New Zealand's 1st Crowdfunding Platform Hits $50 Million

Today, Wellington-based crowdfunding platform PledgeMe announced that NZ$50 million has been pledged through its website. PledgeMe launched as the first New Zealand-based crowdfunding platform in 2012, and was the first licensed equity crowdfunding provider when the legislation changed in 2014.

Of that $50 million, $38 million is investments into over 50 companies. PledgeMe announced last month that one of its past campaigners, Thankyou Payroll, has paid out its first dividends. It is the first equity crowdfunded company to do so in New Zealand.

Anna Guenther, PledgeMe’s co-founder, is excited for the future of equity crowdfunding in New Zealand and Australia.

She says, “I think these two milestones really show companies that equity crowdfunding can be a viable option for them if they have a crowd of people who love what they do.”

Another PledgeMe alumni, Ethique, was named New Zealand’s fourth fastest growing company in Deloitte’s Fast 50 last year.

PledgeMe has run three of its own equity crowdfunding campaigns, including as the first successful equity campaign on their platform in 2014.

“It’s really important for our crowd, both campaigners and pledgers, to know that PledgeMe has been through the equity crowdfunding process too. That we believe in its potential to grow companies not only because it's our business, but also because we’ve used it to grow ourselves” says PledgeMe CEO Dr Claire McGowan, who joined the team in early 2020.

Medical Kiwi, which has raised close to $1 million so far, is PledgeMe’s most recent equity campaign to launch and has helped the company reach the $50 million mark.

You can view PledgeMe’s updated pledge amounts on its homepage: https://pledgeme.co.nz/

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