Female-led PledgeMe makes crowdfunding history

An Advance Queensland Hot DesQ participant has become the only female-led equity crowdfunding platform to be licensed in Australia.

PledgeMe, which relocated to Queensland from New Zealand in October 2017, was also the first Queensland-based business and one of only nine across Australia so far to secure one of the groundbreaking licences from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission early this year.

Innovation Minister Kate Jones said Queensland had a growing number of powerful female innovators and entrepreneurs working to build the future of the state.

“Licences to crowdfund are particularly rare in Australia — it’s great that we’ve been able to lure PledgeMe to Queensland to help local companies raise funds for new ventures,” she said.

“We know there is a disproportionate number of male CEOs and founders in the start-up world so it’s also great to back Australia’s only female-led crowdfunding provider.

“PledgeMe are working hard to give women in Queensland a leg-up with their start-up ideas — they have raised $26 million for start-ups to date, with half their successful equity and lending campaigns having female CEOs.

“Through our Advance Queensland Hot DesQ program, we’re attracting some of the world’s best innovators to our state by providing funding, free coworking space, access to new markets, connections and customers and support from a range of corporate partners.

“We’re committed to investing in innovation to create the jobs of the future in Queensland.

“That’s why we’ve committed more than half a billion dollars to our Advance Queensland fund to support companies like PledgeMe to thrive in our state.”

Jones said the Palaszczuk government has a strong history of promoting gender equity among start-ups.

“On International Women’s Day this year we announced the Advance Queensland Female Founders Program — a $3 million investment to support Queensland’s female entrepreneurs,” she said.

Founded in New Zealand, PledgeMe offers project, equity and lending-based crowdfunding to support a variety of objectives from social enterprises to craft beer companies. It was one of 28 start-ups that successfully competed for the chance to relocate to Queensland under the second round of the Palaszczuk government’s Advance Queensland Hot DesQ initiative.

The start-ups were from nine countries, including the US, Chile, Canada, Switzerland and the UK — as well as from Victoria and New South Wales.

PledgeMe CEO Anna Guenther said that Queensland is an optimal location for start-ups.

“We chose to move to Queensland because of the Hot DesQ program and decided to stay because of the Queenslanders we met during our six months here,” Guenther said.

“The local support has been amazing. There’s a real focus on relationships, helping each other and collaboration.”

PledgeMe plans to launch its first equity crowdfunding campaign in Australia in July.

Hot DesQ is an initiative of Advance Queensland, part of the $650 million initiative to transform Queensland’s economy, create the jobs of the future and build Queensland’s reputation as a global innovation and investment destination.

Hot DesQ recipients receive up to $100,000 to relocate to Queensland for six months at a Queensland start-up host organisation.

The third round of Hot DesQ funding will open later in 2018. Potential applicants may register their interest by emailing hotdesq@ditid.qld.gov.au.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Sergey Nivens

Please follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe for FREE to our weekly newsletter and quarterly magazine.