Nav Athwal was a founder and CEO of RealtyShares; the company has raised over $500 million for real estate deals and is one of the leaders in the real estate crowdfunding space; Crowdfund Insider spoke to Athwal who stated, “RealtyShares is in the strongest position it’s ever been in. The company is moving from the build phase to the scale phase of its lifecycle. To best position RealtyShares for the future, I made the decision to transition out of my role as CEO to a new role on the Board of Directors. I asked Ed Forst to take on the role of interim CEO, while we look for a permanent CEO who will fit the culture and profile we’re seeking. I am still very much a part of RealtyShares and will be actively involved in strategic decision-making. I am looking forward to supporting the company in this new capacity and getting back into principal real estate investing and agribusiness. As I begin to work on additional projects, I will be sure to let you know.” Source
Nav announced a partnership with Marcus by Goldman Sachs to offer SMB owners lines of credit through machine learning on the platform.
Student loan servicer Navient has acquired fintech firm Earnest for $155mn; the motivation behind the deal will pave the way for Navient to enter the lending business; “We’re looking to be the major player in the student loan refi space,” said Navient CEO Jack Remondi in an interview with the WSJ. Source.
The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA) has published a report providing insight on the country's crowdfunding market; identifies a need for regulation that will help support the industry's growth while also setting standards for the market overall; predicts transaction value of $190 million for 2016; says the industry has grown 48% from 2013 to 2015. Source