a2censo Expands Crowdfunding Access for SMEs and New Investors

Since 2019, the Colombian Stock Exchange (bvc) has created an alternative that brings the market closer to small and medium-sized enterprises, providing investment alternatives from low amounts and designed to support the growth of these businesses.

This is a2censo, the crowdfunding platform where companies can request resources through campaigns and which allows any individual, with or without investment experience, to participate in the financing of these processes.

The balance since its creation is positive because, according to the platform’s website, more than 226 campaigns have been carried out, including companies that are currently prominent, such as Habi or more recently the Bruder craft brewery.

In figures, since a2censo $116.257 million has been mobilized, in which nearly 15,000 investors have participated throughout the 6 years of operation of this mechanism.

Recently, this platform underwent a change in its leadership, as Andrea Mosquera Gómez assumed its Directorship , with the objective of taking a2censo to the next level in the collaborative financing ecosystem in Latin America, within the framework of the integration of nuam.

a2censo funding for more entities: foreigners will be able to participate

The Financial Superintendency of Colombia recently approved a modification to the a2censo regulations, which opens the door to more entities receiving co-financing.

Now, independent estates, closed collective investment funds, private equity funds, and securitization processes, among others, will be able to participate through the debt modality.

According to the authorization, a total of 10 types of entities can be financed from this platform:

Public limited companies
Simplified joint-stock companies
Limited liability companies
Limited partnerships
General partnerships
Non-profit entities
Independent estates
Closed-end collective investment funds
Private equity funds
Securitization processes

Another authorization enables foreign companies that develop productive projects in Colombia to access financing through a2censo.

The resolution states that, in order to achieve their affiliation, the aforementioned entities must comply with and demonstrate the following requirements:

Be a resident in Colombia, unless the objective of the productive investment project for which they are requesting financing is developed entirely within Colombian territory.

In addition, the bvc will be able to determine the economic activities or acceptance requirements of the entities that can obtain financing through the platform.

Role of a2censo in the integrated market

With the integration of the Colombian, Chilean, and Peruvian stock markets into nuam, the role of a2censo is being rethought to operate jointly with other financing alternatives on the peer exchanges.

In a past dialogue with Valora Analitik, Juan Pablo Córdoba, CEO of nuam, explained that the integrated market wants to continue supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs depending on their stage of development in order to define what kind of capital they need or if they want it to be debt.

The Santiago Stock Exchange has Scalex, a similar mechanism, but designed for larger companies with the potential to enter the equity trading market, with the support of a sponsor to help them grow.

Together with a2censo, the two platforms seek to offer different options for companies located in the three countries, responding to the needs of each one.

In this context, the Colombian Stock Exchange’s co-financing platform will undergo multiple changes to expand the types of entities that can be co-financed, as well as opening the door to international companies operating in the country.

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(Featured image by Jakub Zerdicki via Unsplash)

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First published in VALORA ANALITIK . A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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