US$1.7 Trillion In ‘Dry Powder’ Available for Global Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding Investment Opportunities in 2017, CBRE Survey Finds

North America is Preferred Region for Global Real Estate Investors | London, Los Angeles and Sydney Most Popular Regional City Targets

By Robert Hoskins

Los Angeles, California – Stronger economic growth, the availability of debt capital, and a more positive outlook from investors is expected to drive global capital flows in 2017, with $1.7 trillion of ‘dry powder’ available to deploy in real estate this year, according to the CBRE Global Investor Intentions Survey 2017.

US$1.7 Trillion In Dry Powder Available for Global Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding Investments in 2017, CBRE Survey Finds

The CBRE 2017 global survey reveals that investors have ample capital and a strong motivation to invest in real estate because of its relatively high income yield. North America is the preferred region for investors, with London, Los Angeles and Sydney the most popular cities in each of the major regions. Office is the most popular asset sector, with logistics up strongly in 2017 and a very close second.

The survey results reveal that the sum total of planned capital expenditure in real estate by investors is $1.7 trillion. The majority of investors indicate that their buying activity will increase or remain the same compared to 2016. Those investors planning to spend more (40%) outweigh those planning to spend less (16%) by a margin, indicating a continuing positive attitude to real estate as an asset class.

Despite a volatile global political environment and key European elections set to take place in France and Germany, investors are relatively unconcerned about global or local politics. Investors’ main concerns are: an undefined ‘global economic shock’ (22%) and ‘faster than expected rises in interest rates’ (21 percent). The latter concern is felt much more strongly this year and is the biggest change from 2016.

“This time last year, investors were reeling from the volatility in world stock markets, now they are seeing equities reach record highs and economic sentiment is positive. Although there is uncertainty about the direction that economic policy will take, there is also a growing anticipation that changes will unlock growth. While there are some clouds on the horizon–emerging market debt looks problematic as does Greece’s financial situation–economic momentum, alongside the yield advantages of property as an asset class, should ensure another year of substantial capital flows into global real estate,” said Chris Ludeman, Global President, Capital Markets, CBRE.

In last year’s survey, investors had shifted decisively in favor of core assets and away from secondary and value-added risk classes. That trend has partially reversed in 2017 with a fall in demand for core assets and an increased interest in core-plus and opportunistic assets. Nearly half of investors (48%) cite the high price of real estate as the main obstacle to deploying capital. This increased interest in core-plus and opportunistic reflects that issue, but it also shows that investors are slightly more ‘risk on’ than they were last year.

In the Americas, Los Angeles is the stand-out preference for investors. Dallas/Fort Worth has moved into second place. Washington, D.C. is the biggest mover, entering the top six at fourth position, having not featured last year. Atlanta moves up one place and Seattle is in seventh position, having not made the top tier last year.

Within EMEA, London remains the most attractive city for investors. Berlin has moved up two places to become the second most preferred destination. While there is some concern about European elections, so far this does not seem to have dampened appetite for real estate. The survey shows that, despite the uncertainty over Brexit, investors are increasingly interested in the UK.

In APAC, Sydney is once again the top destination, with Tokyo second by some distance. Australia’s cities remain highly popular with APAC investors because of their liquidity, transparency and positive long-term prospects. Seoul has dropped out of the top six and Hong Kong has moved in.

Office is the preferred sector for investors (26%), with multifamily (21%) and logistics (22%) also highly popular. The preference for retail has dropped sharply from last year (21% to 12%). Americas-based investors have a strong preference for logistics and multifamily; two sectors that have performed extremely well this cycle due to changes in technology and demographics. EMEA and APAC investors have relatively more interest in the offices and retail sectors.

The responses were spread across a range of investor types. The most numerous were fund/asset managers, who accounted for 34% of survey participants. Insurance companies, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds were responsible for 10%. The other most numerous respondents were private property companies (11%), private equity companies (9%), listed property companies (incl. REITS) (8%) and developers (8%).

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2016 revenue).  The company has more than 75,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate investors and occupiers through approximately 450 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide.

CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services.

