A new programme to help companies raise money via equity crowdfunding campaigns has been launched by leading equity crowdfunding communications agency TribeFirst and global accounting and advisory company, Grant Thornton.
Called the Crowdfund Bootcamp, it is designed to reduce the time it takes for companies to prepare and run their campaign. Crowdfund Bootcamp combines the best parts of an accelerator with a managed service, working with companies to plan, launch, market and run their campaign in as little as five weeks.
Founders typically spend around a third of their time raising funds, and the average cost of running an equity crowdfunding campaign works out to be around £30,000. This programme is designed to significantly reduce both the time and cost burden placed on companies that are looking to raise funds on an equity crowdfunding platform.
John Auckland, founder of TribeFirst, explains why they felt this programme was needed. “Crowdfunding is a scary thing for newcomers. You’re going out to the world and very publicly saying, “back me with your money!”. The fear of failure, or of doing things the wrong way, is incredibly daunting. The platforms do a great job of providing advice, guidance and support for campaigners, but it’s understandably difficult to develop a one-size-fits-all solution.
“The Crowdfund Bootcamp offers entrepreneurs a defined step-by-step programme, where business owners who are time poor can focus on doing the bits they already have the skills to do, and we can provide the support in the areas they need it the most. It’s underpinned by TribeFirst’s proven process, which has helped nearly 50 companies to successfully raise with the industry’s highest success rate of over 90%, and Grant Thornton’s market-leading expertise in financial modelling and company valuations, the two elements of a campaign that typically keep most founders up all night.”
Jonathan Keeling, head of partnerships at Crowdcube, said “At Crowdcube, we are always looking for new ways to provide additional value to our entrepreneurs. The Crowdfund Bootcamp brings together the very best marketing and finance professionals and combines all of their knowledge, experience and services into an affordable programme. We’re really proud to be partnering with Grant Thornton and TribeFirst, who have excellent track records in helping companies successfully raise on Crowdcube.”
The first Bootcamp will run at Grant Thornton’s Finsbury Square offices in November, from Monday 19 to Friday 23.