Beauhurst's latest edition of The Deal 2018 shows that deal numbers dropped from 1,744 in 2017 to 1,572 in 2018, and amount invested fell from £8.6b to £7b respectively. But this figure is still well up on previous years, and the decline could be interpreted as a "correction" from the unprecedented levels seen in 2017.

Despite the overall downturn, crowdfunding platforms continue to grow with a record year in terms of deal numbers. 

Download the report here