Crowdsourcing has become the latest in doing, well, anything. Asking the collective wisdom of those around you is completely in vogue, especially in the realm of supporting projects and industrial enterprises. Kickstarter began what has become a revolution in supporting artists and fledgling entrepreneurs. Following the success of Kickstarter, VentureHealth, an online healthcare investment portal for accredited investors, announced a new venue for equity crowd funding.  

VentureHealth’s concept is focused on innovations that improve clinical outcomes and would be the first equity crowd funding portal founded by professional investors. The investment platform is targeting qualified investors with access to opportunities that were once reserved for venture capitalists. On the surface, the idea has merit. Startups and ideas that would otherwise fall to the wayside now can at least get in front of investors, and then those with money can decide if the idea is worth an investment.

Only then it ceases to be crowdsourced, when other influences get in way, like fame and a corporate name. Kickstarter has pioneered a great concept, there is no doubt. It elevates ideas that cannot get attention or the consideration they deserve, and it gives a platform to the artist who cannot find a voice, or to the developer who cannot get corporate interest. Yet when larger corporations and well known stars promote or create their own crowdsourced projects, how then do the little guys compete? The money will start rolling in as the projects start taking off and unless VentureHealth plans to keep larger corporations out, startups will have to compete with them again to get attention to their project. So what will have changed?

Crowdsourced funding brings with it a unique set of problems that range between tax issues and ethical behavior but these problems do not necessarily invalidate the idea. Crowd funding platforms bring benefits such as bypassing gatekeepers and allowing attention that was once only available to those with contacts and resources. In similar fashion, e-books changed how independent authors can make money without the Big Five of publishing. Should crowd funding concepts be kept to startups and independents or should any idea no matter who it is from be allowed to use them?