Equity Crowdfunding Companies To Invest Into During Summer

    Editor’s note: This is a sponsored post to alert you to the crowdfunding options in the region. Research before investing – early stage companies are high risk.

    Crowdfunding is breaking records nearly monthly, which is hopefully an indication of things to come. Just take a look at Star Citizen, a crowd funded MMO game that claimed over $14 million this month or the crowd funded smart phone that can double as a laptop, aiming to raise $32 million.

    Our region is not lagging behind, in fact when it comes to equity crowd funding we are definitely ahead of the curve. This time around we are going to take a look at some numbers from FundedByMe and Invesdor.

    FundedByMe has been on a steep growth curve since its launch and to date have managed to close over 9 deals that all gathered more than €3 million, not including smaller deals. They have also announced than they have close to 25 000 members and are going to launch in Germany by September. As always, there is a nice selection of companies from the region on FundedByMe.

    For instance, the very Nordic approach to tech accessories by Lastu, should definitely grab your interest. The company with a tagline “Tech meets Nature” simply must be from the Nordics. The idea is to make accessories such as mobile phone cases, MacBook covers and others out of natural and eco-friendly materials such as wood. Which is definitely much more classy than the overused plastic. To be really eco friendly, part of the profits always go towards restoring old forests throughout the world. So if you want to save the forests and get an awesome looking device while at it, look no further and go here.

    Another Finnish company on FundedByMe is Smeebi Oy, who are trying to enter the business intelligence and analytics space for SME’s. Their competitors usually tend towards larger corporations, leaving this niche market overlooked due to pricing and complex solutions. To achieve their goal, Smeebi already partnered up with four SaaS based accounting providers and is used as an add-on app on their sites. The company made good strategic partnerships and has a number of pilot customers. You can read more about it and invest here.

    If travelling or exploring cities is your thing, then FundedByMe also has “I Like Locals” which is an app that helps you meet locals in your favourite cities and find out what is truly at the heart of them. They have currently launched in Copenhagen and with the funding are planning to expand to other cities. Definitely seems like a cool idea, as the locals can show you that little hidden gem of a cafe on a street way off the main tourist attraction or perhaps show you a very local part of town to give you a true picture of what a city is like. They have been getting a lot of interest and you can join others here.

    Invesdor also has a lot of great news for us. For instance they are now at their all time high with 8 companies looking for funding at the same time. The site also boasts over €643 000 raised, considering they have only launched rather recently. One startup, Dikital, has reached their minimum threshold and another, Bryggeri, is back for another round after a successful first round earlier this year.

    Bryggeri raised over €700 000 in their last round and is the biggest successful round on Invesdor. Due to popular demand and the success of the previous round, they are back again. Expanding the shareholder base is not only good for the company, but they are also planning to use the funds to accelerate further expansion. This is your chance to own your own piece of a home-brewed beer restaurant in the heart of Helsinki, which comes with its own set of privileges. To find out more and to invest into Brygeri, just follow this link.

    If running is your thing, then you should check out Runteq, a start-up with a lot of statics and IT experience that is building a running analytics tool to help you train and achieve better results. Their product consists of motion sensors and a smartphone app that literally tracks your every move and evaluates your technique. Based on this information the app attempts to provide advice to improve your time and to avoid injuries. They are looking to raise a minimum of €75 000 and you can check out their pitch here.

    Finally, if you want to make a bet on good old social startups, check out Dikital, which has already surpassed its minimum funding goal and is on its way to their maximum target of €50 000. They call themselves “Instagram for videos” but are also focusing on storage and editing. This is somewhat similar to the competitors out there, but the pitch states that the company has unique IPR, which might be a worthy investment on its own, depending on the specifics. They are planning to launch a freemium model and are aiming for 3 000 customers in 2013. Check out their pitch here.

    Top Photo by Shutterstock.