Equity crowdfunding is the process whereby individuals or the "crowd" invest in an unlisted company (a company that is not listed on a stock market) in exchange for shares in that company. 
Equity crowdfunding is a great way to match companies who need funding with individuals who wish to invest. Investors become shareholders and have partial ownership of a company. Individuals get a share in the future success of a company they believe in. If the company fails investors can lose some, or all, of their investment.<br>Qardus offers investors the ability to participate in shariah compliant investments by using a musharaka structure to provide funding to SMEs via a commodity murabaha arrangement.&nbsp;<span>&nbsp;Under the Musharaka Agreement&nbsp;the investors are issued shares in an SPV that will be formed to provide the onward financing to the SME. The number of shares issued to each investor will depend upon the amount of capital contributed by that investor – all of the investors' shares will carry the same rights.&nbsp;</span>