#Crowdfunding News Roundup: November 11, 2013

ARKYD Space Telescope LocationPCMag | Can Crowdfunding Give the Private Space Race a Boost?

PCMag takes a look at the private space race in the context of a company called the LiftPort Group. LiftPort raised over $110,000 on Kickstarter to build a prototype with an eye toward building a fully-functional space elevator in the future. Their goal was a measely $8,000, so the campaign was heavily overfunded. The story also explores a campaign by Planetary Resources that aimed to create a low earth orbit satellite.

Startup Smart | Why I’m running a Kickstarter campaign rather than approaching angel investors for seed capital

This article penned by Rose Powell explores Swatchmate’s decision to raise funds on Kickstarter for a device aimed at the home renovation and do-it-yourself space. The campaign launches on November 13th.

“We thought Kickstarter would be a good way to raise funds, but also to create promotional marketing hype for our launch,” Peng says. “It’s good at getting people who have never heard of you excited, so it’s validation as well, whereas with an angel investor it’s a bit more of an isolated process.”

kickstarter-kGreat Falls Tribune | Kickstarter figures it’s only just begun

Where is the trajectory of Kickstarter’s growth? Company spokesman Justin Kazmark figures growth for Kickstarter has only just begun. He shares the following thought: “A lot of people are still discovering Kickstarter. There’s a lot of opportunity to discover and use the platform. It still feels very new.”

ABC News | What’s the Difference? Venture Capital, Online Venture Capital and Equity Crowdfunding

A hit from ABC News could go a long way toward informing the public about equity crowdfunding as an option for funding a startup or small business. This article juxtaposes equity crowdfunding against other forms of early-stage financing in the form of two permutations of venture capital.

scienceThe Guardian | Crowdfunding science: could it work?

This article explores the role of philanthropic crowdfunding in the greater narrative of science research with a focus on the EU. European Commission scientific advisor Didier Schmitt postulates: “Whatever the solution to securing a more democratic orientation for science and technology, researchers can not afford to stay detached anymore from societal needs or else they may lose their most precious asset: the trust of society.”

Daily Mail | Forget bank bashing – it’s time for bank buddying

Louise Beaumont is co-founder of Platform Black, providing “shrew finance for smart firms.” She shares the opinion that banks should – and increasingly are – looking to alternative financing platforms in an effort to provide financing to businesses where banks are unwilling or unable to do so. She shares: “Recently I, as well as other representatives of the alternative finance industry, was invited to a summit at 10 Downing Street, where ministers sought to encourage closer collaboration between our fast-growing sector and official agencies such as the Treasury, the Financial Conduct Authority, HM Revenue & Customs and UK Trade & Industry.”

Charlottesville Business Journal | CBJ: The risks and rewards of crowd funding in “Kickstarted”

Kickstarted is a documentary that is slated for release in the summer of 2014 and famously crowdfunded itself on Kickstarter. This article is a summary of a recent appearance by the film’s creators at the University of Virginia’s Batten Institute at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.



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