Greencrowd
Greencrowd (Stichting Greencrowd), founded 2012 in the Netherlands, operated an AFM-supervised crowdfunding marketplace financing sustainable energy projects for municipalities, housing corporations, and sports clubs via retail investor loans, with proprietary risk ratings and zero write-offs across €15.2M placed. Platform origination ceased March 2022 after activities transferred to GreenFund Holland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersBroek Op Langedijk, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Greencrowd does
Greencrowd (legal entity: Stichting Greencrowd) is a Dutch foundation (stichting) founded in mid-2012 that operated a crowdfunding marketplace connecting retail investors ("crowdfunders") with societal organizations (municipalities, schools, sports clubs, housing corporations, hospitals) seeking debt financing for sustainable energy projects in the Netherlands. The web-based platform facilitated direct loan agreements between investors and project-owning organizations, with investor funds safeguarded through a separate entity, Stichting Derdengelden Greencrowd, holding escrow under AFM supervision. Under AFM exemption no. 19000008 (obtained February 2014), Greencrowd applied a proprietary multi-factor risk classification model that rated each project A+ through F based on borrower creditworthiness (via Creditsafe), debt-service coverage ratios, capital ratios, project phase, and collateral/guarantees.
Greencrowd generated transaction-based revenue primarily through closing commissions (3% on debt financings up to €500,000, 2% above, with €1,500-€15,000 minimums; €100 placement fee), per-investor annual administration fees, and a 2% annual fee on cooperative/equity crowdfunding. Supplementary revenues came from fixed-price advisory engagements on project structuring and from per-panel pricing on the APK (MOT) solar inspection service. Beyond the core crowdfunding marketplace, Greencrowd operated two €20 million dedicated investment funds targeting rooftop solar on civic buildings, and ran the Evensnelladen sub-brand for smart EV charging investments. The platform accumulated 46 financed projects, 461 crowdfunders (34% repeat), €15.2 million in cumulative crowdfunding, €6,156 average ticket size, and a 4.78% reported net investor yield with zero write-offs since inception.
In 2021, GreenFund Holland acquired the platform's activities, and Stichting Greencrowd ceased originating new projects effective 1 March 2022 while continuing to administer its €5.7 million outstanding loan portfolio. The 1-10 employee foundation, headquartered in Woudenberg with a Heiloo office, counted Greenspread (18-person project developer) as its primary origination partner and maintained senior co-financing relationships with ING Bank, BNG Bank, and ASN Groenprojectenfonds, alongside multiple local energy cooperatives acting as channel partners.
Greencrowd firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Greencrowd
- Legal name
- Stichting Greencrowd
- Website
- https://greencrowd.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Greencrowd (Stichting Greencrowd), founded 2012 in the Netherlands, operated an AFM-supervised crowdfunding marketplace financing sustainable energy projects for municipalities, housing corporations, and sports clubs via retail investor loans, with proprietary risk ratings and zero write-offs across €15.2M placed. Platform origination ceased March 2022 after activities transferred to GreenFund Holland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Greencrowd industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Energy Crowdfunding
- NAICS
- Other Financial Vehicles (52599)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Energy Efficiency & Green Retrofit Financing (FSALAHAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure) (FSAAALAG), Energy & Power Infrastructure Funds (Generation, Transmission, Storage) (FSANAEAB)
Keywords
Where Greencrowd is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Broek Op Langedijk
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Greencrowd business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Crowdfunding Platform Fees (Project Owners): Greencrowd charges project-owning organizations fees for placing projects on its platform. For debt financing: one-time placement fee of €100, plus 3% closing commission on amounts up to €500,000 (minimum €1,500) or 2% for amounts from €500,000+ (minimum €15,000), plus €2 per investor per tranche per year for annual payment administration or €4 per investor per tranche per year for quarterly payments. For equity crowdfunding via cooperative model: similar closing commissions, plus 2% of invested capital per year for cooperative representation and administration (minimum €4,000/year).
- Advisory and Structuring Services: Greencrowd provides advisory services to organizations on structuring and financing sustainable energy projects, including project development advisory, business case modeling, financial projections, sensitivity analysis, lender approach, and project management through to successful financing. Fixed pricing for advisory engagements.