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

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JetPack Aviation Accepting Reg. CF Equity Crowdfunding Investments for Commercial JetPack Aviation Company

Small investors wishing to be part of jetpack’s history are being accepted through March 31, 2017 via a Title III equity crowdfunding campaign

By Robert Hoskins

Van Nuys, California – JetPack Aviation announced the sale and delivery of the world’s first commercial jetpack. The company, which designs and manufactures small, turbine powered VTOL jetpacks for military, industrial, and individual customers, is now offering its JB10 duel engine model at the retail price of $250,000. Currently under contract with the US military, JPA is also receiving international government inquiries.

JetPack Aviation Accepting Equity Crowdfunding Investments for Commercial JetPack Company

David Mayman, JetPack’s CEO said, “We believe this sale is the definitive first step on the road to widely accessible Personal Flight Mobility. Whether we are enabling the extraction of Special Forces soldiers, moving emergency medics from hospital to disaster site, or commuters from home to office – JPA is focused on a wide range of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) transportation solutions. Our JB10 is designed to be a proof-of-concept and we are already working on several other long endurance aircraft including fully electric systems.”

JetPack Aviation made its first public demonstration flight around the Statue of Liberty in 2015 with full FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) authorization. Subsequent public flights were held in London, Monaco, and Los Angeles. JPA is now offering sponsored promotional flights for corporations and events.

Principal Designer, Nelson Tyler, said, “People have dreamed of individual flight for as long as we have looked to the sky. Now, after decades of work and thanks to our extraordinarily talented staff, the dream of personal flight is a solid reality.  And it’s available for sale today.”

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Robert Hoskins
(512) 627-6622
@Crowdfunding_PR

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Mr. Robert Hoskins is a seasoned marketing veteran with a proven track record of helping entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses as well as Fortune 500 corporations launch successful marketing communications campaigns to gain market traction for a wide variety of products and services.

On a regular basis, Mr. Hoskins consults with crowdfunding campaign managers as well as crowdfunding sites, portals and platforms to deliver successful crowdfunding marketing campaigns.

Google search “Robert Hoskins Crowdfunding” to see why Mr. Hoskins is considered one of the industry’s foremost crowdfunding experts that has amassed a huge social media following, which is dedicated to supporting donation-, rewards- and equity-based crowdfunding campaigns.

Should Crowdfunding Be a Tech Start-up’s First Choice?

Crowdfunding: A Tech Disruptor’s Natural Playmate

By Sanjay Choudhary, CrowdInvest, Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding

London, United Kingdom – The world of technology is constantly challenging the status quo. For many, this is only to be expected, because, by its very nature, technology was born of the need to find new methods, gain knowledge and strive for greater achievements. But, there are also those who feel some new technology damages the economy, investment markets and the jobs market.

Sanjay Choudhary, Founder and CEO, CrowdInvest

It’s true technology often eliminates certain jobs and opportunities or makes individual sectors obsolete. But, it’s equally true that technology which successfully disrupts an existing system, idea or sector, also creates new opportunities, benefitting all those areas across both tech and non-tech sectors.

Disruptive Start-Ups

The birth of crowdfunding – a financial services disrupter itself – has undoubtedly helped increase the pace at which new technology is being introduced to the world across a variety of sectors. One look at the numbers – the Crowdfunding industry was worth £34.4 billion in 2015, up from just $2.7 billon in 2012 – highlights how quickly crowdfunding has grown.

The details of crowdfunding give some indication as to why it’s grown so quickly. The creation of an easily accessible system has given potential investors from all levels of wealth and uncountable backgrounds access to a world of opportunity to collaborate with entrepreneurs.

Not only has crowdfunding created an arena for entrepreneurs to find the right supporters for their often very niche ideas, it has given investors more opportunity to operate in the way they want, supporting their preferred sectors. This is one of the key reasons crowdfunding has been successful. Other success factors include:

• Providing a service that was lacking from mainstream lenders following the credit crunch.
• Benefitting both participants in crowdfunding: entrepreneurs and investors.
• Online operation improves global accessibility for investors and entrepreneurs.
• Complete transparency.
• Due diligence and other regulations adhered to by third-party.

