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Crowdfunding to grow your start-up

Subject:  Economy and Business
A person putting a coin in a piggy bank, with more coins on the table
07/06/18

To coincide with the 6th #SpinUOC, we've put together a dossier on crowdfunding, which is on the rise for start-up companies.

The 6th #SpinUOC will take place on 14 June. It’s the UOC's annual knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship event that looks to strengthen the links between the university and local business and society. This year, tech solutions are the centre of attention and eight projects will be presented (find out more about the event).

To coincide with #SpinUOC, here at the UOC Library we've put together a dossier on crowdfunding, which is on the rise as an alternative to the traditional bank loan.

Sponsors 2.0

The method of acquiring the necessary resources to fund a project dates back to the classical age with Maecenas. Crowdfunding follows this system and consists of funding a product, service or project collectively through digital platforms. The Library's dossier contains resources about what it is, the different organizations that promote it and the main collective funding platforms.

A $55,492 potato salad

Reward is the best-known type of crowdfunding, where investors receive a consideration in exchange for their economic contribution. However, there are other types of less well-known collective funding, such as investment, donating and loans. This resource can also be applied to all fields of knowledge (law, politics, economics, arts and humanities, psychology and education and science and academic research).

The Library's dossier also contains a critical perspective on crowdfunding with sources concerning its weak points and examples of fraud. There are also more curious cases, such as the salad that surprised everyone with the amount raised, which was in excess of $55,000.

This summary of resources offers the University community from the different branches of knowledge all the information they need to establish a new source of funding for their business projects.

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