Into Blockchain-Enabled Businesses To The Asia-Pacific Region And Establishes An Office In Singapore
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Leveraging on its success in Switzerland, BV Ventures is expanding its footprint in Singapore
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By setting up an office in Singapore, BV Ventures is to capitalize on the fast growing blockchain market in the Asian-Pacific region
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BV Ventures is planning to expand its Swiss and European investment note to Asian investors and Asian blockchain enabled businesses
Singapore, November 12, 2018 – Blockchain Valley Ventures (BVV), a Swiss accelerator and venture capital firm offering investment and advisory services for blockchain-enabled businesses, is to expand its footprint to Singapore. Based in the Crypto Valley in Zug, Switzerland, the firm is led by Heinrich Zetlmayer, a former Vice President in IBM Global Business Services and Oliver Bussmann, former UBS and SAP Group CIO; and Lykke Corp. as Partners.
BVV’s strategy for funding new businesses is a hybrid of two different forms of financing, the traditional venture capital model and the newer Security Token Offering (STO) model. The “Hybrid Model” of investing leverages on both traditional and novel financing to help BVV portfolio companies accelerate their growth and business development, offering significant benefits compared to more conventional investment mechanisms. As a champion of this hybrid model, BVV is uniquely positioned to offer support at various stages of development and expansion plans. Within a very short time, BV Ventures has established itself in the Swiss blockchain ecosystem, regarded as one of the most advanced blockchain ecosystems in the world, and has already successfully supported several companies in Switzerland in their token offerings.
BV Ventures services include capital investments, through its own funds and investment vehicles, such as the “Blockchain Investment Opportunities Note” in cooperation with Vicenda Asset Management AG, a global investment boutique with a focus on private debt investing. BV Venture’s blockchain opportunities investment note, has a size of 10 Million CHF today and an initial focus on Swiss and European based investment opportunities. Building upon its successful fund operations, BV Ventures looks forward to expanding and gaining exposure to Asian investment opportunities as well as Asian investors.
Announcing the setting up of its Singapore office during the Singapore Fintech Festival held at the Singapore Expo from November 12 – 16, 2018, BV Ventures’ Founder and Managing Partner, Dr. Ing Heinrich Zetlmayer said, “We see Singapore as a top global financial market that is blockchain-friendly and in the center of the Asia-Pacific region. Similar to Switzerland, we believe Singapore is the ideal location to establish operations with the view of engaging fast growing blockchain community in the ASEAN region and Asia, bringing now our know-how from the Swiss blockchain market here. Rapid deployment of blockchain technologies and to some extent the rising crypto-currency market are key drivers for the exponential growth in the Asia-Pacific region. Four out of the five top crypto exchanges in the world are located in Asia.”
The blockchain market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 87% to reach US$ 16 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.+ The increasing investment by the venture capitalists in the blockchain technology is a major factor propelling the market’s exponential growth. The Asia-Pacific region will be the world’s fastest growing market for blockchain technologies over the next five years, according to research firm Genesis Market Insights.
With its first regional office in Singapore ready for operation in early 2019, BV Ventures will work with key strategic partners to support the company’s vision of becoming the bridge between Europe and Asia for both investors and technology companies. One of its key partners in Singapore is SGInnovate, a private-limited company wholly owned by the Singapore Government, which builds and scales deep tech startups focused in transformational technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain and MedTech.
BV Ventures is looking to source quality projects and deals; expand its investor network and regional footprint by roping in local companies for both investment and capital fundraising opportunities in Asia, seen as the fastest growth engine in the blockchain industry.
Heinrich Zetlmayer added, “BV Ventures is not a passive investor. We play an active role to develop our portfolio companies and help them scale their business. Through financial, managerial as well as technology expertise, BV Ventures actively supports its portfolio companies to help maximize their success potential thereby reducing risk and accelerating growth. We have been a thought leader in security token offerings combining this with our managerial experience of building, growing and managing large scale global businesses. We strive to be a true accelerator pushing the growth of the most promising portfolio companies.”
He added: “BV Venture’s value realization strategy is to seek exits through STOs or trade sale to strategic buyers. Our long-term goal is to become a leading venture capital investor for crypto and blockchain enabled businesses.”
BV Ventures’ Portfolio Companies
Together with BV Ventures in Singapore are four of its top portfolio companies – which are here to meet potential partners. These companies also represent innovative Fintech and blockchain approaches.
The companies are as follows:
Instimatch Global – Founded in 2017, Zurich-based Instimatch Global is a peer-to-peer lending platform for institutional lenders and borrowers offering financing from non-bank sources, such as insurance companies, pension funds and family offices. It has also an app that provides an interactive money market for regional banks and large corporate treasuries which it intends to scale up the app globally as an alternative to the present interbank market.
The Rice Exchange – which is the first digital global platform specifically designed to trade the world’s largest agricultural commodity, rice. Trading rice on the exchange removes unnecessary transaction costs and lowers other costs allowing for better service pricing and benefits for all parties – producers, sellers, buyers and services providers.
Sanostro – Founded in 2011, Zurich-based Sanostro AG offers hedge fund intelligence services including model-based hedging solutions and tactical asset allocation models to help institutional investors manage their downside risks and foreign exchange exposure.
Godefroy Schrago, Founding Partner of Sanostro said, “We see traction and growing interest from businesses in Asia for a de-centralized investment intelligence platform. We are in the process of exploring Asian based hedge funds and adding new managers to the platform. One of our strategic partners, a leading core banking system provider who has a strong foothold in Singapore, will provide support and scale for our business. Singapore will be an ideal location to expand our platforms to businesses in Asia. We are currently in discussion with key institutions to start our first project by Sanostro in Asia by 1Q2019. We are also planning to set up our office in Singapore at the same time.”
“We will be focusing on Asia’s financial centres – Singapore and Hong Kong – and plan to open up subsidiaries in both places over the next three months to serve our customers locally” says co-founder and CEO Robert Rogenmoser.
More details of these companies are found in Appendix A.
About Blockchain Valley Ventures (BV Ventures) Blockchain Valley Ventures (BV Ventures) is a Swiss accelerator and venture firm incubating, developing and investing in blockchain-enabled businesses. A spin-off from Lykke Corporation, a pioneer in blockchain-powered trading and blockchain-based business models, BV Ventures is capitalising on disruptive blockchain technology and enabling innovative business solutions. BV Ventures investments are made through its own funding and/or via investment vehicles, such as the Blockchain Investment Opportunities Note, in cooperation with Vicenda. Located in the heart of the Crypto Valley in Zug, Switzerland, BV Ventures operates within and supports the world’s most advanced and experienced ecosystem of blockchain companies, blockchain-experienced lawyers, auditors, tax advisors and financial regulators.
+Source: Heraldkeeper – September 11, 2018 – Blockchain Market in Asia Pacific to grow at 87% CAGR to 2024 –
For more information, please visit:
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For Sanostro : http://sanostro.com/
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For Instimatch Global : https://www.instimatch.ch/en/
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For The Rice Exchange : https://www.ricex.io/
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For Securosys : https://www.securosys.ch/
