VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Here are some strategies for raising money for your startup, and why so many entrepreneurs find it challenging to win over the trust of investors.

Indiegogo launched a year-long initiative to help give more support to female-led campaigns. Inspired by women entrepreneurs, the crowdfunding platform plans to host events and consultations for female-led campaigns, supported by other organizations.

A startup offering up to $10,000 loan to help couples fund their wedding had shifted its business concept to a crowdfunding platform. The move infuriates many couples expecting the loan, whereas the startup said that the couple wouldn’t have to pay it back as long as they stay together. The change of business plan was due to overwhelming demand and regulation challenges, stated the company.

The self-propelling stroller, introduced by the crowdfunder Indiegogo, is said to revolutionize the concept of a perambulator. Keeping in mind the needs of a parent, the stroller boasts of features like automatic movement controlled via sensors, built-in rocker, bottle warmer, canopies to weather different climatic conditions, to name a few. Its maker, Guillermo Morro, has also addressed all the safety concerns by assuring his audience that his highly capable team has always treated this as a top priority.

The newly-approved crowdfunding norms will enable start-ups to mobilize funds from mom-and-pop investors over the internet. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has okayed the new rules on crowdfunding with a majority voting of three to one. The Business Startups (JOBS) act has been enacted with bipartisan support to facilitate new startups with more flexibility in the mobilization of funds. SEC also changed the audit provisions of the crowdfunding rules.

Kickstarter, the popular online crowdfunding platform, has just banned a project for its failure to provide evidence of a working prototype. The project was for a laser-powered razor called Skarp which has raised over $4 million in crowdfunding since it was first announced.

Donation-based and rewards-based crowdfunding are the most popular ways for entrepreneurs to bring their startups and projects to life. Entrepreneur reports that 2015 is considered as "the year of crowdfunding" with all the significant growth and rapid changes in the market. In 2012, a total of $16.2 billion was raised by companies and individuals all over the world.

Jim Tully's hours-long walks to and from work in the Pocono Mountains, where he has been repeatedly stopped by police in a case of mistaken identity in the manhunt for a Pennsylvania cop killer, may be coming to an end.

Odyssey Airlines has decided to source investment through a crowdfunding that would allow the company to raise $8.4 million equity capital in preparation for a launch in 2016 and its operational costs.

Neil Young's PonoMusic was able to raise over $5 million for its Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for its PonoPlayer with 16 more days to go before the campaign ends, TechCrunch reported.

In an effort to iron out the differences they have with the crowdfunding community, payments platform PayPal has implemented changes on their crowdfunding policies, VentureBeat reported.

RHL Vision Technologies, an India-based startup, was able to raise $200,000 through the crowdfunding site Indiegogo with 1,600 people pre-ordering their wearable device called Fin, The Times of India reported.

New Zealand Venture Investment Fund Chief Executive Officer Franceska Banga thinks that the rule change permitting equity crowdfunding in New Zealand is a positive development, Fairfax NZ News reported.

Kickstarter will most likely surpass the $1 billion mark pledged for the crowdfunding projects launched on the site in the next few days, TechCrunch reported.

To fund the repairs and renovations of a historic theater in Westcliffe, Colorado, the Jones Theater is launching a crowdfunding campaign on the "GoFundMe" crowdfunding platform starting March 1, the Canon City Daily Record reported.