Data platform Infabode to get crowdfunding

The information platform has raised 46 percent of its £140,000 target after launching at the MIPIM conference. 

Infabode, an industry information platform, has kick-started a crowdfunding campaign to expand its business

Chief executive officer (CEO) Matthew Partridge, the son of real estate investment management firm Cording’s executive chairman John Partridge, launched the platform at MIPIM in March this year.

Its real estate hub, IB Real Estate Hub, was the first to be launched although, in time, further asset classes are expected to also have dedicated hubs.

The IB Real Estate Hub offers a collection of research, data and news from property sector firms and providers, including PERENews.com. According to Infabode, other providers include Blackstone, Cornerstone, Colony Capital, AEW Europe, Hines and AXA Real Assets.

According to the platform, 60 businesses have already provided information and industry data to the real estate hub. The wider Infabode platform has 9,000 registered users and has received 179,000 unique visits this year so far.

Infabode has a fundraising target of £140,000 for the next stage of its expansion and has so far raised £65,670 from 13 investors, 46 percent of its target – the amount of equity on offer is equal to 13.76 percent of the company. Potential investors can become a shareholder for as little as £10, though Infabode’s largest investor so far has contributed £30,000. The funding campaign will be hosted on Crowdcube, a website dedicated to online crowdfunding.

Partridge said: “Infabode aims to solve the problem of information overload by becoming the go-to place for finding quality research, reports, news and events. With blue-chip research companies already providing information, Infabode is initially focusing on the information gap in the property market.”

“The company is expanding its staff numbers and will be increasing marketing spend to raise further awareness of the platform. We’re looking to prove the concept of having industry information in one place, using the real estate industry before rolling it out into other industries,” Partridge added.

Equity crowdfunding campaigns enable a business to open up shares to the general public through an online platform. The practice has established itself as a new mode of investment in the digital era and is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).