Crowdcube Spain reaches major milestone as start-ups raise over €1 million on the platform

Six businesses have raised finance through Crowdcube's Spanish crowdfunding site since it launched last year

Crowdcube, the world's first investment crowdfunding platform, opened its Spanish operation just nine months ago. Since it launched, over €1 million has been raised by its investor base who can invest anything from €10. The largest investment to date has been €112,000 and the average investment €3,290. The finance raised has funded six businesses operating in a range of sectors including food and beverage, finance and business services.

One of the businesses to raise finance on the platform was HEMAV, a Barcelona-based drone company, which broke the record for the largest equity crowdfunding round in Spain. The company raised €450,000 in just six days after attracting investment from more than 70 people.

The most recent business to successfully raise investment on the site was Zank, a peer-to-peer lending platform, which raised €245,000 from over 70 investors. As part of the round, the company also received funds from ESADE Ban, the business angel network of the business school ESADE. Zank was the first lending platform in Spain to secure funding through crowdfunding.

Crowdcube Spain has also raised investment for: Iberic Box, a company that sells traditional Spanish food; Eureka Startups Experts, a marketplace that connects entrepreneurs with advisors and industry experts; Foodinthebox, a subscription box service for cooking ingredients; Seedbox, a subscription box for growing vegetables at home.

Lendix announces €28 million investment to boost expansion of SME marketplace lending and new board members

Gérard Degonse (Chairman of JCDecaux's  Supervisory Board and Administrator of Decaux Frères Investissements) and Pascal Oddo join the Supervisory Board.

Lendix widens its shareholder base to accelerate its growth.

Two weeks after announcing Alain Ducasse Entreprise as the first borrower to use its SME lending marketplace, Lendix lengthens its runway by bringing in new major shareholders.

Decaux Frères Investissements, Banque Wormser Frères, Sycomore* and 2 international family offices join the founding shareholders, providing €3.2 million of equity capital and committing €25 million to lend to SMEs on the Lendix marketplace.

Olivier Goy, president and founder of Lendix, said: « we are very excited to have such a diverse and solid shareholder base. It demonstrates the interest SME loans have for every type of investor. »

Gérard Degonse (Chairman of JCDecaux's Supervisory Board and Administrator of Decaux Frères Investissements) and Pascal Oddo join Lendix's Supervisory Board.

They join Philippe Citerne (director of Accor and Edenred), Christian Gueugnier (Weber Investissements), Philippe Collombel (Partech Ventures) and Xavier Anthonioz (123Venture).

First property crowdfunding platform for Sub-Saharan Africa

Realty Africa intends to stimulate growth and overcome negative perception

New platform Realty Africa will soon start offering small and big investors from all over the world the opportunity to invest in the growth and development of Sub-Saharan Africa. Through crowdfunding it intends to gather millions of dollars and euros each year for social housing, eco lodges, hotels, factories and other real estate projects.

By ensuring maximum safety, Realty Africa wants to overcome the negative perception of investing in Africa. Therefore service contracts have been closed with Deloitte and fiduciary servicer fund Imara, a first in crowdfunding.

Realty Africa is the first crowdfunding platform dedicated to property investments in Sub-Saharan Africa. ,,For developers in Africa and investors it is difficult to find each other. Most investors still find it scary to invest in Africa. That's why experienced and large investors control almost the entire market," says co-founder and CFO Erik van Eeten.

The platform gives investors access to markets, which have been historically out of reach, allowing them to invest amounts starting at a 1000 dollar with a good return. Also it allows  communities and project developers to raise capital, without high interest payments or collateral requirements.

Investors receive £93,000 in interest payments from Chilango and River Cottage Mini Bonds via Crowdcube

The first interest payments have been served up to investors who bought one of the world's first crowdfunded mini bonds last year on investment platform Crowdcube.

Mexican restaurant chain Chilango launched its Burrito Bond in August last year offering 8% gross interest per annum to the 709 people who invested £2 million. A total of £65,120 was paid (net of tax) in the first of the semi-annual interest payments  last month, an average of £92 per person. After the initial four-year bond term investors can either have their initial investment returned to them or continue to hold the bond on the same terms.

River Cottage has also paid a net total of £27,818 in interest (based on 7% fixed gross interest per annum) to the 285 people who invested £1 million in the restaurant and food business made famous by co-founder Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. River Cottage also gave investors 10% off at its three Canteens in Axminster, Bristol and Plymouth and free River Cottage membership.

The launch of Crowdcube's mini-bond offer (an unsecured, non-convertible and high risk investment product) disrupted a market that was previously dominated by private debt advisors (financial advisers, lawyers and registrars) and was time consuming and expensive for businesses to set up, limiting the number of fast-growth businesses that were able to participate.

New investment platform launches to unlock the potential of frontier and emerging markets

Emerging Crowd offers equity and debt investors the opportunity to invest directly in pre-screened businesses in frontier and emerging markets

Emerging Crowd launches today and becomes the first platform where ordinary investors can invest directly in equity and debt fundraising campaigns by unlisted growth-stage companies in select frontier and emerging markets.

The platform is the brainchild of Co-Founders Lucien Moolenaar and Will Tindall and aims to link ambitious, well-run companies seeking finance with international investors pursuing the potential of higher returns from some of the world's fastest growing markets.

Many small and medium-sized businesses around the world find themselves in a 'funding gap', where banks and private equity firms have failed to provide much needed financing for growth. Emerging Crowd offers qualifying businesses an alternative financing solution using state of the art crowdfunding technology.