In This Guide
Crowdfunding is one of the most effective ways companies raise money to finance projects and businesses. Businesses, entrepreneurs, and creators gain new customers and market insights through online communities. Crowdfunding generates $17.2 billion annually in North America alone. Crowdfunding statistics and facts that outline its worldwide influence and impact are essential.
From innovative startups to financing groundbreaking ideas, Crowdfunding is changing the narrative of how we create and execute endeavors across many sectors. The article highlights recent information on crowdfunding statistics in the industry and the opportunities available to entrepreneurs, businesses, and individual creators. Let’s proceed.
How Does Crowdfunding Work?
Crowdfunding platforms are websites that bring fundraisers and the masses together. Financial pledges are made and received through these crowdfunding platforms. However, crowdfunding platforms usually charge fees for successful campaigns. Notably, some platforms operate an all-or-nothing funding model. This implies that you receive your money if you reach your goal, and if not, everyone gets a refund of their money.
Major Types of Crowdfunding
Equity Crowdfunding
This involves selling stakes in a business to investors in exchange for investment. This system is similar to the standard stock purchase in the stock exchange market.
Peer-to-peer Lending
Here, money is lent by the crowd to a company with an understanding of a refund with interest. This is quite similar to what operates in the bank, where money is borrowed at an interest rate, but you borrow from many investors.
Donation-based Crowdfunding
In this case, individuals make donations of tokens to meet a higher funding aim of a particular charitable project and receive no financial return.
Rewards-based Crowdfunding
Individuals make donations to a business or project with the expectation of receiving a non-financial reward in the form of goods or services.
Revenue or Profit-Sharing
Future revenue and profits of businesses are shared with the crowd in return for immediate funding.
Hybrid Models
This allows businesses to mix more than one sort of Crowdfunding.
Debt–securities Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding involves investing in debt securities issued by a corporation, such as bonds.
(Source: Investopedia)
Popular Crowdfunding Websites
1. GoFundMe
GoFundMe was the most popular crowdfunding website in 2021. It has raised over $15 billion through more than 100 million donors since its founding in 2010. Most people utilize GoFundMe to raise money for medical expenditures, property losses due to fires, or recovery from natural disasters.
2. Kickstarter
Until May 29, 2022, Kickstarter will support over 220,000 projects since its launch in 2009. Contributions to this crowdfunding platform from people interested in various initiatives have exceeded $6.6 billion. Kickstarter can help startups by providing a sizable cash infusion and a chance to reach a wider audience. Instead of GoFundMe, Kickstarter is better suited for innovative concepts that can be shared with others. It’s important to note that Kickstarter forbids rewards like shares, income, or investment opportunities, and funds raised cannot be utilized for charitable endeavors.
3. Indiegogo
Indiegogo is a flexible platform that gives backers control over the types of models users decide to use. As a campaigner, seeking more flexible funding is much easier and less risky. However, campaigners must fulfill promises made.
(Source: Investopedia)
General Statistics
Below are some of the basic Crowdfunding statistics you must know.
1. In 2020, Equity Crowdfunding Generated Over $239 Million.
The Securities and Exchange Commission opened equity crowdfunding to investors in 2016. The volume of money raised has increased over time. In 2020, the United States raised $239.4 million through Crowdfunding, an increase of 77% from what was realized in 2019.
(Source: Crowdfund Insider)
2. The Value of Crowdfunding Globally Exceeds $1 Billion a Year.
The United States is the largest crowdfunding source, with over $500 million in equity and reward-based crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is predicted to expand at a rate of more than 2% each year over the next five years, reaching $1.2 billion by 2025.
(Source: Statista)
3. Companies Can Now Raise $5 Million Yearly.
New rules were enacted in March 2021, allowing businesses to raise $5 million in equity crowdfunding annually. This represents a 194% increase in possible funding over $1.07 million. The new legislative framework is predicted to boost the number of investors to 800,000 and increase crowdfunding by 40%. It assists startups in raising $1.2 billion in their first year.
(Source: Business Wire)
4. Common Stock is the Most Commonly Used Crowdfunded Security.
The most commonly utilized stock in equity crowdfunding is common stock. It indicates ownership in a corporation, and holders have the right to vote on director elections and corporate actions. When the company performs well, they have the right to a portion of the profits.
(Source: Start Engine)
5. WeFunder is the Largest Equity Crowdfunding Platform in Terms of Users and Dollars.
Numerous crowdfunding platforms are accessible via which investors and businesses can obtain cash. Each site has its own set of laws and regulations and a varied audience. WeFunder had the most significant equity investment of $70.9 million in 2020 and ranked first with 1,000,000 users.
(Source: Crowd Wise)
6. Food and Beverage Leads in Equity Crowdfunding.
Food and beverage is the industry with the most equity capital. Beverage and restaurant companies receive capital from various sources and share investments.
(Source: Start Engine)
7. Kickstarter has Over 22 Million Contributors.
From July 2014 to May 2023, the number of Kickstarter projects has steadily increased. Over 22 million individuals supported over 592,000 projects on Kickstarter in May 2023. Furthermore, over 7.56 million people had contributed to at least one project on the site.
(Source: Rest Finance)
8. In 2014, Tech Projects Raised More Than $1 Million in Funding.
Tech projects from 2014 raised an average of more than $1 million in funding. Over $13 billion has been spent in the technological sector. Despite this analysis, only 18% of technology crowdfunding initiatives have succeeded.
