Need funds for your start up?
Funding platforms allow investors to buy investments online and fall into two different groups; the fund wrap and the fund supermarket which are investment vehicles. Investments and services normally available on a platform include direct mutual funds, equities, corporate bonds, cash, EFTs, hedge funds, gilts, products and property partnerships. The fund platforms are services that enable investors to buy and sometimes hold all their investments together in one place with the ability to switch investments around without having to keep paying high charges for buying and selling. Wrap services allow investors to access their accounts online and fund supermarkets are normally used for buying funds cheaply online either by a financial advisor or by the investor themselves. Many investors choose to take independent financial advice in the selection of a funding platform, the selection of funds and the monitoring or performance. Below is a list of start-up funding platforms. If you are considering looking for an investment then the list will be very valuable since ten of the best platforms on the Internet today are all together in one place.
Gust.com is a popular start-up platform with over 1,800 start-ups in the last twelve months. Investors can set their deal interests and manage and rate their share deals with deal access controls, deal tracking, shared dealing and customisation among the features offered as well as privacy. Entrepreneurs can start up their own profile, control their exposure, track investor activities, share documents and pitch with videos. There are tutorials for both investors and entrepreneurs for assistance and the blog gives further insight.
2. Crowd Funder – http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/
This site connects projects with communities to make ideas happen not only in the UK, but worldwide. You can add your project to categories such as business, environment, art, publishing, music, theatre and film as well as food and drink. Investors can browse the most popular projects and the latest editions and the success stories with backing can be viewed. The basics and guidelines are given for backers and help is available at all times.
Spot.us.com has 21,800 contributors and more than 100 publishing partners. There are sections for unfunded projects and almost funded projects and credits can be earned towards funding. You can receive a personalised email when a pitch comes in that’s just right for you and sponsors can browse for topics with categories such as politics, business, education, public health, environment and public media to name a few.
4. Microplace.com – https://www.microplace.com/
Microplace.com is a brokerage platform where you can earn a financial return by investing in companies, help develop communities, promote fair trade and support many good causes. Investments can be made from as little as $20 and you can select when you wish your money returned. You can meet the community in the blog and read about the latest projects in the news section and full details are given on the site.
5. Kickstarter.com – http://www.kickstarter.com/
This site lists some great projects if you are looking to invest from categories such as theatre and arts, dance, design, films, music, photography, food and technology to name a few. The most popular projects are highlighted and you can see which ones have recently achieved finance in order to assist your decision. The same categories apply if you are searching for funding and listing your project is simple and fast.
6. Indiegogo.com – http://www.indiegogo.com/
This is a very popular funding platform and ranks high on Alexa.com. There are many categories to choose from if you are seeking to invest and the most funded and popular are advertised with a section for news and updates. There is a special section for non-profit organisations and a tab to create a campaign with success stories featured. Full details about how the company operates can be found on the site and contact is available at all times including a full FAQ.
7. Webfunder – https://wefunder.com/
You can invest as little as $1,000 in some of the start-up projects on this site as well as view all the projects requiring current funding. You can join over 17,900 current investors and also view the companies that contribute. The top projects are highlighted and you can participate in the blog with the current topics being investment, the law, fund-raising and news with many tips given by professionals.
8. Rockethub.com – http://www.rockethub.com/
Rockethub.com has empowered projects in more than 1,500 cities throughout the world and all the featured products can be browsed easily. Latest news and key industry stories can be viewed with a section dedicated to success. The company works with governments, educators and communities to ensure opportunities for success with tools to assist you and joining the site is simple in order to become one of the next projects to receive funding.
9. Quirky.com – http://www.quirky.com/how-it-works
No matter how small or large your idea, you can submit it to this site. There are thousands of different ideas submitted every week and you can vote on the ones that you think are worthy. There are help forums and an FAQ and a full section is dedicated to support. You can view the videos to assist you with your design as well as read other inventor’s stories. Current categories include electronics, health, gardens, kitchens, parenting, play and travel and you can talk to the company live or contact them any time if you need help.
10. Angel.co – https://angel.co/angellist
Angel.co is a very popular funding platform and ranks high on Alexa.com. It is specifically designed for start-ups to meet investors and there are recommendations and a press section to assist you. You can view the current interests in the feeds in the activity section and a list of advisors can be found if you need guidance. There is a section for followers where the latest comments and investments can be viewed and details of over 3,752 companies can be found as well as the archives with the facility to filter and browse in anonymity.
