Enhancing Crowdfunding Awareness through Financial Education: Evidence from Slovakia

" Objective - This paper aims to examine the awareness and utilisation of crowdfunding as an alternative funding instrument for innovative projects and start-ups in Slovakia, with particular attention to the willingness of enterprises and the general public to use or support crowdfunding. The paper also aims to identify the principal barriers to wider crowdfunding adoption and to propose measures through financial education that could increase awareness, trust, and willingness to participate in crowdfunding activities. Methodology - The paper employs a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The qualitative component is based on structured interviews comprising eight open-ended questions conducted with three selected Slovak enterprises operating in different regions: GymBeam, Avex electronics, and Volita Group. The quantitative component consists of a questionnaire survey conducted among the Slovak population. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed, of which 112 valid responses were obtained, representing a response rate of 74.66%. The questionnaire contained 12 questions addressing crowdfunding awareness, willingness to support crowdfunding projects, decision-making factors, barriers, and preferred areas of innovation. The collected data were evaluated using qualitative and quantitative analysis, synthesis, and comparison. Findings - The findings indicate that awareness of crowdfunding exists among the Slovak population, although its practical utilisation remains limited. Overall, 68.7% of respondents reported some awareness of crowdfunding, while 66.9% expressed a willingness to support a crowdfunding project. Furthermore, 73.3% perceived crowdfunding as an important or very important funding option for the future. The principal barriers identified were insufficient public awareness (40.2%), lack of trust in crowdfunding projects (34.8%), and legislative and legal barriers (25.0%). Among the interviewed enterprises, crowdfunding was perceived primarily as a complementary funding and marketing tool supporting innovation, community building, and brand awareness, whereas traditional funding sources were still considered more reliable. The findings highlight the relevance of financial literacy, trust, and openness to innovative forms of financing in supporting crowdfunding participation. In practical terms, the results indicate the need for greater financial education, transparent communication, credible crowdfunding platforms, and improved awareness among both enterprises and potential contributors. The proposed ""Crowdfunding Academy Slovakia – Invest in the future"" provides an educational framework aimed at strengthening financial literacy, trust, and willingness to support innovative projects. Novelty - The paper contributes to the crowdfunding literature by combining evidence from Slovak enterprises with empirical insights from the general public and by linking crowdfunding awareness with financial education in the Slovak context. Its contribution lies in translating the identified barriers and opportunities into practical educational and awareness-building measures that may support the development of crowdfunding as an alternative funding mechanism for innovation and start-ups in Slovakia. Type of Paper - Empirical"