FUNDRISE

Fundrise helps locals claim ownership in the development of their city. Its first project and the first-ever crowdfunded real estate deal, was the development of acclaimed D.C. restaurant and retail store, Maketto, in 2013. It has grown since then, but its mission of providing people with a simpler, smarter, and more reliable way to invest has remained the same. Today, Fundrise continues to shape the investment industry, creating a new alternative to investing in stocks and bonds. By combining technology with new federal regulations, they have opened up the once-unattainable world of direct private investments to everyone in the US, regardless of net worth. Fundrise was launched in Washington, D.C. in 2012.