We’ve been throwing the words equity crowdfunding around quite a bit recently. But if you are like us when we first heard the term, then you’re probably thinking, what does it actually mean?

Equity crowdfunding is a new way for everyday humans to invest in a business or brand they love. It has been popular overseas for a number of years but this type of funding has only recently been enabled in Australia by the Corporations Amendment (Crowd-sourced Funding) Act 2017. The first Australian companies didn’t give it a go until January 2018!

Before equity crowdfunding was a thing, all crowdfunding in Australia was donation or reward-based crowdfunding – think Kickstarter, Pozible or ReadyFundGo.

Reward-based crowdfunding, is where people back your campaign with money and receive something in return, usually in the form of a gift. It’s almost like pre-selling your product. It’s a one off transaction between the campaign backer and the company they are supporting.

This is where equity crowdfunding differs. Equity crowdfunding gives investors’ part-ownership (or an equity share) in a business that they fund. The idea is that you can invest an amount you are comfortable with and receive shares in the company in return.

It’s a bit mind-bending though because although we are selling shares in our company you won’t find us on any stock exchange.  

The words equity crowdfunding were first brought to our attention last year when Dad stumbled across it in one of his readings. Since then we have been doing our research trying to see how it would work for us.  

We thought long and hard.  In the end it was the idea of having the community that stands behind us own us that made the decision. Not only are you showing your support for our vision but you get to own a part of our business in return! It also meant that everyday Aussies could buy a piece of our business. You don’t need a fistful of dollars to become an equity investor.

Once we had decided to go ahead with equity crowdfunding we had more questions. These are just some of the main ones we had. What about you guys? We would love to hear them in the comments below!

Who can invest?

Our supporters, advocates, friends, family and everyone in between! Any Australian resident will be able to invest into our company and own shares from as little as $200. Our campaign will allow investments between $200 and $10,000 for non-accredited investors and up to $500,000 for any Sophisticated investors. If you are a Sophisticated investor wishing to invest more than $10,000, signed documentation from your accountant will be required. Please see PledgeMe’s guide here for more information. It means we anticipate that investors will range from Mungalli fanatics and friends, all the way through to Sophisticated start-up investors.

Is it risky?

Investing in any company is risky, but potentially more rewarding if you get in early. Mungalli has been in business for 20 years, has a good track record and is ready to scale up.

Can I sell my shares?

The reality is, with equity crowdfunding shares, particularly in Australia being so early, they are much easier to buy than they are to sell. This is because there isn’t much of a secondary market for crowdfunding shares. The same could be said about most early startup investments. If an investor wanted to sell they would have to find a buyer, they couldn’t just sell them at a brokerage like you can with a publicly listed company. Typically people don’t invest in new startups for a quick turnaround return. It’s more of a long-term proposition. If we were to ever list on the stock exchange or sell the business for example, that’s when investors (crowdfunding or otherwise) could get a return.

How do I actually invest?

We’ve partnered with one of Australia’s leading equity crowdfunding platform – PledgeMe. Once our campaign is live, you will be able to review the offer document and pledge to our campaign. In order to pledge, you need to register as an investor. Here are instructions on how to register and pledge. Make sure to have two forms of ID handy!

What fees does PledgeMe charge investors?

PledgeMe charges no fee for the transaction of making an investment, though if you choose to use your credit card rather than do a bank transfer they will pass on the credit card transaction fee.

Who is PledgeMe?

PledgeMe Pty Ltd ( ABN: 26 622 190 863) is an equity crowdfunding platform authorised and licensed by ASIC (AFSL #503339) to provide their services as an intermediary. They have been operating for over four years in equity crowdfunding in New Zealand as the first licensed platform there, and have been in Queensland for the last 18 months.  

The chance to invest in Mungalli will be available for a limited time, one month from our release date. To find out more about the opportunity, go to   here.

Once the maximum subscription of our allocated shares is reached the offer will close.