The Perfect Match

Given crowdfunding’s history – a brief one to be sure – the use of crowdfunding sites by technology start-ups seems to be the perfect match. And in many ways it is.

Provided all the required pitch details are submitted and no regulatory problems are found, pretty much any type of business can seek investment on an online crowdfunding platform. This means a global audience – in many cases – is able to access and research anything that really excites their curiosity and really seems like the perfect investment opportunity for them.

Of course, nothing’s perfect and such is the case with start-ups, disruptors and even crowdfunding. Sometimes even if a pitch successfully raises its funding, it doesn’t go ahead. Sometimes mistakes are made and sometimes the wrong investors get on board.

But, the agility of crowdfunding – something many firms in the pre-2008 world were sorely lacking – allows it to make changes and introduce safeguards that stop it from happening again, where possible.

This is kind of the same situation new technology finds itself in; it works to make changes to improve existing systems or rectify what some innovators consider mistakes, or flaws in systems at conception.

As the clamor of noise over new technology and disruptive start-ups grows, we at CrowdInvest.com are listening. And what we’re hearing, loud-and-clear, is that an innovative, ground-breaking and disruptive tech sector is investor ready and we’re ready to pair entrepreneur and investor in as many disruptive collaborations as possible!

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Seedrs Equity Crowdfunding Site Raises over £4.5 Million for Assetz Capital, Trillion Fund, Landbay, CrowdLords, PledgeSports and CrowdCanDo

P2P lending and equity crowdfunding campaigns rapidly gaining investors with “equity crowdfunding done right” approach

 By Robert Hoskins

London, United Kingdom – Seedrs, one of the largest crowdfunding firms in Europe focuses solely on equity investments, announced that peer-to-peer lender Assetz Capital has raised £3,179,750 from 731 investors through the Seedrs platform, the second largest campaign hosted by Seedrs to date.

Seedrs makes it simple to buy into the businesses you believe in and share in their success

This raise has cemented Seedrs’s position as “crowdfunder to the professionals.” Assetz Capital followed a number of successful campaigns:

• LandBay, the P2P lending platform for buy-to-let property, raised £569,044 across several fundraising rounds through Seedrs in late 2013 and 2014. LandBay has since gone on to raise a venture capital round from Omni Partners.
• Trillion Fund, a leading solar, renewable energy and environmental social crowdfunding platform, raised £536,800 through Seedrs in December 2014.
• CrowdLords, a property crowdfunding platform, raised £150,000 through Seedrs in November 2014
• PledgeSports, an Irish sport crowdfunding platform, raised €100,000 (£72,000) through Seedrs in April 2015
• CrowdCanDo, a events crowdfunding platform, raised £22,000 through Seedrs in September 2013

“All of these crowdfunding and peer-to-peer  platforms focus on asset classes other than equity, so when raising capital for themselves, they wanted to work with the leader in the equity crowdfunding space,”Jeff Lynn, CEO and Co-Founder of Seedrs. “They chose Seedrs because they understand the importance to them and to their investors of our  ‘equity crowdfunding done properly’ approach.”

The Assetz Capital fundraising, which smashed its initial target of £2 million, was the second largest campaign hosted by Seedrs to date. The largest—which holds the record for the largest equity crowdfunding campaign ever in Europe—was Chapel Down Group’s £3.9 million fundraising through Seedrs in September 2014.

Lynn continued, “We’re proud to have enabled equity crowdfunding and peer-to-peer companies to raise money successfully.  Our peers recognize that our approach, based on simplicity and transparency, consistently delivers results. It’s equity crowdfunding done properly.”

“We chose Seedrs for our crowdfunding round because we know it to be the most professional and respected platform in the equity space,” said Stuart Law, Assetz Capital’s CEO. “Its size and reach were important factors, but so was its focus on helping investee companies grow while protecting investor rights. We were thrilled with the outcome of our campaign and fully understand why Seedrs is the equity platform that other crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending platforms choose.”

The UK alternative finance market is predicted to grow to £4.4 billion in 2015 up from £1.7 billion in 2014 as businesses increasingly look to source more efficient ways to raise capital.

Between 2012 and 2014 the equity crowdfunding sector alone grew by 410%.  Against this backdrop, in the past three years Seedrs has become the most successful equity crowdfunder in Europe, funding 110 deals in 2014.

