Mark Roderick | May 4, 2018
Since the JOBS Act was signed by President Obama in 2012, advocates have been urging Congress to increase the overall limit of $1 million (now $1.07 million, after adjustment for inflation) to $5 million for offerings under Title III (aka Regulation Crowdfunding). But for many issuers, the overall limit is less important than the per-investor […]
Amy Cortese | April 24, 2018
Eve Picker is an architect, city planner, urban designer and real estate developer, among other accomplishments. Her passion for community development and smart, sustainable design led her in 2016 to found Small Change, a Pittsburgh-based real estate crowdfunding site. We caught up with Eve recently to discuss financing transformational projects—such as affordable starter homes built […]
B the Change | April 12, 2018
It was concern for Hawaii’s environment, economy and farming system that inspired Brett Jacobson to launch Hawaiian Ola, a maker of healthy beverages, in 2012. Jacobson, a farmer who previously ran a biofuel company, wanted to start a business that could help Hawaii’s struggling farmers—the average farmer in makes about $15,000 a year, according to […]
Dara Westling | March 29, 2018
When Guerrilla Development opened up crowdfunding for its latest project, a two-building mixed-use development called Jolene’s First Cousin, the team figured there would be strong demand. An earlier project, the Fair-Haired Dumbbell (they have a penchant for quirky names to go along with their iconoclastic buildings), raised $1.5 million from 121 investors in eight months, […]
Locavesting Staff | March 27, 2018
Arizona has become the first state to create a regulatory “sandbox” for financial innovation—a safe harbor of sorts that allows financial-tech startups to test out new products, services and business models without getting bogged down in costly regulations. Similar sandboxes have been set up in the UK, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Australia to encourage […]
Locavesting Staff | March 16, 2018
Some Americans may envy Canada’s charming president and progressive politics, but when it comes to investment crowdfunding, the two countries are in the same boat. In an appeal to government regulators this week, Canadian crowdfunding and financial tech advocates called out an “urgent need for regulatory changes and government support” for Canada’s entrepreneurial and capital […]
Amy Cortese | February 1, 2018
What happens when a sixth generation community banker and a small business entrepreneur meet in business school? They create a crowdfunding portal, naturally. But one that is laser focused on small but growing local businesses. That’s the backstory of Honeycomb Credit, the latest Regulation Crowdfunding portal to launch. We talked with Honeycomb cofounder & CFO […]
Amy Cortese | January 26, 2018
Colorado is a hotbed of entrepreneurship, with a vibrant mix of startups creating everything from natural food brands to financial tech. So it’s been puzzling to see the state’s crowdfunding efforts take so long to gain traction. The Colorado Crowdfunding Act was passed in March 2015 and went into effect August 2015. It allows local […]
Locavesting Staff | January 22, 2018
It’s time for a crowdfunding update. Regulation Crowdfunding closed out its second calendar year, and the folks at Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA) analyzed the data recently in a report for the S.E.C. While still in its infancy, the investment crowdfunding market is growing at a fast clip and represents a viable capital-raising alternative for small and […]
Amy Cortese | January 12, 2018
Real estate has been one of the hottest areas of crowdfunding, although most of it is focused on wealthy “accredited” investors who put money into funds, known as REITs. (And let’s face it, accredited investors don’t lack investment options!) Just two platforms allow direct investing by unaccredited investors. One is Pittsburgh-based Small Change, which uses […]
