Dynamic Business brings you the key startup fundraising rounds from this week:
Equity crowdfunding industry booms with an 89 pct increase
Australia’s crowdsourced funding industry has kicked off 2022 with unprecedented funding volumes for the three months ending March 31, traditionally the quietest period for the CSF industry. Total funding volumes surpassed $10 million, an 89 per cent increase over the same period last year.
This performance contrasts sharply with the sluggish start for the broader equity capital markets, which, according to data published by Refinitiv and reported by the Annual Financial Review, saw a 58% decline in funding volumes for the three months ending March 31, 2022, compared to the same time last year.
MA Financial Group managed fund back Funding.com.au in debt and equity capital raise
Funding.com.au (Funding) has completed a $37.5 million debt and equity raise, securing a fund managed by ASX-listed MA Financial Group Limited (MA Financial) as its first institutional debt investor alongside EVP, its anchor venture capital investor.
The senior debt facility, provided by an MA Financial-managed fund, will be used to diversify Funding’s capital base and allow the company to scale its short-term mortgage finance operations.
Aussie creatives and serial entrepreneurs band together to back founders shaping culture
Side Stage Ventures is a new investment syndicate formed by Australia’s top founders, creatives, and investors to support entrepreneurs in the early stages of building businesses.
UNIFIED Music founder Jaddan Comerford founded the company, Linktree co-founders Alex Zaccaria and Anthony Zaccaria, as well as serial investors and entrepreneurs Matt Allen of Tractor Ventures, Ben Grabiner, Co-Founder of Platoon (acquired by Apple), and Kieran Rivett, COO, Nine Buildings (ex-CFO of Aesop).
Side Stage Ventures has already invested millions in promising startups both in the United States and abroad, including cult alcohol-free beer company Heaps Normal, mobile ordering and payments startup Mr Yum, as well as Delegate Connect, Qsic, and Alts, and plans to invest $10 million more by the end of the year.
Proptech innovator launches a $5m crowdfunding raise
CalTier Realty, a proptech firm that aims to provide investors with the opportunity to build wealth through commercial real estate investment opportunities, has launched its own $5 million Reg CF investment round.
Investments in its Reg CF begin at $5 per share, with a $1,000 minimum investment amount. More investment information can be found here.
Equity crowdfunding platform PledgeMe rebrands as Microwd
Microwd, the Australian arm of New Zealand equity crowdfunding startup PledgeMe, has relaunched with a new name, new owners, and a new focus on backing female-led startups.
While the Kiwi side of the decade-old CSF venture continues, the separate Australian business has been acquired by Finley Capital Partners, which has appointed Megan Owen as Head of Equity Crowdfunding for Microwd.
Payright secures funding
Payright has confirmed commitments for a $9.5 million capital raise via an equity placement and unsecured convertible notes offering.
Funds raised will be used to facilitate the transition to the new warehouse facility, inclusive of one-off related costs, working capital and further investments in the business that will allow for future growth.
America’s SBA announces the launch of the Seed Fund Expo competition for SMEs
Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), announced the launch of America’s Seed FundStartup Expo 2022
America’s Seed Fund Startup Expo 2022 will provide broad exposure for innovative small business startups to nationwide innovation networks and local ecosystems across America and provide a platform for connecting innovative startups with networks that can enable these companies to scale, grow, and thrive.
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