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CrowdShed to Open New Equity Crowdfunding Site in London

According to the Nesta/Cambridge University UK Alternative Finance Industry report equity crowdfunding has grown by over 410% in 2014 in the United Kingdom

By Robert Hoskins

London, UK – CrowdShed will offer rewards, lending and donation-based crowdfunding opportunities, focused on creative, academic, charity and cause-based projects. Equity funding will be added in 2015, with an ethos of making business better.   CrowdShed is set to challenge the established crowdfunding model and redefine how people find their funding and fund something new. With the backing of GLI Finance Crowdshed.com is now well placed to launch in Q3, 2014.

Crowdshed to Open New Equity Crowdfunding Site in London

Crowdfunding is a nascent industry already dominated by a few key players, each with a niche business model concentrating around one specific area of crowdfunding. CrowdShed is different, creating a holistic environment that offers funders and fund-seekers the widest opportunity to create and locate the project that’s perfect for them.

This multifaceted approach offers unrivaled scope to introduce like-minded funders and fund-seekers – people who might not have connected except through CrowdShed. The equity crowdfunding site is also creating a real-world space to bring funders and fund-seekers together to work, grow ideas, find inspiration and hold events, informative SHEDtalks, and Q&A sessions.

CrowdShed received significant seed investment from GLI Finance Limited (GLIF), the London Stock Exchange listed specialist provider of finance to small and medium sized enterprises.

Geoff Miller, CEO of GLI Finance, said, “This exciting partnership continues the extension of our platforms and compliments and diversifies our exposure to the crowdfunding space, as CrowdShed will provide rewards, lending and donation-based crowdfunding opportunities as well as SME Finance.

CrowdShed is well positioned to become a leading player in Europe within this space and we are delighted they have chosen to partner with us. We look forward to building our partnership with them.”

Henry Freeman, CrowdShed CEO, stated, “It’s great that GLIF recognizes the inherent opportunity and growth potential of crowdfunding as a real alternative to traditional investment and fundraising channels. CrowdShed is democratizing the crowdfunding process for all and contributing not only to better business but also to the good of society as a whole. We don|t believe that concepts like fiscal success and social, corporate or environmental responsibility are mutually exclusive. The crowd is sustainable, carries momentum easily, is self-supporting and self-perpetuating, and has the power to affect change for the good. This is the heart of what we do at CrowdShed.”

Statistics for the crowdfunding market tell of rapid and continuing growth with an estimated global value of $5.1 billion for 2013, up 89% on 2012. Europe accounts for 35% of the market share with $945 million raised, up 65% on 2012. Growth in the US market was bigger still, up 105% to a total of $1.6 billion.

This driver of finance from wealthy and high net worth individuals is supported by recent research from the Nesta/Cambridge University Report into alternative finance which forecasts that the alternative finance market, comprising the entire crowdfunding industry in the UK, is expected to grow to £1.74bn by the end of 2014 with further projected growth to around £4.4bn in 2015.

According to the Nesta/Cambridge University UK Alternative Finance Industry report, released Monday 10 November, equity crowdfunding has grown by over 410% in 2014.

Dermot Finch of the Prince’s Trust admitted that crowdfunding is something the Trust is exploring, working with CrowdShed to help young people fund the business initiatives they’re developing. He pointed out that, “We’re helping lots of youngsters get back on their feet and trying to give them the confidence to follow their own business ideas and crowdfunding is the ideal source of capital for their ventures, combining a blend of equity and donor capital.”

The ideas that Kenyon developed whilst running his crowdfunding campaign – creative marketing, strong social media messaging, building up momentum quickly – clearly worked and in fact the Nesta report confirms that these are the types of qualities needed to deliver a successful crowdfunding campaign.

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Balderton Capital Follows Long History of Backing Disruptive and Innovative Businesses; Invests £3.8 Million in UK Equity Crowdfunding Site

Crowdcube, named one of the hottest Fin-Tech firms in Europe in 2013, will use the £5 million investment to further expand its operations in the UK and internationally

By Robert Hoskins

 Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom – One of Europe’s largest venture investors, Balderton Capital, leads a £5m round with a £3.8 million stake in Crowdcube, the world’s first and leading investment crowdfunding platform. Crowdcube will complete its Series B round by offering a £1.2 million crowdfunding.

