Critical analysis of crowdfunding as an entrepreneurial tool in the particular case of Portugal

• Autor(a) principal: Soveral, Gonçalo Cabrita Maciel
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/9105
• topic: Crowdfunding; Microfinance; Empreendedorismo -- Entrepreneurship; Crowdsourcing; Microfinança; Empreendedorismo -- Entrepreneurship

Crowdfunding is a new way of financing any type of entrepreneurial project that innovates by using the crowd as its source of finance, communicating through the internet, and in this way reaching a larger audience. Crowdfunding has its origins in the concepts of Microfinance and Crowdsourcing. The rewards given to investors assume the form of financial, material or intangible recompenses. The current economic situation in Europe and particularly in Portugal renders the study of alternative sources of finance, such as Crowdfunding, of the upmost importance. The fact that Crowdfunding is a very recent phenomenon and has been subject of little academic research, especially in the case of Portuguese Crowdfunding, adds to the need of further study on the subject. It is in this context that this work will attempt to answer the following research questions: What variables / business attributes have a relevant influence in a Crowdfunding campaign in the specific case of Portugal? To what amount of capital is it currently viable for a company/start-up to use Crowdfunding in Portugal? What kind of projects are more likely to engage the Portuguese public and gain its input (both financial and of other types)? This research will provide extensive literature review on the Crowdfunding theme, its origins, evolution, and current state, will provide contextualization for the case of Portugal, and will analyze data from the largest Crowdfunding platform in Portugal in order to answer the research questions.