Fund Wisdom is a US focused, exclusively equity crowdfunding aggregator that will seek to position itself at the centre of a sector that appears poised to explode. The site will centralize equity campaigns, allow investors to search numerous platforms for opportunities in accordance with personalized criteria, and to run a portfolio of investments from one hyper-convenient location.
We caught up with Founder Brian Thopsey for the full story.
Can you briefly explain the site?
We connect Investors to promising startups raising money online. We at Fund Wisdom present relevant startups offering equity from top platforms to investors. When you become a member of FundWisdom you gain the convenient access to knowledgeable investment and entrepreneurial specialists, you can establish a portfolio, and we will save you time by providing you personalized investment opportunities. If you are looking to prospect for new opportunities we allow you to search according to the traits that are important to you such as industry, region, amount funded, and more. With the portfolio system you can keep track of your investments across platforms. The Fund Wisdom site also educates the non-accredited investors about the investing process in anticipation of Title III.
Many aggregators are chasing the title of "one-stop-shop" for crowdfunding - what sets Fund Wisdom apart?
Our focus on equity. Investing is all about knowledge. It takes data to generate ideas, and powerful tools to zero in on opportunities and with Fund Wisdom you will get both. We will deliver the most advanced platform to implement your startup investment strategies.
In which countries do you aggregate equity opportunities?
We are starting with the US and will expand internationally in the near future.
Is it only equity crowdfunding projects that you collate?
Yes, Fund Wisdom is only focused on equity-crowdfunding projects. We find that the goals of the individuals involved in private-equity investing are aligned. For example, the entrepreneurs offering equity in their company are committed to creating value through their company and the investors are passionate about finding exciting startups and being involved in their entrepreneurial story.
How will Fund Wisdom generate revenue?
We will eventually sell access to data and analytics on the information that we collect.
Where do you see the site in a year's time?
The JOBS Act is projected to be passed by the end of 2014/start of 2015. With that in mind, we are anticipating that the crowdfunding space will explode. We think that more investors, both accredited and non-accredited, along with entrepreneurs will need a reliable source for all their equity-crowdfunding needs. We believe we will be at the forefront of this growing market.
What's the importance of aggregators in the crowdfunding space?
With the number of crowdfunding platforms growing exponentially, the need for an aggregating service is following that trend. There have been many instances where investors have been scammed or manipulated by certain opportunities. Therefore, there is a growing need for a credible and safe portal that helps entrepreneurs find a platform that best suits their needs and that helps investors find opportunities that hold real potential for returns.