- Solar Panel APK Services: Fees for the APK (MOT) inspection service for solar panel installations, with pricing per panel varying by system size and a minimum per system. Optimization services are offered on a no-cure-no-pay basis, charging 20% of the extra yield vs. baseline for three years.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Debt Crowdfunding: 3% closing commission + €100 placement fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Equity/Cooperative Crowdfunding: 2% closing commission |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Solar Panel APK (MOT): per-panel pricing varying by system size |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Advisory: Fixed-price engagements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Greencrowd product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Greencrowd runs an online crowdfunding marketplace that matches Dutch individual retail investors with developers of sustainable energy projects seeking debt or equity project finance. The foundation intermediates capital raises for solar, wind, biomass, energy-savings, and electric-transport initiatives, complemented by advisory services to project initiators, an Evensnelladen EV-charging offering, the APK voor zonnepanelen solar-panel audit, and two internally managed green investment funds of €20 million each.
Product overview
Greencrowd operates as a crowdfunding platform for sustainable energy projects, functioning as a foundation (Stichting) regulated by the Dutch Authority for Financial Markets (AFM). The core offering is the Greencrowd crowdfunding platform, which connects project developers with investors for sustainable energy financing. Related offerings include Evensnelladen (smart EV charging stations), APK voor zonnepanelen (solar panel inspection services), project financing services, advisory consulting, and investment funds for solar panel projects. The platform was established in 2012 and transitioned to GreenFund Holland around 2022.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Evensnelladen: An initiative of Greencrowd Energy focused on investments in smart, fast charging points for electric and hybrid vehicles. Uses Chargepoint smart charging stations and offers bi-directional charging. Part of the crowdfunding platform of Stichting Greencrowd under AFM supervision.
Products and services
- Greencrowd Crowdfunding Platform AFM-registered online marketplace that intermediates debt and equity financing between Dutch individual retail investors and developers of sustainable energy projects (solar, wind, biomass, energy savings, electric transport).
- Evensnelladen (EV charging service) Electric transport and EV-charging service offering associated with Greencrowd's sustainable mobility portfolio for Dutch project developers and mobility partners.
- APK voor zonnepanelen (Solar panel audit) Inspection and audit service for solar panel installations, providing owners and project developers with a standardised health and performance check analogous to the automotive APK framework.
- Project Financing Advisory Advisory service for project initiators structuring debt or equity issuances on the Greencrowd platform, supporting Dutch sustainable energy developers through capital raise preparation and execution.
- GreenCrowd Investment Funds (2 × €20M) Two internally managed green investment funds of €20 million each that aggregate Dutch retail capital for deployment into sustainable energy projects via the Greencrowd platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- €15,210,336 total crowdfunded across 46 projects with 461 crowdfunders, 34% repeat investment rate, €6,156 average investment
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Greencrowd
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Greencrowd technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
Greencrowd partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- GreenFund HollandflagshipGreenFund Holland acquired the activities of Stichting Greencrowd in 2021/2022, continuing the sustainable energy crowdfunding platform under new ownership. Founder Jaco Leijdekker leads GreenFund Holland, which brings a guarantee capital system and plans significant growth in sustainable project offerings. The acquisition transfers all existing crowdfunders and lending relationships to GreenFund Holland.
- GreenspreadcoreGreenspread is the primary project developer partner, responsible for a large share of Greencrowd's project pipeline. Multiple projects including Zonnepark A58, Tien zonprojecten, Scheepsbouwloods NDSM, and Greenspread Solar have been financed through the Greencrowd platform. Greenspread operates from Woudenberg with 18 employees and works across energy savings, production, and storage projects.
- Vrij op NaamcoreCo-developer with Greenspread of the Zonnepark A58 project — the longest solar park in the Netherlands. Vrij op Naam brings an innovative ownership model (energy sold locally at cost) and partners with local cooperatives for project distribution.
- DuurSaam Etten-LeurminorLocal energy cooperative in Etten-Leur that co-developed the Zonnepark A58 project and enables local residents in specific postal codes to invest and benefit from the solar park first.
- Scholt Energy ControlminorEnergy company contracted by Greencrowd's investment funds to supply energy under long-term contracts for solar panel installations. Investors in Greencrowd funds can choose fixed lease payments or pay-per-kWh through Scholt Energy Control.
- Lingewaard EnergieminorLocal energy cooperative that Greencrowd is helping develop a floating solar park on an irrigation water basin. Greencrowd assists with project development and crowdfunding.
