Jeff Annison

These portals will be similar to Kickstarter -- companies will post videos and information about their offerings, and if you like what you see, you can invest, the difference is that while Kickstarter is strictly rewards based (i.e. your money is essentially a donation in exchange for a reward or a pre-sale version of the product), the companies on these new platforms will be selling equity or debt financing. If these companies are successful, you stand to make money.

Venture capitalists and angel investors focus on companies with home-run potential. You might have a great little profitable company with dedicated customers, but if you don’t have the potential for a billion-dollar IPO or acquisition, a VC or angel isn’t likely to be interested. That said, your community of customers might be very receptive to investing.