Investment Crowdfunding Becomes GlobalCrowdfunding is going viral around the globe.

Earlier in the month, I had the opportunity to attend the Berkeley Symposium on Crowdfunding hosted by Richard Swart. It seems the rest of the world is leading the way. Australia and the UK, with much of the rest of Western Europe following closely behind, have passed investment crowdfunding legislation. Most recently, Malaysia just legalized investment crowdfunding.

At the Berkeley Symposium, Swart said, “Since our first conference last year, we have seen an explosion in interest in crowdfunding and alternative finance from policy makers, academic experts, governments and think tanks around the world. As the leading research center in the field we have been privileged to get early access to these new tools and data sets that are shedding light on how this industry is transforming entrepreneurship, innovation and early stage capital formation globally.”

A World Bank report indicated that globally investment crowdfunding will soon reach $95 billion annually

Investment crowdfunding conducted under Title II of the JOBS Act as implemented under SEC Regulation D 506(c), allows for “general solicitation” of securities offerings under the rule. According to Chris Tyrrell, CEO of OfferBoard, the tally of such deals already reaches into the tens of billions.

Gust, a portal that is among the largest accredited investor equity crowdfunding sites, recently announced a partnership with El Observatorio Nacional Del Emprendedor (One). CEO David Rose said in a statement regarding the announcement, “ONE is a key driver in the creation of a successful startup ecosystem in Mexico, and we are thrilled to help contribute to the growth of the startup community and its early-stage investors. Our strategic partnership will enable any entrepreneur and venture capital firm in Mexico to connect and manage the investment relationship, from initial pitch to successful exit.”