Crowdcube, named one of the hottest FinTech firms in Europe in 2013, will use the £5 million investment to further expand its operations in the UK and internationally

Darren Westlake, CEO and co-founder comments, “We’re delighted to secure growth finance from such a renowned VC who will undoubtedly add tremendous value both strategically and operationally. We’ve built a pioneering and award-winning service over the last few years. This investment, alongside the crowd, puts us in an even stronger position to provide essential growth finance for businesses and inspire a new generation of investors.”

Balderton Capital, which has also invested in disruptive financial tech companies such as Zopa, Nutmeg, GoCardless and Wonga, as well as other fast-growth internet businesses like Lovefilm and Betfair, has a long history of backing disruptive and innovative businesses. Partner Tim Bunting, who will join Crowdcube’s board of directors said, “We love the way Crowdcube is disrupting and democratizing investment into businesses seeking growth finance; Balderton is always looking to support new approaches to traditional financial services, and Crowdcube’s trailblazing model makes investment accessible, affordable and transparent. We’re excited about working with this team and building on their dominant position in the crowdfunding market.”

Crowdcube, named one of the hottest FinTech firms in Europe in 2013, will use the £5 million investment to further expand its operations in the UK and internationally. The firm is planning to double its team to 50 as well as open new offices in London and Scotland, while expanding its head office in Exeter. It is also expanding internationally beyond the seven joint ventures that it has already established.

Since it launched in 2011, Crowdcube has raised over £30 million for more than 130 start-up, early stage and growth businesses. More than half of this finance has been secured in the first half of 2014, demonstrating the accelerated growth for the innovative crowdfunding market, the willingness for people to invest in British businesses and the demand by businesses for seed and growth capital.

Crowdcube estimates that these companies are already boosting the British economy with the creation of 3,000 new jobs over the next three years. In addition, some fast-growth businesses like Righteous, Tidy Books and East End Manufacturing are contributing to Britain’s exports, supporting the Chancellor’s challenge to double Britain’s exports to £1 trillion by the end-of-the-year.

Other Crowdcube milestones include:

• It was the world’s first crowdfunding platform to offer equity to investors in 2011.
• Crowdcube has successfully crowdfunded two previous rounds on its own website raising £320,000 in 2011 and £1.5 million in 2013.
• In September 2013 Kevin McCloud’s Hab Housing broke the world record for equity crowdfunding investment with 649 people putting in £1.95 million.
• Crowdcube was the first crowdfunding company to sign up an international partner and now has a presence in seven countries:Brazil, Sweden, Dubai, Poland, Italy, Spain and New Zealand.
• January 2014 saw the launch of the first managed venture fund for crowdfunded equity investments.
• In June 2014 Crowdcube launched its Mini Bond product, disrupting the retail bond market in the same way that it has equity finance. River Cottage, which raised £1 million in less than 36 hours and Chilango are the two companies that have already launched Mini Bonds on Crowdcube.
• The latest firm to raise finance is a start-up founded by the team behind Fitness First and Jatomi Fitness, James Balfour and Giles Dean. 1Rebel will launch a chain of contract-free ‘high intensity’ boutique gyms in London, which allow members to book classes online and via an app on a pay-as-you-go basis.

As the world’s first equity crowdfunding platform, Crowdcube enables everyday investors to fund British businesses in return for a share in the company. Since February 2011, over 80,000 savvy investors have registered with Crowdcube, helping to raise more than £30m for over 130 UK businesses. The ground breaking model lets entrepreneurs showcase their investment opportunity online and bypass the traditional business angel, venture capital or bank route, giving them more control and access to more investors.

Balderton Capital is one of the largest venture capital firms in Europe, committed to finding and helping talented entrepreneurs build great companies. Based in London, the firm manages $2.2 billion.

