Creative minds often lack funds to turn their ideas into reality. Among start-ups, crowdfunding has now established itself as an alternative method of investment, complementing more traditional sources of funding. Specialist platforms such as Aescuvest and Medifundo have been set up in the life sciences sector to provide support to companies wishing to secure capital via crowd funding. Since the end of October 2014, Ecocrowd, has, in turn, strongly promoted the issue of sustainability. Well-known supporters of sustainability such as the Deutsche Umweltstiftung and the Umweltsbundesamt [Federal Environmental Agency] are behind the platform. Meanwhile, the larger crowdfunding platforms such as Seedmatch and Companisto continue to back a diverse range of projects.

GLS made history at the end of January by becoming the first bank to provide a crowd-investing platform. Just as with its traditional banking business, it plans to use it to focus on sustainable ideas in Germany. The online portal GLS Crowd will be operated by GLS Crowdfunding GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of CrowdDesk GmbH. "We're delighted, together with GLS bank, to have reached a new milestone in the digitalisation of traditional banking while also being able to contribute towards sustainability,” explains CrowdDesk Director Johannes Laub.