- BENG!minorEnergy cooperative that Greencrowd helped develop a ground-mounted solar park on watershed land. Greencrowd provided development support and crowdfunding for Peel Energie.
- Peel EnergieminorGreencrowd raised €50,000 for Peel Energie's solar panel financing via its crowdfunding platform, helping the cooperative fund sustainable energy projects.
- Achterhoekse Groene Energie Maatschappij (AGEM)minorRegional sustainable energy company in the Achterhoek region. Greencrowd's director Jan Willem Zwang was the initiator (kwartiermaker) for AGEM's founding, establishing a long-term advisory relationship.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Greencrowd competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Geldvoorelkaar: One of the larger Dutch crowdfunding platforms for SME lending, AFM-registered. Overlaps with Greencrowd on the platform model and Dutch retail-investor audience, but operates across all SME sectors rather than focusing on sustainable energy.
- ASN Bank: Dutch sustainable bank and explicit partner of Greencrowd (ASN Groenprojectenfonds holds senior position in Zonnepark A58). Comparable as a large-scale sustainable-finance incumbent that supplies institutional capital alongside crowd tranches in the Dutch green-financing ecosystem.
- Triodos Bank: Dutch sustainable bank with a broad portfolio of green lending and project finance products. Comparable as a major institutional source of sustainable finance in the Netherlands, including senior debt that frequently sits above Greencrowd's subordinated crowd tranches in project structures.
- CrowdAboutNow: Dutch crowdfunding platform with a broader mandate across SME and project lending. Comparable as a marketplace operator with overlapping regulatory regime (AFM-registered) and similar Dutch retail-investor base, though it does not specialize exclusively in sustainable energy.
Direct peers
- Zonnepanelen Delen: Dutch crowdfunding platform specializing in solar panel projects for households, businesses, and municipalities. Closest direct peer in terms of product (solar project financing), target customer base (Dutch retail investors), and business model (debt-based crowd-investment with risk-graded tranches).
- Oneplanetcrowd: Dutch sustainable crowdfunding platform (formerly known as Symbid) focused on impact-driven SME and sustainability projects. Directly comparable niche competitor in the Dutch sustainable crowd-investment space, although it has experienced operational difficulties that mirror broader market risks in this segment.
- Duurzaam Investeren: Dutch sustainable-investment/crowdfunding platform offering impact investments in renewable energy and sustainability projects. Directly comparable as a domestic crowd-investment channel focused on green and social projects for retail Dutch investors.
- GreenFund Holland: Direct successor entity that acquired Stichting Greencrowd's platform activities in 2021. Operates the same Dutch sustainable-energy crowdfunding marketplace with the same founder/operator lineage, the same investor base, and an added guarantee-capital system. It is the most directly comparable peer because it is, in effect, the continuation of the Greencrowd business model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Greencrowd social profiles
Digital presenceGreencrowd compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Greencrowd financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Greencrowd leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Greencrowd funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Greencrowd M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Greencrowd
What does Greencrowd do?
Greencrowd runs an online crowdfunding marketplace that matches Dutch individual retail investors with developers of sustainable energy projects seeking debt or equity project finance. The foundation intermediates capital raises for solar, wind, biomass, energy-savings, and electric-transport initiatives, complemented by advisory services to project initiators, an Evensnelladen EV-charging offering, the APK voor zonnepanelen solar-panel audit, and two internally managed green investment funds of €20 million each.
Is Greencrowd a public or private company?
Greencrowd is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Greencrowd founded?
Greencrowd was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Greencrowd based?
Greencrowd is headquartered in Broek Op Langedijk, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Greencrowd make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Crowdfunding Platform Fees (Project Owners) is the primary driver. The others are advisory and Structuring Services and solar Panel APK Services.
Who are Greencrowd's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Geldvoorelkaar, ASN Bank, Triodos Bank and CrowdAboutNow. Direct peers are Zonnepanelen Delen, Oneplanetcrowd, Duurzaam Investeren and GreenFund Holland.
Does Greencrowd have an API?
No public API is recorded for Greencrowd.
What industry is Greencrowd in?
Greencrowd's product category is Sustainable Energy Crowdfunding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSALAHAK, Energy Efficiency & Green Retrofit Financing, with a secondary code of FSAAALAG, Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure). Its NAICS code is 52599 and its SIC code is 6159.