 

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PERES Indiegogo Campaign Gives Moms and Senior Citizens Technology to Sniff Out Possible Food Poisoning by Alerting Users of Spoiled Food

The unique electronic-nose scanner “smells” food to test for freshness. Scan results are instantly reported on a mobile app – helping users provide healthier food for their families and avoid health risks like food poisoning

By Robert Hoskins

London, UK – Are your parents getting older and have lost their sense of smell?  Many senior citizens and customers in third world countries without access to dependable refrigeration can now pre-order a PERES, a first-of-its-kind handheld device and mobile app, which provides information about the freshness and quality of meat, poultry and fish and protects against food poisoning, is now available for pre-order on Indiegogo.

PERES is an innovative electronic ‘e-nose’ which enables users to determine the quality, freshness of beef, pork, poultry and fish

The world’s first portable ‘e-nose’ and its iOS/Android mobile app enables users to determine the quality, freshness of meat, poultry, and fish and whether it has gone bad and could potentially cause food poisoning. The device also helps to limit unnecessary food waste, by testing the meat which is out of date or close to expiring.

To operate the device, users simply point the PERES at meat and click a button. It works by analysing a sample of the gases for volatile organic compounds and amonia. Within a few seconds, users receive information on their smartphone or tablet about the food’s freshness, whether it’s been left unrefrigerated and whether there may be a risk of food poisoning.

Food-related illness is a global challenge and in the U.S. alone it’s estimated that there are 48 million cases of food-borne illness, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, each year (source:CDC).

“The World Health Organization estimates that one out of three people living in industrialized countries may be affected by food-borne illness each year,” said Augustas Alesiunas, CEO of ARS Lab LTD (creators of PERES). “Having suffered through the horrible experience of food poisoning myself, I decided to create a device that would help families quickly and easily check the freshness and quality of food.”

The PERES can also help reduce the costly problem of food waste by determining if food is still fresh and safe to eat. It’s estimated that the average U.S. household of four is losing $275-$455 per year on food that’s needlessly trashed. It’s also estimated that up to 90% of Americans throw food out prematurely (source: NRDC/Harvard Report).

With its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, ARS Lab LTD is raising funds to complete product development and to bring PERES to market in late 2014. The Indiegogo goal is set for $50,000; and with early contributions, the campaign is on pace to surpass this goal. The campaign is set to run until May 31, 2014.

“We believe PERES will be an invaluable tool for families to monitor the safety and freshness of their food, and we are extremely grateful for the support and validation the device is receiving from early contributors on Indiegogo,” added Alesiunas.

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Former Investment Banker, Erik Wachtmeister, Launches Crowdcube Equity Crowdfunding Campaign to Build BestofAllWorlds.com

 Best of All Worlds is raising money to build a private online community of equity crowdfunding investors

By Robert Hoskins

Best of All Worlds, based in London, UK, aims to raise up to £500,000 through Crowdcube equity crowdfunding campaign and other private fundraising efforts, and money raised will be used to support additional web and mobile development.  Crowdcube is part of the next generation of business investment, offering start-ups and entrepreneurs a new way to connect with investors to raise venture capital.

By matching similar passions, niche interests and backgrounds, BOAW provides an intimate and private online environment that targets top influencers, creatives, and entrepreneurs from around the world.

After a successful private beta phase, which has seen Best of All Worlds (BOAW) grow to a community of over 30,000 active users in over 100 countries worldwide, the site maintains its invite-only status, allowing users to access and navigate relevant information and intelligence from a ‘trusted’ few, rather than the overwhelming levels of information available in the wider online community.

By matching similar passions, niche interests and backgrounds, BOAW provides an intimate and private online environment that targets top influencers, creatives, and entrepreneurs from around the world. BOAW enables its members to evolve their passions, grow their trusted networks and discover new opportunities.

“Best of All Worlds offers its users a forward-facing and innovative approach to global social discovery both for social and professional use,” said Erik Wachtmeister, Best of All Worlds Founder.  “We are always embracing new ideas and technology and crowdfunding is a great way to offer our members and other investors to participate in our journey.”

