Australia’s equity crowdfunding scene experienced a record-breaking 2021-22 financial year, with gathering economic storm clouds doing little to deter investors in recent months, according to a new Birchal report.
In its new rundown of the Australian equity crowdfunding scene, released Tuesday, the company found platforms like Birchal, Equitise, OnMarket, and others hosted 98 successful offers raising $86 million.
Those numbers show dollar-figure investment was up 82% on the year prior, represent the largest single-year figures in the Australian sector’s short history.
Highlights included Zero Co., whose October 2021 Birchal campaign became the most successful in Australian history when it hit $5 million in investment in just a few hours.
The success of medicinal cannabis startup Montu was another high point, with its $3.5 million Birchal raise in November contributing to $267 million in startup funding awarded over one massive week.
Top-line figures also suggest investor appetite for equity crowdfunding remained solid despite turning economic sentiment spooking the overall market for startup funding.
Q4 saw the sector book 26 successful offers totalling $28.3 million in funding, marking the biggest quarter in Australia’s equity crowdfunding scene to date.
Propping up that figure was the $3 million Birchal raised, using its own platform to reach would-be investors.
While the growth of Australia’s equity crowdfunding scene is remarkable in its own right, the kind of businesses benefiting from platforms like Birchal and Equitise is less surprising.
Food and beverage companies led the way with 33 successful offers, more than triple that of the next-most successful category of sustainability-focused startups.
Craft breweries led the charge, with operations like Black Hops, Spinifex, and Bridge Road Brewers all taking advantage of Australia’s thirst for investment in scale-up beer operations.
Beyond the financial year just passed, the equity crowdfunding scene will be looking for the next Threadheads to keep its record-breaking funding run alive.
You can access the full report here.
Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
