Join us at the foremost destination for leaders in the Canadian Crowdfunding economy (#CCS2015)

Join us on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at MaRS Discovery in Toronto for an exclusive full day opportunity to learn vital content and network with industry experts gathering to highlight economic progress, regulatory updates, emerging opportunities, best practices, insights and trends impactful to the future growth of the Canadian crowdfunding industry (release).

The Fintech sector is growing rapidly around the globe, playing a significant role in mobilizing capital and resources to innovative ventures and social enterprises by streamlining the process of how how organizations connect with prospective customers and investors over the internet.
Crowdfunding is helping innovative Canadian firms to launch businesses such as $1.14 million to Mass Fidelity's wireless multi-room speakers, $1 million to DreamQii's PlexiDrone and $820K to Vanhawk's connected carbon fibre bicycle.  The recent Lending Club $5.4 billion IPO clearly demonstrated the appetite and potential for online lending marketplaces.

The Canadian crowdfunding industry is poised for growth.  On March 20, 2014, a total of six (6) provincial regulators announced two main proposals for new Crowdfunding prospectus exemptions that would allow early stage companies such as start-ups and SMEs to raise up to $1.5 million of capital online through the issuance of securities.

With favourable regulations imminent in Canada and the global crowdfunding industry experiencing explosive growth from $1.5 billion raised in 2012 to over $5.1 billion in 2013, crowdfunding has emerged as an increasingly popular source of innovation and social capital for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), new ventures, projects and cause-based organizations. 

Register here

Educational Programme (Full Day)

The #CCS2015 full day educational summit will feature high profile keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, entrepreneurial 'showcase pitches', mentor sessions and exhibitor tables featuring leading crowdfunding platforms and service providers.  The program will cover all aspects of Crowdfunding including equity, debt/lending, rewards, pre-sale/product, causes, and emerging online models such as royalty streaming.

Topical Content:

• Overview of raising capital online in current markets (challenges, solutions and options)
• Regulatory briefing on the current status of equity crowdfunding regulations in Canada?
• Global and Canadian crowdfunding market data/pulse, trends, predictions
• Funding success stories (and failures) and lessons learned
• Crowdfunding for social enterprise, impact investing, charities, causes and non-profits
• Breaking down the anatomy of a successful crowdfunding campaign
• Building a crowd and working with media
• Preparing your company for raising capital online:  Equity crowdfunding best practices and legal considerations (e.g., shareholders, term sheet, and intellectual property)
• Crowdfunding infrastructure for portals, provider solutions, opportunities for new entrants
• Portal landscape review, exemptions, transaction sizes, success rates
• International crowdfunding and cross-border activity

Who should attend the 2015 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit?

300+ delegates from across the country who are the decision makers in Canada’s fast growing and lucrative crowdfunding industry:

• Industry participants and experts including crowdfunding portals, legal, accounting and finance professionals, regulators, dealer-brokers, consultants, marketers, technology providers and advisory groups
• Entrepreneurial and innovation networks seeking to raise capital and commercialization ventures including incubator/accelerators, entrepreneurs, start-ups, high impact SMEs
• Social enterprise-impact investing companies, NFPs and cause-based organizations actively seeking funding
• Government (federal, provincial, municipal) involved in small business and innovation
• Private angel investors and venture capital groups, fund managers and corporate investors seeking to work emerging crowdfunding companies
• Media journalists and content creators tracking innovation, technology, small business and finance