(Source: Crowdfunding Center)
9. The Average Project Successful on Kickstarter Raises About $100,000.
The highest average pledge of successful technology fundraisers on Kickstarter is $97,911.2. Only 21.4% of the about 48,000 technological projects were successful. This is the lowest record success rate in Kickstarter categories.
(Source: European Commission)
10. Games and Technology Make Up Two-thirds of Kickstarter’s $1 Million Campaigns.
Games and technology account for 400 out of the 600 projects on Kickstarter, with a minimum of $1 million in campaigns. Design projects take third place with over 150 successful projects of at least one million dollars or more.
(Source: Crowd Wise)
11. Crowdfunding Projects Achieve Less Than 25% of Their Goals.
Many initiatives have been introduced on crowdfunding platforms, but only 23.3% of these projects have met their goals. Comics and graphic novels are the most successful at 57.2%, gaming at 52.9%, and charities at 48.4%.
(Source: Crowdfunding Center)
12. $295 is the Average Crowdfunding Pledge.
The average pledge in Crowdfunding is $295 across all platforms. Kickstarter has an average commitment of $81, and GoFundMe has a $66 average deposit. Regardless of sources, there are 332 backers for an average successful project.
(Source: Crowdfunding Center)
13. Women Run 47% of Indiegogo Ad Campaigns.
Women own 20% of all companies in the United States. The rate of women in technology keeps increasing. Researchers uncovered that women oversee nearly half of successful Indiegogo campaigns.
14. Using Videos on Campaigns Increases Fundraising.
Including video while conducting a campaign can increase fundraising by an average of 105%. Videos provide the needed information to prospective contributors on who you are, the purpose of funding, the type of business you are involved with, and the benefit of your contribution to fulfilling your goal. Email marketing is an excellent way of communicating with your target audience. It enables you to retain existing contributors and gain new ones by including personalized, relevant, and valuable content.
(Source: Blog Fundly)
15. Most Successful Campaigns Use 11 Days in Preparation.
Carrying adequate research before starting a campaign is very important. A successful campaign involves a good marketing campaign and seeking an efficient support system. An average of 11 days is spent planning a successful campaign.
(Source: Statista)
Statistics of Crowdfunding Donor
Crowdfunding statistics about donors and their donations are given below:
16. 60% of Donors on GoFundMe in 2019 had New Accounts.
Less than a quarter of campaigns held in 2019 by GoFundMe GOT donations from more than one nation. An average of $15 is pledged on each gift to GoFundMe, while $13 is the average donation on a social media campaign. It is the best suitable for persons desiring to start an independent initiative and has experienced a 30% success rate in campaigns.
(Source: Statista)
17. The Most Active GoFundMe Donor Donated 293 Times at 234 Projects and Fundraisers.
In 2021, the highest donor on GoFundMe donated 434 times, the highest donation on any crowdfunding platform. According to research, Ireland has the highest number of generous donors. Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont are the cities with the highest number of generous donors in the United States.
(Source: GoFundMe)
18. The Average Age of Donors in Crowdfunding Platforms is 24 to 35 Years.
Crowdfunding statistics show that funding platform users who donate the most are youths and millennials. Also, 60% of millennials can donate an average of $481 to non-profits yearly. 3 in every 5 young adults interviewed are willing to raise money for the organization that matters to them. About $5.5 was raised for reward and donation crowdfunding, while $2.5 billion was raised for equity crowdfunding. Crowdfunding has contributed $65 billion to the world economy.
(Source: Focus On Business)
19. 28% of Non-profit Donors on Crowdfunding Will Repeat Donations on the Same Campaign.
The average rate of success of a crowdfunding campaign is 22.4%. However, non-profit Crowdfunding has a better success rate as it has more likelihood of repeat donors.
(Source: Yahoo Finance)
Crowdfunding Projections
Crowdfunding statistics of its projection and where it stands in the future are thoroughly examined. Below, you can get hindsight to these predictions:
20. Crowdfunding Campaigns are Expected to Increase to Over 12 Million at the End of 2023.
As per crowdfunding statistics, In 2022, about 6.5 million funding activities were carried out globally. According to findings, about 64% of United States consumers know about crowdfunding platforms. This percentage is expected to grow due to increased crowdfunding campaigns, and projections estimate 12 million campaigns at the end of 2023.
(Source: LinkedIn)
21. The Crowdfunding Market is Estimated to Have a CAGR of 11.2%.
The global crowdfunding market is estimated to experience a continuous rise in successive years at an average CAGR of 11.2%. In the United States, Crowdfunding is projected to have a yearly growth rate of about 3%, bringing the expected amount in 2027 to $1.3 billion.
(Source: Easy Ship)
22. 14% of Yearly Growth is Estimated to Occur in the Crowdfunding Industry from 2021.
At the end of 2022, crowdfunding campaigns and the industry was expected to keep growing to 12 million campaigns. 2018 saw about 6.5 million campaigns, growing 26% in 2019 to 8.72 million. This is likely to be on the rise in the upcoming years.
(Source: Business Wire)
23. 1 New Fundraiser is Added Every 8 Seconds.
With the tool of Crowdfunding, more awareness is being created. A new fundraiser is added to GoFundMe every eight seconds.
(Source: Kickstarter)
Advantages of Crowdfunding
- Access to numerous investors and supporters.
- Growth of audience.
- It gives investors the privilege of participating in launching a new product.
(Source: Investopedia)
Conclusion
Crowdfunding is an effective means of raising funds for a project or business. The platforms are a great way of accumulating millions without debts. However, every campaign requires a great deal of practical planning to be successful. With the yearly increase in money raised by crowdfunding campaigns, countries like the United States have established rules to govern equity crowdfunding.