Partner Article

Crowdcube completes record-breaking 2015

Equity crowdfunding platform, Crowdcube has completed a record-breaking 2015, which saw the first two successful crowdfunding exits, a total of £83 million invested in over 166 pitches via the Crowdcube platform and a £6 million investment in the company itself. Crowdcube was also crowned the UK’s top crowdfunding company last year, with multiple award wins and named ‘Leading Equity Investor’ by Beauhurst.

According to Crowdcube co-founder, Luke Lang: “2015 was an outstanding year for Crowdcube, but also a game changer in the world of crowdfunding, with not one, but two exits. First, we saw E-Car Club acquired by Europe’s leading car rental company, Europcar and then Camden Town Brewery sold to the world’s biggest drinks company, AB InBev right at the end of the year. In crowdfunding terms this is an important milestone and has finally seen the industry come of age.”

Crowdcube investors have grown to more than 240,000, with over 116,000 joining in 2015 alone, investing more than 63,000 times, an increase of 164% from 2014. The biggest single investment of 2015 was £1 million into Sugru. In addition, Crowdcube Bonds raised £13.9 million last year and so far have paid back a total of £470,000 in gross interest to investors.

Nineteen businesses raised more than £1 million on Crowdcube, with five raising over £3 million, including JustPark, which raised £3.5 million, and Chilango who returned for a second round of funding.

Crowdcube also raised its own round of funding last year, to the tune of £6 million, to help accelerate the company’s growth and pave the way for innovation in the IPO market. Led by leading UK stockbroker, Numis, the funding round was also joined by Tim Draper and Draper Esprit alongside existing backers, Balderton Capital, one of Europe’s largest investment firms.

Other Crowdcube milestones in 2015: https://www.crowdcube.com/2015

- Beauhurst named Crowdcube Leading Equity Investor of 2015 based on its performance in the first six months of 2015, where 74 deals were successful to the tune of £39 million

- Data from independent crowdfunding market researcher, Crowdsurfer, revealed that Crowdcube is leading the UK’s investment crowdfunding market with a 52% market share

- Winner of 12 awards, including Shares Magazine, TechCityInsider and City A.M.

- Crowdcube was named as one of the UK’s fastest growing and most disruptive tech companies by Tech City’s Future Fifty, alongside Graze.com, JustGiving and notonthehighstreet.com

- The UK Government invested £1.25 million in nine deals via Crowdcube as a result of its -London Co-Investment Fund partnership

- Crowdcube partnered with Amazon Launchpad - 38 new hires with many from leading disruptive brands, including Google, Amazon and Facebook

- Co-founder Darren Westlake named by Debrett’s as one of the UK’s 500 most influential people.

Luke Lang added: “2016 will be even bigger and better as we see average investment rounds grow. We’ve done close to 20 raises over £1m this year, firmly placing crowdfunding as a way to secure Series A funding. This will continue and we may see crowdfunding become part of more Series B and Series C fundraising. We also expect more well-know brands and bigger firms to look to crowdfunding as a mainstream option rather than as an alternative investment. It will certainly be an exciting 12 months.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Centrify .