Capital markets insights

Katipult to represent Calgary in Canada’s Fintech Cup

Katipult to represent Calgary in Canada’s Fintech Cup

Jun 15, 2016

From June 15th-17th Calgary based Katipult will attempt to put Western Canada on the map as a Fintech leader, and highlight the digital trends in private capital markets within Canada. Leaders in financial technology (fintech) from across Canada will be at the Westin Calgary & Metropolitan Conference Center for the largest payments conference. More than 90 speakers are set to take the stage to discuss payments disruption, policy, innovation and opportunity.

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FCA Balancing Act in the UK Crowdfunding Industry

FCA Balancing Act in the UK Crowdfunding Industry

Jun 14, 2016

The UK crowdfunding rules are governed by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). However the UK Crowdfunding Association (UKCFA) has come up with a code of practice that is worth noting.

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Katipult Selected to Represent Canada on World Stage

Katipult Selected to Represent Canada on World Stage

May 20, 2016

The world’s biggest banks and technology firms are set to converge on Madrid, Spain June 21-22 for MoneyConf, and Katipult will be among the exclusive group of companies selected to exhibit at the prestigious Fintech event that helped elevate companies like Stripe in previous years.

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Platform of the Month - Maritime Properties

Platform of the Month - Maritime Properties

Apr 20, 2016

Maritime Properties is a licensed real estate brokerage that has been committed to helping it's customers buy, sell and invest in real estate for for almost 2 decades.

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VersaPay Signs Partnership Agreement With Katipult

VersaPay Signs Partnership Agreement With Katipult

Apr 12, 2016

Toronto, ON – March 31, 2016 – VersaPay Corporation (TSXV: VPY) ("VersaPay" or the "Company"), a leading provider of cloud-based payment and accounts receivable management solutions, today announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with Katipult Software to bring a disruptive Crowdfunding solution for investment firms in the Canadian market. VersaPay’s gateway technology enables Katipult to provide customers using its crowdfunding software product with an integrated secure payment capability.

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Katipult Partners with Mangopay for UK Market

Katipult Partners with Mangopay for UK Market

Apr 5, 2016

• The Canadian company Katipult launches its white-labelled crowdfunding software in the UK.

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Considerations For An Online Investment Platform For Real Estate

Considerations For An Online Investment Platform For Real Estate

Mar 14, 2016

While the regulatory frameworks and rules for investment crowdfunding with accredited investors and non-accredited investors vary from country to country, there are four key considerations for bringing an online investment platform to market.

Depending on the platform structure and area of operation, the themes below highlight the considerations when dealing with security commissions and regulatory authorities.

General Partner vs. Intermediary models

The real estate marketplace model is what we define as the intermediary model, where the platform owner and the companies raising capital are independent. While the platform may screen issuers and deals for quality, the deals are still managed by third party issuers. The business model is usually transaction success fee driven, which in most countries requires some type of financial license. The other option is the General Partner model where the platform is being used to market proprietary deals online, using a management fee + % of profits business model. The General Partner model is the easiest as a starting point in most regions as firms are typically shifting their offline activities online and leveraging the same compliant processes.

Solicitation vs. Non-Solicitation

The solicitation ability will be a game changer in the long term, particularly with Title III rules in May 16th 2016,  which include non-accredited investors. It is great to see frameworks in place for accredited investor solicitation in a number of influential countries as a starting point. Many groups will be more comfortable in the short term launching a non-solicitation platform. This is  because it’s  in line with their current investor onboarding methods without “generally” soliciting, such as  scheduling web conferences/phone calls/face-to-face meetings with new investors that have been referred, introduced, etc. Under this scenario, the investment platform is acting as an investor relations tool for efficiencies and a better investor experience. General solicitation can always be used at a later date for permitted marketing strategies.

Debt vs. Equity

Debt based platforms often sidestep stricter securities laws regarding equity. Starting with debt deals rather than equity,  and evolving the platform for equity deals in the future is a possibility. Understanding the differences in compliance related to the two instruments may create a feasible roadmap for the business.

Domestic vs. Foreign Investors

Regulatory bodies in most countries are focused on protecting domestic investors than foreign investors. Whether your focus is high net worth individuals or institutional firms, dealing with foreign investors may open up additional possibilities or liabilities.  Thus, it is  important to grasp the implications of both focus to navigate the best go to market strategy.

Under every scenario, enlist the services of an experienced securities lawyer in your region to create a go-to-market strategy for your platform that is fully compliant.

 

Article also appeared on timesrealtynews.com:

http://timesrealtynews.com/top-4-considerations-for-launching-an-online-investment-platform-for-real-estate/

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