Crowdfunding? A word that began to be heard in 2009 with the success of the song Toi Moi by Grégoire. The singer was able to finance the recording of his title and his clip via the platform MyMajorCompany. Exit the record companies and traditional circuit (so banks). The niche: "finance and give life to cultural and innovative projects". And since the crowdfunding has established itself and has now its "party": May 17, 2014.
What is the principle?
In English in the text crowdfunding means "finance by the crowd". The basic idea: to finance a project by appealing to the generosity of all rather than to a bank. Utopist? More truly, since the French are happy to play the patrons: all projects combined, 78 million euros were invested via this type of financing in 2013. That is 3 times more than in 2012.
According to BpiFrance (a financing and business development organization created in 2012 by former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault), just over 60 crowdfunding platforms exist in
La France. The best known: Ullu, KissKissBankBank, WiSeed , Build In Town, FinanceUtileo and Happy Capital.
What can we finance?
All ! Or almost. The idea of participating in an "adventure" attracted the French: a company operating an airship Zeppelin, an industrial start-up of recycling banana trunks, caviar made in France , a former boy band singer who wishes to make a film ... From the most serious to the most wacky, all the fields of the economy, the creation, the industry and the services are now present on the sites of crowdfunding. The only condition: being a young company.
Note that some platforms have chosen to target funded projects such as TousCoprod or IamALaMode respectively dedicated to film funding projects and fashion designers.
Can we get his bet?
No, and this is obviously the number one risk. It should not be forgotten that, unlike a placement on a Livret A, crowdfunding is a venture capital.
According to BpiFrance, 3 out of 10 companies that submit their project to participatory financing fail and are liquidated. And there, impossible to review the initial bet. A statistic to be taken into consideration. Moreover the Wiseed platform does not hide from it by warning the Internet users "Invest only what you are ready to lose".
Are crowdfunding sites all serious?
If there was an obvious blur at the birth of the concept in France, since this expanding activity has been endowed with a legal framework. The State, delighted with the enthusiasm aroused, encourages and does not hide it, crowdfunding and innovations put forward allow to boost the economic activity and growth of France.
In autumn 2013, the Ministry of Economy even organized the 1st Assises of participatory financing.
Do we win something to play the patrons?
It is obviously also this point which incites the French to make donations by placing a part of their capital in projects in the future. At WiSeed, it is nevertheless stated that "the horizon of gain is at least 5 years, in line with the economic reality of these young companies". But the game (and waiting) can be worth the candle: out of 10 companies invested 5 will allow a profit multiplied between 1 and 3 ... and especially 2 companies allow a capital multiplied by 10. The jackpot at the end of the click.
It should also be noted that investing as an individual can benefit from an 18% income tax reduction and a 50% reduction in the tax rate (within certain limits). But there is a small condition: keep its shares at least 5 years.