Best of all Worlds aims to be the ultimate discovery and matching platform for people, products and services. Rather than focusing on past events, as many social networks such as Facebook do, BOAW connects members with new opportunities and people, around interests and passions – creating a trusted global network of individuals. BOAW has developed its own proprietary state-of-the-art location-based search engine and matching algorithm, offering users tools to discover and interact with trusted members that share the same passion. BOAW also offers global city guides and interest-based groups and forums, with user-generated recommendations and feedback systems.

The Best of All Worlds iPhone app allows members to access the platform while on the go, to discover people, places and things close to them, or to browse other locations and seek inspiration. The app aggregates feedback from members and obtains real-time relevant information on members’ interests, location and mode (private, family, professional, social or party).

Best of All Worlds Management Team

The founding team of BOAW consists of two highly experienced entrepreneurs in global social media, Erik and Louise Wachtmeister, founders of ASMALLWORLD, as well as Rob Meadows, Chief Technology Officer at BOAW, who founded Originate, a global software venture fund.

Erik Wachtmeister – CEO, Stockholm, Sweden

A pioneer in social media, Erik launched ASMALLWORLD in early 2004, to connect and reconnect friends in real life. Erik realized as early as 1998 that there was a need for a private online platform without commercial bias and information overload. Erik’s career in finance spanned 16 years of investment banking including Lehman Brothers and Rothschild in London, New York and Los Angeles. He created his own business in 1993, doing private placements for public companies. In 2000, he started Viking Internet, an investment company that he later took public on the LSE. Erik holds a BSFS from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Washington D.C., and an MBA from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France.

Louise Wachtmeister – Board Member, Stockholm, Sweden

As co-founder and marketing director of ASMALLWORLD, Louise Wachtmeister defined its advertising strategy in the critical first three years that brought in the start-up’s first major advertising partners. At the same time, Louise oversaw ASMALLWORLD’s press relations, with over 100 features in major publications around the globe. Previously she worked at Scandinavia’s leading public relations firm JKL Group. A gold and silver medalist (400m and 800m relays) in the Swedish National Track Championships, she was elected as a local representative to the Stockholm City Council sports and education committee from the age of 19. Louise went to Stockholm School of Economics, writing her master’s thesis on branding.

Rob Meadows – CTO, San Francisco, CA

Rob has over 20 years’ experience in Software Development and Architecture. He is a founding partner at Originate, a Global Software Venture Fund. Prior to Originate he was the founder of Lumitrend Mobile and former software engineer at IBM, Qualcomm, and Slam Dunk Networks.

As the world’s first equity crowdfunding platform, Crowdcube enables everyday investors to fund businesses in return for a share in the company. Since February 2011, more than 57,000 savvy investors have registered with Crowdcube, helping to raise more than £17m for over 90 UK businesses. The ground-breaking model lets entrepreneurs showcase their investment opportunities online and bypass the traditional business angel, venture capital or bank route, giving them more control and access to more investors.

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Notes:

• Best of All Worlds is invitation-only and free to members;
• The Best of All Worlds site is accessible on: IE 8+, Firefox 3.5+, Chrome (all), Safari (all);
• The Best of All Worlds app is available free on iOS, iPhone and iPad: http://bit.ly/boaw-app

 

UrbanCloud.com Launches Indiegogo Crowdfunding to Change The Way People View Networks, Information and Social Commerce

Indiegogo Crowdfunding Campaign Currently Raising Funds to Build a New Type of Social Network Designed Specifically to Promote Social Commerce for Individuals and Businesses

By Robert Hoskins

Urban Cloud is an innovative social network that unites people on a platform designed to promote collaboration. The company claims that there is still no social media platform that provides a secure, enjoyable interface for social commerce – one that respects its users’ privacy, and discourages the buying and selling of social capital with fake profiles. Instead, why not focus on collaboration?

UrbanCould plans respect its users’ privacy and discourage the buying and selling of social capital with fake profiles

The founders of UrbanCloud believe they can make a difference by creating a social network designed specifically to meet the needs of social commerce applications such as promoting  crowdfunding campaigns.

“We recognize the problems existing social networks face and we’re offering you the chance to fix them. We’re tired of seeing the same old user experience, the impact of fake profiles, annoying advertising and misleading, opaque privacy policies,” said Sharan Soni, UrbanCloud. “We have already signed several brands onto the platform who share our vision: Quintessentially Lifestyle & Creative, Aftershock London, Patrick Hellmann Collection, Citizen M, Royal Spades and Ava Mirabelle.”

