New era for equity crowdfunding kicks off as Burgundy winemaker Domaine Chanzy uses Seedrs to conduct its Initial Public Offering on AIM

Seedrs, the prominent UK-based equity crowdfunding platform, announced on Monday that it is hosting a campaign for the IPO of Burgundy vineyard Domaine Chanzy.

This is the first instance of a company conducting an IPO using crowdfunding.1  Domaine Chanzy will also be the only French company listed on AIM and the only French wine specialist listed in London.  Once listed on AIM, Domaine Chanzy's unique ticker symbol will be 'WINE'.

Shares in Domaine Chanzy will be eligible for Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) relief.

The IPO seeks to raise at least £1.9 million at a share price of 120p. Investors large and small will be able to invest from £10 up using the Seedrs platform.

The transaction is a significant step forward for equity crowdfunding in Europe and opens up the opportunity to participate in IPOs to a much wider range of investors.  Those investors who use Seedrs to invest in the Domaine Chanzy IPO will have their shares held by Seedrs as nominee, meaning that they do not need to establish separate brokerage or trading accounts. Investors will be free to sell their shares on AIM at any time (provided that sufficient demand exists).

In addition to the shares they purchase, investors will be offered substantial discounts in Domaine Chanzy's wines. Those investors who purchase a minimum a minimum of 1,000 shares (£1,200) will be entitled to discounts of up to 55% on wines ranging from Domaine Chanzy's entry-level offerings to its premier Grand Cru.

In parallel with the Seedrs crowdfunding, Domaine Chanzy will also be raising funds for the IPO through a placing led by several City corporate finance firms. Investors in the crowdfunding and the placing will have demand satisfied on a first-come, first-served basis.

The money raised through the IPO will enable Domaine Chanzy to satisfy the ever-increasing demand for its award winning wines, in particular by developing the Group's distribution networks and creating a new Burgundy wine brand targeted primarily at overseas consumers, as well as by meeting the Group's working capital requirements.

CrowdBnk announces crowdfunding for Capital for Colleagues

In an industry first CrowdBnk the London based equity crowdfunding platform has today announced a crowdfunding for Capital for Colleagues, a listed investment fund focused on investment and advice in the employee owned business (EOB) sector.

Capital for Colleagues is looking to raise a minimum of £250,000, by selling shares through CrowdBnk at 59p per share.

Ayan Mitra, CEO of CrowdBnk says 'we are delighted to be working with Capital for Colleagues in their fund raise - as a high quality, listed company, looking to access a broader pool of investors, this marks a significant milestone for CrowdBnk as we expand our service offering.   Investors and companies trust us to provide a secure and transparent platform for their transactions.'

Employee owned businesses are becoming increasingly attractive for investors - the sector currently accounts for a combined annual turnover in excess of £30 billion in the UK, representing over 3% of national GDP and set to grow to 10% of GDP by 2020. This fund raise provides investors with a unique opportunity to invest in this exciting market as Capital for Colleagues looks to accelerate its growth and build its investment portfolio ahead of a possible AIM IPO later this year.

Following the Company's initial listing on the ISDX Growth Market in March 2014, Capital for Colleagues has distinguished itself as a leading body within the employee owned businesses space with an active growth strategy.  The Company has already invested in more than 20 employee owned businesses, which cover a breadth of sectors ranging from civil engineering and construction to accountancy.  Importantly, all investments are expected to demonstrate attractive commercial returns for investors.

Crowdcube Co-Founder to speak on Financial Innovation and Regulation at Forum for Global Financial Services Regulators

IOSCO Annual Conference - 14th to 18th June, London, UK Darren Westlake, CEO and co-founder of the world's first and leading equity crowdfunding website Crowdcube will speak at the 40th IOSCO Annual Conference, a forum for global financial services regulators hosted by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in London

Westlake, who was recently named by Debrett's as one of Britain's Most Influential 500 People, was invited by Martin Wheatley, the executive director of the FCA, and will participate in a panel debate on the implications of financial innovation and regulation.

As pioneers of equity crowdfunding, Crowdcube's model for business has become recognised as an example of best practice around the world.

Darren Westlake, co-founder at Crowdcube said, "The world's financial markets have been monitoring the UK's model for regulating innovative, alternative finance approaches for a while. As the world's first equity crowdfunding platform, we are pleased to be supporting the FCA in its debate on change, particularly as more platforms enter the market in the UK and around the world.  We think the UK has achieved a good balance between innovation, which our financial markets desperately needed, and regulation, which is required to protect investors."

The conference aims to discuss the significant challenges facing the world's financial markets today such as technology, regulation and to what society wants from regulation.

Since Westlake and co-founder Luke Lang launched Crowdcube in 2011, the platform has raised £55 million for 190 businesses across the UK.

Reward Technology seeks £1.5m investment via premium crowdfunding platform, Fireflock

Reward Technology, provider of a revolutionary digital communications system for retailers, hospitality and security solutions companies, is seeking to raise £1.5m from investors in order to build upon its current success.

By integrating a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solution in loyalty cards, Reward Technology is able to provide bricks and mortar retailers with the ability to target customers on-site, via their mobile phone, with loyalty and reward scheme offers. This removes the need for retailers to deal with paper coupons, which are both expensive and inefficient.

Founder and CEO of the company, Paul Sheedy, has already built a highly experienced management team that operates from their offices at Level39, the Retail Tech, Smart City and FinTech hub based in Canary Wharf.

"We want to build upon our success to date, and that includes making some key hires to further enhance our current team of experienced and talented individuals", says Sheedy. "We are also in negotiations with partners for international markets and for wider applications of our technology including the workspace, security and hotel sectors."

Equity investor Epigram Partners LLP, backed by significant family offices, has already committed to invest, pari passu, between £400k and £750k alongside new investors in this funding round.

The innovation and market potential of Reward Technology's solutions have also been recognised by Innovate UK, who earlier this month gave a conditional offer of nearly £250,000 for grant funding under their Smart scheme, following the company's recent successful submission in a very competitive application round in November 2014. Reward Technology's proposal gives a strong opportunity to deliver a step change in the market and might improve an identified market failure in the provision of coupons.

Callum Campbell, Founder and CEO of premium equity crowdfunding platform Fireflock, says "We are delighted to be assisting Reward Technology with their £1.5m fund raising. They have a highly innovative product that will help transform the way retailers engage with their customers. As demonstrated by Epigram Partners LLP's commitment to this funding round, and additional financial support from Innovate UK, there is plenty of appetite for this type of proposition."

Investors can invest a minimum of £50,000 via the Fireflock website, www.fireflock.com, and can take advantage of tax incentives provided by the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) programme. The first round of the offer to potential investors closes on 26th February 2015.