How to invest in an online Dragons' Den

CROWDFUNDING

Annabelle Williams takes a look at ‘crowdfunding', or alternative investments in early stage companies.

Five years after the financial crisis began unfolding, investors are still digesting the challenges thrown up by this disruptive set of events. Chief among the challenges is how money lending can return to pre-crisis levels, as small businesses rank among many that continue to struggle securing adequate finance. But where there is challenge there is also opportunity, and a number of alternative lenders have stepped in to fill the void left by big banks. George King, head of portfolio strategy, British Isles at RBC Wealth Management, said business funding in the UK could have reached a...