Crowdfund Insider reports that the annual Alternative Finance & Crowdfunding Barometer compiled by KPMG for the French Crowdfunding Association (Financement Participatif France, FPF) shows that in 2017 the French Alternative Finance market grew by 50 percent, driven by SME lending growth, and came close to the billion euro mark, at €940 million. Crowdfunding, as a subcategory of alternative finance open to retail investors, grew slightly slower at 44%, and equity crowdfunding shrank. The industry hopes that the French government’s policy will help sustain, or even reaccelerate its growth.

The barometer is Alternative Finance & Crowdfunding Barometer is based on surveying 76 platforms.

As before, the Barometer separates alternative lending funded by institutional investors, family offices and selected qualified investors from crowdfunding and crowdlending open to retail investors. In both categories, SME financing is the clear driver of alternative finance growth.

Read last year's report here.