Thursday 17 October 2013

Interesting look at crowd funding operation at Caerphilly

Took time out today to respond to an invitation to visit to new crowd funding operation in Caerphilly.
Ice Dragons Ltd is based at Britannia House, Caerphilly, in the Welsh Ice innovation centre.
My PA Suzanne Rawlins came along for the fact-finding mission and we were given a very extensive tour of the ICE operation.
We spoke to a number of start-up businesses, were shown the different offices and the different levels of membership.
There was great enthusiasm throughout, with many varied businesses on site, including interior design, magazine, games design, software design & graphic design.
A big thank-you goes to the ICE team for their time and their hospitality.



Photo left to right - Gwyn Thomas (Insight Business Intelligence), Anthony Record (Co-founder), Gareth Jones (Captain of Innovation, ICE), Mandy Weston (DR Know, ICE), Kevin Green, Alison Lavelle (Master of Skills, ICE), Suzanne Rawlins, Kevin Green's PA.


Here is a short brief on Ice Dragons Ltd.
Ice Dragons Ltd. is an FCA authorised and regulated crowd-funding (in exchange for equity) platform, (reference number 583315) based at Britannia House, Caerphilly in the Welsh Ice Innovation Centre.
We are members of the UK Crowd funding Association and abide by their code of conduct. www.ukcfa.org.uk/code-of-practice
Background
A Federation of Small Businesses survey revealed that in 2007, 4% of small businesses received outright rejections from banks, jumping to 27% in 2011. Those that received the full amount of borrowing dropped from 85% to 58%. Start up finance is definitely becoming harder to find so alternative sources are needed. Launched in the U.K. in 2011 equity crowd funding fills a gap by giving investors the opportunity to invest and become shareholders in start up and expanding businesses. As banks have retreated from this sector equity crowd funding sites are helping entrepreneurs secure both finance and motivated shareholders, rich in ideas. Ice Dragons is raising money to support entrepreneurs who in turn flourish, creating both employment and a return for shareholders.
How it works
A large on-line community of high net worth individuals and sophisticated investors is built (the Crowd) who will invest small amounts from £100 with no upper limit and so together, as a crowd, provide a successful funding for exciting and viable ideas. The crowd tends to be hobby and enthusiastic investors, and everyone is warned of the very high risk nature of this type of investment.

You can find out more about Ice Dragons Ltd on the website
www.icedragons.co.uk


Picture slideshow from the visit -