FINANCE
Alternative funding for start-ups and early stage companies
Despite government protestations of support for new and growing businesses , and assurances from the banks that a new can-do age is approaching , obtaining fast , agile and accessible finance seems as remote as ever
Written by : JOHN O ’ HANLON
NO WONDER ENTREPRENEURS are looking at alternative ways of getting their projects off the ground . If you have ideas and a business plan , but no money at all , the chances are that you are too small to interest a traditional bank or VC company . So how can you become acquainted with the sometimes confusing world of alternative finance ? “ We are aware of more than 10,000 early stage companies in Europe that have benefited from equity , lending , reward and donation based crowdfunding , peer-to-peer ( P2P ) business lending and the like ,” Bryan Zhang of the newly founded Centre for Alternative Finance at Cambridge ’ s Judge Business School said . “ These platforms are providing
8 April 2015