The ECN Crowdfunding Convention in Paris will Focus on the €2 Billion Crowdfunding Market

The European Crowdfunding Network (ECN) will launch the third edition of the ECN Crowdfunding Convention on 11th and 12th December in Paris, a high-level event for crowdfunding professionals and stakeholders from all areas connected to crowdfunding, including technology innovation, renewable energy as well as early-stage and micro finance.

The Crowdfunding industry is the fastest growing financing source for Small and Medium Businesses in the World with a market value of €2 billion

Despite the still feeble economy and lackluster investment markets, crowdfunding is due to continue to grow at a strong pace in Europe to reach an estimated market value of around €2 billion for the year. Moreover, the sector is maturing quickly with the early crowdfunding platforms having scaled up to gain banking or investment advisor status, while established financial institutions, such as banks and venture capital funds have opened their own crowdfunding operations. The Convention will aim to create a policy environment that enables the crowdfunding industry to keep growing and gather key players to contribute to this conversation.

The ECN is a professional network promoting adequate transparency, (self) regulation and governance while offering a combined voice in policy discussion and public opinion building. Founded in 2011 as an interest group, ECN formally incorporated as an international not-for-profit organization in Brussels, Belgium in 2013. The ECN has specially been active in the European policy discussion over the past two years, supporting the launch of the European Crowdfunding Stakeholder Forum at the European Commission earlier in 2014 which brings together finance ministries, regulations, consumer rights organisations, interest groups of the financial services industry and the European crowdfunding sector.

In this context, the ECN Crowdfunding Convention promises to offer a unique opportunity to meet and develop a truly pan-European vision for 2015 and beyond, to learn from success and failure as well as to develop truly pan-European contacts within the sector. With the leading 50 expert speakers from the sector and 300 participants this will be the game maker for European crowdfunding industry.

Oliver Gajda, Founder and Chairman of ECN spoke at CSW Europe in Copenhagen on October 15 about the the need for EU level cooperation to accelerate crowdfunding. He talked to us about the goals of the Paris convention,