You’ve probably participated in some form of crowdfunding before. Chipping in to a friend’s fundraising drive before they run that marathon, pooling money at the office to help a colleague bankroll a newborn baby’s needs, or even buying into a perk on a site like Kickstarter or Indiegogo.
What if crowdfunding wasn’t limited to charity, personal goals, and perks? What if a startup business could sell a small piece of its equity to anyone willing to make a small investment? That’s the question at the heart of Technicity and the concept of equity-based crowdfunding in Canada. Since provincial regulations currently limit equity-based investing to accredited investors only, changes have to be made if crowdfunding is going to become a reality for startups north of the border. We gathered crowdfunding entrepreneurs, politicians, CIOs, and local startups for a half-day event in downtown Toronto to discuss the path forward.
Watch our video interviews to hear about Canada’s crowdfunding movement and what Technicity accomplished in moving the stakes:
Technicity 2012 coverage
Crowdcube’s clever equity-based crowdfunding model
Darren Westlake found a way to make equity-based crowdfunding work in the U.K. What can Canada learn from his example? Features a video interview.
Ontario government commits to pursuing crowdfunding
Minister Brad Duguid announced today that the Ontario Securities Commission is working to find a way to allow non-registered investors to fund startup firms.
How Canadian startups have made crowdfunding work
Ahead of our Nov. 29 Toronto event that will explore crowdfunding as an innovative way to make Toronto the best place to retain and attract new companies, we’ve examined several Canadian crowdfunding experiences. These startups show us how equity-based crowdfunding can be an effective way to raise money, and what more needs to be done for more businesses to access it.
