Crowdfunding: A Guide to Raising Capital on the Internet

Introduction

Crowdfunding, sometimes called crowd financing or crowd investing, is generally defined as the collective cooperation by people who pool their funds, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations. Crowdfunding supports a variety of purposes, from disaster relief to publishing books, to artists seeking support from fans to political campaigns, to funding a startup or small business.

This book addresses the market dynamics now catapulting crowdfunding into the mainstream. It should be distinguished from the many crowdfunding white papers, how-to guides, and promotional materials on the Internet in that our cast of contributors—who were carefully selected to represent a variety of market participants—went about this project without bias. We intended to make a professional text accurately reflecting the present state of crowdfunding with a view toward what's coming next. In this regard, we hope you find value in these pages.

Whether you're an entrepreneur seeking capital for your first startup or a corporate development pro at a large company, an angel investor or a hedge fund manager, a securities attorney, tax accountant or consultant, you'll definitely need to understand the crowdfunding phenomenon. So the sooner you delve into this topic, the better off you'll be. Fortunately, my coauthors and I are presenting you with the first professional book of its kind—a comprehensive treatment on the topic of raising capital on the Internet. ...