Crowdfunding for SMEs: A European Perspective provides a valuable insight into this new source of capital. Inparticular, the authors focus on financial return crowdfunding, which repaysthe crowd either through debt or equity. This source of capital might play asignificant role in the future becoming an alternative or a complement totraditional funding sources. It is therefore of the uttermost importance tounderstand what has boosted its exponential growth in recent years, as well asthe key drivers of success of P2P lending and equity crowdfunding campaigns onboth the funders and the fundraisers side.Due to the financial nature of thereturn provided to the crowd, financial return crowdfunding has been the objectof recent waves of regulation, although the European Union still lacks a set ofcommon rules. The aim of regulation should be twofold, to protect investorsand, at the same time, to favor the financing for SMEs. In this book, theauthors explore such issues and the regulatory policies, while looking to thefuture of financial return crowdfunding as an evolving source of capital.

Provides a valuable insight into a new and increasingly current source of capital

.-Introduction .-1 Crowdfunding as a new phenomenon: origins, features and literature review .-2 Web 2.0 as platform for the development of crowdfunding .-3 Competitive frontiers in P2P lending crowdfunding .-4 How to obtain from alternative funding agents .-5 Competitive frontiers inequity crowdfunding: The role of venture capitalists and business angels in the early stage financing industry .-6 The role of equity crowdfunding in financing SMEs: Evidence from a sample of European equity crowdfunding platforms .-7 Financial crowdfunding regulation in Europe