Seedrs to tap investors across EU Seedrs will this week become the first crowdfunding platform for equity investments to allow cross-border fundraising rounds across the EU. The London-based start-up hopes to finance the expansion by reaching out to potential investors through its own platform for the first time. It hopes to raise £500,000 for an 8.8 per cent stake, which would value the business at a little under £5.2m. Jeff Lynn, the company's chief executive, said that raising money to fund its expansion using its own platform "demonstrates our faith in the power of equity crowdfunding and our model." These moves also illustrate the global ambitions of crowdfunding platforms such as London-based Seedrs and the eagerness to be first to market in as many countries as possible. Although Seedrs would be the first equity fundraising platform to offer cross-border investments, other crowdfunding platforms have already opened in multiple countries. US-based Kickstarter, which launched in 2009, is the world's largest crowdfunding platform. It has operations in several countries but the 5.2 million people that have so far offered money to ventures through the system were pledging their cash rather than taking equity stakes. Crowdcube, which like Seedrs is based in London, announced plans on Friday to provide its technology to a crowdfunding platform in Italy, adding to similar agreements it has with operators in New Zealand and Spain. It will launch operations in all three countries in early 2014. Crowdcube has now signed seven such partnership agreements. The joint venture approach gives it a strong local presence while easily meeting approval with local regulators, it claims. Darren Westlake, Crowdcube's co-founder and chief executive, said: "To successfully expand internationally it is vital to have a strong presence at a local level. We have built a well-regarded brand, not just in the UK but abroad . . . However, people who understand the local culture and are already immersed in the start-up and investment scene are critical for success. It is not sufficient simply to build a website and hope that people come. Seedrs differentiates itself from other equity crowdfunding platforms by using a nominee structure, meaning that it remains the representative of the investor throughout the investment rather than each backer becoming a shareholder. It is the UK's most active crowdfunding platform, averaging three deals per month. It was also the first equity crowdfunding platform to receive regulatory approval. Its expansion across Europe theoretically opens its service to 500 million people, providing a deeper pool of investors and more liquidity for its marketplace, Mr Lynn claimed. "In the online world national borders are silly," he said.