Soni added, “We are crowdfunding this exceptionally well-designed and secure platform, dedicated to social commerce for individuals and businesses. With your collaboration and contribution(s) we will make this happen.”

The company is focused on developing five key areas of innovation:

• Innovative Design – Urban Cloud is the world’s first social media platform that seamlessly unites social networking and marketing.
• Native Advertising – Urban Cloud uses a proprietary algorithm called STAC (Space, Time, Active, Content) to blend advertising into a user’s social timeline.
• Validation – Urban Cloud is able to weed out unverified and fake/spam user accounts, allowing for an enhanced social media experience for advertisers and users.
• Positive Reinforcement – Urban Cloud features a unique reward system, through which a user can accumulate points for interacting with a business. These can be redeemed for rewards to build brand loyalty and recognise social influencers all at once.
• Retailing – Each and every user can play a role in effortless and seamless retailing of virtual goods and services using Urban Cloud.

Only half of what Urban Cloud will do has been released. The rest is being given over to the people; their voices will influence what features are implemented next and how the cloud develops.

Related crowdfunding news articles:

• Why crowdfunding journalism works
• Crowdfunding Press Center Releases the First Global 100 Crowdfunding Site Index
• Tech Insights: Tips on Maximising Social Media for your Business
• How has crowdfunding changed the venture capital landscape?
• Crowdfunding vs. seed funding: All money is not created equal
• Review of Two Crowdfunding Sites: Kickstarter and Indiegogo
• The Rise Of Social Commerce: How Tweets, Pins And Likes Can Turn Into Sales

Crowdfunding Industry Rolls Out the Red Carpet to Hollywood and Indies with First Crowdfunding Film Festival in California

Crowdfunding Film Festival Set to Roll Out the Red Carpet to Hollywood and Independent Filmmakers to Promote Revolutionary New Public Equity Crowdfunding Finance Tool

By Robert Hoskins

The First Annual International CrowdFunding Film Festival will be held October 2-6, 2013 in San Francisco. The film fest will bring together artists, filmmakers, entertainment and video game creators to showcase their craft, network and  raise money through the new crowdfunding finance tool. The film festival has plans to collaborate with film schools in New York, London and Paris.

Crowdfunding Film Festival Set to Roll Out the Red Carpet to Hollywood and Independent Filmmakers to Promote Revolutionary New Public Equity Crowdfunding Finance Tool

Film students from universities all around the country are increasingly looking to crowdfunding to find backing for their projects. With over countless films successfully funded through crowdfunding portals such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, Hollywood is now paying close attention to all this movement.

Director/Writer Rob Thomas has raised over $5.7 million for his movie “Veronica Mars” while Zach Braff’s feature “Wish I Was Here” has raised $2.6 million in donations. San Francisco State Student Sterling Cook keen on exploring crowdfunding of finance for production projects.

“I see in these directors, writers, and cinematographers, the same core passion for innovation. They are not only artists but more importantly, entrepreneurs – they are seeking to touch the world and make a difference through their films. We know of their struggle to find financial backing and I believe crowdfunding will be the answer,” stated the ICFFF’s organizer Sydney Armani.

A film production involves collaboration between dozens of creative groups and getting all the individual pieces to fit together is similar to managing a business. Crowdfunding is changing the production landscape and the movie industry is currently experiencing a real game changer

Ted Hope, advocate of America’s Independent Cinema Movement and Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society, provides deeper insight into the current state of the film industry in his blog post “Why I Left New York for the San Francisco Film Festival.”

He said, “Our entertainment economy and the art it supports, was built upon the concepts of scarcity and control, but today’s reality is one of super-abundance and access – the exact opposite. To survive and flourish, today’s artists/entrepreneurs–and those who support them–must all embrace practices that extend beyond the core skills of development, production, and post-production of their art and reach beyond the attention and practice of marketing and distribution.” The meaning behind Hope’s words echoes the exact spirit and foundation that is the core of Silicon Valley’s passion for entrepreneurship and reflects the same spirit represented by the film festival.

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