Physics Department
University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3RH
UK
In the past 5 years there has been an explosion of interest in a new way to raise capital for projects for entrepreneurs and start-ups: Crowdfunding. It has seen projects as diverse as video games consoles, television series and even breweries opening around the world, and allows the general public the chance to become intimately involved with the projects that they back.
‘Cosy’ is a home environment-control product developed by Green Energy Options (GEO) that was successfully launched on Kickstarter in 2013, raising over £20,000. Since then Cosy has been going from strength to strength, even with tough competition from the likes of Nest and Tado.
Simon Anderson, the Chief Strategy Officer of GEO, will coming to discuss how Crowdfunding is allowing for a fundamental shift in how small companies and start-ups can launch their products. He will discuss the unique challenges that Crowdfunding creates, the many advantages, and ultimately how it is allowing rapid technological change across a range of industries.