Alternative Finance

This book is a comprehensive guide to alternative financing methods, offering insights into emerging trends, the role of FinTech, and the intersection of finance with sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It explores innovative financing channels which have become crucial for startups and businesses.

The alternative financing space has grown exponentially in the last few decades, namely as a consequence of the financial crisis, technological advancement, niche customer segments, and more recently the pandemic. Now, with the inclusion of Fintech, online lenders, crowdfunding, accelerators, venture capitalists, or angel investors, this funding channel is no longer seen as a substitute for formal financing, but rather a core one. This book is a comprehensive guide to alternative financing methods, offering insights into emerging trends, the role of FinTech, and the intersection of finance with sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

It fills a knowledge gap by exploring innovative financing channels such as fintech, green finance, and venture capital as well as other non-traditional ways of raising funds, which have become crucial for startups and businesses. It discusses the impact of financial technology (FinTech) on these methods and their function in supporting entrepreneurship and sustainable business, while also examining the implications of these technological advancements in the wider financial sector. It addresses challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs and explores how alternative financing options can support growth and innovation, particularly in the context of environmentally and socially focused ventures, including how to integrate economic, social, and environmental considerations. The emphasis on sustainability and green finance aligns with the growing global concern for responsible business practices and the Sustainable Development Goals.

While the primary audience for the book is scholars, researchers, and students, the inclusion of case studies, and the exploration of various financing options, extends practical cues for policymakers and practitioners and contributes to the understanding of how finance, entrepreneurship, and sustainability intersect in real-world business scenarios.

Autorentext

Mina Fanea-Ivanovici is a Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics and Economic Policies, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania.

Hasnan Baber is an Assistant Professor of Management, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, School of Business Administration, American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Inhalt

1. Introduction to Alternative Finance Part 1. Alternative financing method of entrepreneurship. 2. Innovative Entrepreneurship through Alternative Finance: A Framework for Sustainable and Innovative Business Models 3. A Nexus of Digital Entrepreneurship and Industry 5.0 4. Political Entrepreneurship as an Emerging Trend: An Exploration of its Role as an Alternative Financing Method for Entrepreneurship 5. Rural Micro-entrepreneurship and asset management assistance by a Local Civil Society Organization: An Exploratory Case Study on the Specificities and practicalities Part 2. Alternative financing method of sustainable business models. 6. Gen Z attitude and willingness to use FinTech's services 7. Innovation and Sustainability of the Business Models: From Experiences to Financial Impacts 8. Decoding the Green Finance for India's Sustainable Growth 9. Circular Economy Entrepreneurs: Redefining Business Models for Sustainability 10. Alternative and Sustainable Financial Instruments for a Circular Economy: An Overview of Innovative Models 11. Assembling climate governing and financing actions in Kenya's large-scale renewable energy market Part 3. Alternative Funding Options 12. Is alternative finance conclusively a feasible option in the contemporary financial world? 13. Complementary Signaling Environment in the Context of Blockchain-Based Venture Financing Pitch Competitions - Catalyzing Innovation through Alternative Funding 14. Pitch Competitions - Catalyzing Innovation through Alternative Funding 15. FinTech acceptance and usage by the microentrepreneurs: An exploratory qualitative assessment in Egypt **Part 4. Case Studies 16. Entrepreneurship and Alternative finance models: The potential to increase access to capital for entrepreneurs and small business enterprises in West African Francophone Countries 17. Alternate Financing Strategies for Innovative Entrepreneurs - A Study on Indian SMEs 18. The sociopsychological meanings of financial aid: A metaphoric analysis in Vietnam