of reaching that crucial next stage of finance. Symbid is blurring the boundaries between private and public companies.”

The real synergy of this partnership lies in the merging of an established investment community with the Symbid funding platform, creating a faster and more efficient capital market for private enterprises. Symbid will refer SMEs visiting its platform to the now connected Credion’s certified financial advisors or other advisors who will connect. Entrepreneurs can then maximize their chances of finding investment through Credion’s advisory services. Meanwhile, Credion’s financial advisors will have access to all deal-making and monitoring functionalities with Symbid receiving fixed monthly recurring revenues plus transaction fees. Every deal facilitated by Credion will be processed via the Symbid funding platform.

Symbid and Credion will together provide an interactive funding network in which investors and entrepreneurs can connect, fund, and grow. This ground-breaking collaboration is the first step towards a hybrid financial system with full connectivity: a faster and more efficient capital market for SMEs worldwide.

As of December 2014, Symbid has successfully funded over 60 start-ups for a total capital sum of $7,000,000. Symbid became the first publicly listed crowdfunding platform worldwide in December 2013 (OTCQB: SBID). In 2015 the company is expected to expand its product portfolio with several new (alternative and traditional) financial services in order to develop the Symbid platform towards an online funding network.  Symbid anticipates a European rollout of its investment crowdfunding platform beginning in Q1 2015.

Credion can offer alternative financing options in addition to those of a commercial bank. This is the main advantage for Credion customer. Since the company charges a fee for its services rather than asking commission from lenders, Credion can guarantee independent advice.

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Vignet’D Lauches Record $2.9M Equity Crowdfunding Campaign for Investors on Symbid in the Netherlands

The company has already completed funding from informal investors, but now seeks the participation and knowledge of Symbid’s 27,000 active investors

By Robert Hoskins

Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Vignet’D plans to break records on the Symbid (OTCQB: SBID) equity crowdfunding platform by seeking $2.9 million (EUR 2.3m) in investment from Symbid’s investment community. Symbid became the first publicly listed crowdfunding platform worldwide in December 2013.  If successful, this will be the largest campaign ever at Symbid, one of the first investment crowdfunding platforms worldwide, while also ranking among the largest equity crowdfunding campaigns globally. Vignet’D expects to build on the success of their campaign by going public on the AIM London Stock Exchange in 2015.

The Vignet’D has a digital agency specialising in mobile strategies & concepts that ensures deep engagement with your customer. Scanning the product package or using AR techniques allows you to use multimedia to further enhance your product’s message.

Unlimited Crowdfunding Potential
By fluidly integrating digital codes into packaging designs, Vignet’D aims to transform a simple box or carton into a powerful marketing communication tool. While scanning codes with a smartphone is not necessarily new, the company’s emphasis on the whole user experience from shelf to social media is revolutionizing consumer packaging. Vignet’D specializes in an integrated approach to marketing strategy, app development, interactive and package design.

The company creates everything in-house to ensure that the final experience is both beautiful and engaging: consumers are stimulated to access additional content, ranging from nutritional information to online games. The invisibility of the code means manufacturers can also use Vignet’D technology to prevent product imitations. The commitment to a fully interactive design, with safeguards against fakes, means Vignet’D is able to take retail packaging into new directions which traditional 2D barcodes (like the QR code) could not.

Although a young company, Vignet’D has already had several successful demo projects with global fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers and retailers. Game developers and publishers, including Rovio (Angry birds) and Triangle Studios, are pursuing the Vignet’D technology because of its clear potential for merchandising.

The Added Value of Crowdfunding Campaign Launches
Vignet’D is now seeking funding to further develop this groundbreaking technology and scale up their marketing and sales activities globally. The company has already completed funding from informal investors, but now seeks the participation and knowledge of Symbid’s 27,000 active investors: the crowd.

“With our solid partnerships and tested products, Vignet’D has already been validated by the market for its huge global potential,” said CEO Martin Bril. “For us this campaign is about more than just finding investment. We want the crowd’s involvement, their experience, their ideas and ultimately the extra value this generates. Together with Symbid we want to give investors large and small the opportunity to buy a stake in our company’s future.”

The sheer business potential of Vignet’D is a sign that the investment crowdfunding industry is making significant progress, with Symbid leading the way.

“After the exponential growth we’ve been seeing here at Symbid, for us this campaign is a large cherry on the cake,” said Korstiaan Zandvliet, Symbid CEO and co-founder. “As crowdfunding matures and people begin to realize its true potential, it’s crucial that Symbid continues to attract innovative, high-growth startups like Vignet’D. We see 2015 as a big year for the Symbid funding platform.”

International Ambitions
When the $2.9m funding target is reached, Vignet’D will not only become the largest Symbid campaign ever, but also one of the largest investment crowdfunding campaigns worldwide. However, in line with their strategy of international expansion, the company plans to complete another crowdfunding campaign in Germany with Symbid.

Founded in April 2011 as one of the first investment crowdfunding platforms worldwide, Symbid allows non-accredited investors to invest online in start-ups and SMEs with as little as EUR 20 in exchange for shares in those companies. Based in the Netherlands, Symbid has emerged as a global leader in investment crowdfunding due to our innovative technological infrastructure, user-friendly interface and commitment to providing a secure funding environment for both investors and entrepreneurs.

The Symbid team’s extensive experience with start-ups means entrepreneurs choosing our platform receive all the coaching and advice necessary for a successful campaign. This, in turn, ensures that investors using the Symbid platform can be confident in the profitability of their investment.

As of December 2014, Symbid has successfully funded over 65 start-ups for a total capital sum of $7,000,000.

In 2015 the company is expected to expand its product portfolio with several new (alternative and traditional) financial services in order to develop the Symbid platform towards an online fundraising network. Meanwhile, Symbid anticipates a European roll-out of its investment crowdfunding platform beginning in Q4 2014.

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