China is currently the front-runner on the global crowdfunding market even though this form of
financing originated in the USA. Crowdfunding in China however differs significantly from its
counterpart in the West. This book reveals that Chinese crowdfunding is a product of the
country's dynamic internet sector which is based on mobile internet e-commerce and online
mobile payments together with significant government support. The author presents a
comprehensive theoretical empirical and field-based work on crowdfunding in China. Adopting a
new institutional economics approach it maps and deciphers the origins and paths of informal
finance that have led to internet finance and the rise of crowdfunding platforms. In addition
three case studies are analyzed and their implications for crowdfunding stakeholders in China
are discussed.
