Female entrepreneurs and the investors who back them get a boost today with the launch of a new regulated platform called AllBright. The minimum investment is £500 and the focus will be on businesses that qualify for the Enterprise and Seed Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS and SEIS)  

Equity crowdfunding rounds can get a big boost when a high-profile investor backs a company. But it can also work other way around: if entrepreneurs approach Mr Big, and Mr (or Ms) Big says 'no thank you' then many members of the crowd may follow - in the opposite direction.

Crowdfunding is the new game in town. and buy-to-let property has been an investment of choice for many years. But could changes in tax relief be about to change investors habits? Will the rental housing gap take money away from the building societies? 

Crowdfunding new product development can be a good idea for investors because it allows you to get some working capital to make a prototype without having to convince people that your product is feasible and sufficiently different to attract customers. If you find  big enough crowd to fund your prototype, your Phase One can be your R&D as well as your market research.

A popular TV programme has decided to raise money from crowdfunding to make a third series, after Channel Four declined to re-commission it.  Is this the start of a trend?

We've already seen companies like Wet Zebra and Unbound do it with books, so why shouldn't the crowd replace TV commissioning?