Aeri Lee (Barun ICT Research Center, Yonsei University)​

Alongside the FinTech industry’s prospects for progress is a growing interest in crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is a term that originates from crowdsourcing and offers an environment for many individuals to contribute to bringing funding projects to life.

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Loan crowdfunding does not use existing financial institutions and provides a platform that connects the borrower and investor to allow individuals to trade lendable funds. Although loan crowdfunding has surfaced as a new alternative for investments, there has not been sufficient relevant research.

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The following research focused on investor characteristics in crowdfunding platforms as influences on crowdfunding investment participation and the characteristics of funding projects. The influence of these factors on the willingness to participate and participation behavior in general (amount and number of times funded) were analyzed.

Research results showed that investors were more willing to participate when the platform was
stable and the security system was well equipped for safe trade. Investor participation was more active when there was a greater general expectation to be compensated and an accommodating environment for investments. Moreover, for project funding attempts, projects that had attracted funding more than twice were preferred over first attempts at investments.