Cashing in on crowds

Crowdfunding sites catch on in Asia, helping projects develop through online contributions

It may still be in its infancy in most of Asia, but crowdfunding could generate more than $96 billion from around the world over the next decade - and $50 billion from China alone.

The idea is to reach out to large groups of people to raise money for entrepreneurial, charity or artistic ventures. Investors can contribute cash to projects of their choice through a number of crowdfunding websites.