The startup ecosystem is boiling. Every week we read, also in the general press, news that refer to the start of new instruments to finance startup, almost always technology-based, to investment and divestment operations, often with gigantic capital gains. It is a young, growing microsystem that already has its gurus, small circles of influence that result from a very good work have done with a relevant market place, a market, but still very small.
Pending the publication of the 2016 data of ASCRI and AEBAN, Spanish entities that group companies and institutions of risk capital and business angels, we believe that it will foreseeably show a significant growth compared to the data of 2015, which already showed a very important growth. But they will still keep us at extremely low rates if we put them in relation to the total volume of spanish savings accumulated (in stock). If from the data of 2015 it was derived that only 0.03% of the savings are allocated to these activities, the year 2016 is sure to appreciate an improvement, but that will put us still far from where it should.
Certainly the investor prefers to still invest in stock market, collective equity investment instruments, real estate… instruments in general, known, very high risk in many cases, and that already experience once again intense growth of profitability (apparent) although in a scenario of high volatility that is not necessary to describe.
The investor feels little attracted to the startup ecosystem because it considers that it requires a high degree of specialization, which is high risk (in fact, it is like a gamble) and is not within reach, much less, of all. And he is right: the instruments that dominate today the (relatively small) startup investment market generally meet these characteristics.
We continue to say that we all lose out: the promoters of entrepreneurial initiatives, who find it so difficult to finance themselves, investors, who find fewer opportunities than the talent of society could offer and society in general. And we persist in our approach: a new formulation of the investment proposal is possible: safe, profitable, interesting, with tangible impacts on the immediate environment … a proposal that could allow to mobilize many more resources from speculative finance with Contributions of value more than debatable than the real productive economy.
Something very necessary, by the way.