Finch Capital is a Growth Capital firm focused on investing in high-growth financial technologies companies run by exceptional entrepreneurs. Their mission is to fund and support the best entrepreneurs in creating products that will shape the future of finance. They leverage our international network and industry expertise to enable our portfolio companies to grow into leaders in their field.

Finch Capital

Initial Capital is an investor in seed and early-stage technology companies with a focus on games, consumer services and technology enablers. They are not a traditional VC fund - they are a group of serial entrepreneurs who invest their own money and actively partner with world class teams to build global category winners.  Based out of London and Silicon Valley, they have played a key part in growing companies. Early stage fund raising is not just about money. It's about finding the best team around you to help with the ups and downs of the business and get ongoing advice on everything from product and tech to recruitment and growth. They know because they have been there.

Initial Capital

We are an independent investment company that invests in inspirational entrepreneurs and their companies. We help entrepreneurs reach their full potential and achieve healthy sustainable growth. When we invest, we fully commit ourselves. This is what we call Committed Capital. Since 2004, 5square has been the investor of choice for ambitious entrepreneurs.

5square

HV Capital is a Munich- and Berlin-based venture capital firm that supports founders in developing their internet companies. Since 2000 HV Capital, formerly HV Holtzbrinck Ventures, has invested in Internet and technology companies through various generations of funds and is one of the most successful and financially strongest early-stage and growth investors in Europe. HV Capital has already invested in around 200 companies, including Zalando, Delivery Hero, FlixMobility and SumUp. The total of all HV Funds amounts to €1.7 billion. The company supports startups with capital between €500,000 and €50 million. This makes HV Capital one of the few venture capitalists in Europe that can finance startups through all growth phases.

HV Capital

B2venture is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in digital and industrial technology companies. B2venture invests EUR 100m+ per year in high-growth companies with ticket sizes from EUR 0.25m to 3.5m.

b2venture

Velocity Capital invests in fintech companies providing early stage (no seed) capital funding to entrepreneurs with vision, determination, and strong business models.

Velocity Capital Fintech Ventures

Tencent is an internet service portal offering value-added internet, mobile, telecom, and online advertising services. Its communications and social platforms Weixin and QQ connect users with each other, with digital content and daily life services in just a few clicks.  Tencent has maintained steady growth under its user-oriented operating strategies. It provides value-added internet, mobile, and telecom services, as well as online advertising under the strategic goal of providing users with ''one-stop online lifestyle services.'' Tencent’s Internet platforms in China – QQ (QQ Instant Messenger), WeChat, QQ.com, QQ Games, Qzone, 3g.QQ.com, SoSo, PaiPai, and Tenpay – aim to address the various needs of internet users, including communication, information, entertainment, e-commerce, and others. In September 2013, Tencent's market valuation rose to $101 billion, and as of November 21, 2013, QQ had 2 billion active users and WeChat had 650 million monthly active users. The numbers of active users for QQ mail, Qzone, Tencent Weibo, and QQ news were 274 million, 626 million, 220 million, and 150 million, respectively. Tencent was founded in November of 1998. In April 2000, the IDG and PCCW invested a total of $2.2 million dollars in the company. Tencent was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (SEHK) on June 16, 2004. Baidu, Alibaba, and Netease are Tencent's major competitors.

Tencent

Prosus Ventures is a venture investing arm of Prosus that invests in technology startups. They identify companies and founders with high potential and the ambition to scale globally correctly. Their goal is to help companies quickly impact the communities where they operate and provide them with tailored support that enables them to be leaders in their chosen markets.

Prosus Ventures

Since our 1986 founding, Optiver has remained steadfast in our commitment to improving global financial markets. From thought leadership and policy advocacy, to partnering with exchanges and investment firms, we have a dedicated history of using our expertise to make markets healthier and more transparent for all parties involved. As a natural evolution of this mission to improve capital markets, Optiver is incubating and empowering the most impactful projects in the industry. More than ever before, Optiver is actively partnering with entrepreneurs and founders shaping financial markets of the future.

Optiver

Endeit Capital is a growth capital investment firm with offices in Amsterdam (NL), Hamburg (DE) and Stockholm (SWE). They provide mid/later stage growth capital typically between €7m - €15m to European scale-ups. Our areas of investment include digital media & marketing tech, marketplaces, BtB/BtC commerce & enterprise cloud services. The latest Fund III represents €255m.

Endeit Capital

ABN AMRO Ventures is the corporate venture fund of ABN AMRO

ABN AMRO Ventures

Citius is a globally focused investment firm targeting tech-enabled businesses in early and growth stages. Firm’s investments include some of the world’s fastest growing companies in LatAm, South East Asia, India and other regions. Citius offices are located in Dubai and Luxembourg.

Citius

We are a globally focused, early and growth stage venture capital firm that supports innovative solutions

Decart Ventures

BUX specializes in the fields of fintech, mobile apps, investments, stocks, and zero-commission. Its platform makes commission-free investing accessible, intuitive, and affordable for both first time and existing investors. It was founded in 2014 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland.

Bux is a Dutch online brokerage that offers commission-free trading of equities, ETFs and cryptocurrencies through Bux Zero, its flagship platform. Further, it offers CFD trading on stocks, commodities, and indices through Bux X. With over 500,000 customers as of April 2021, Bux products are available in 10 European countries, with Bux Zero available in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Ireland, Belgium, and Spain. Bux Zero is regulated by the Dutch Authority for Financial Markets; BUX X is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; and Bux Crypto is registered with the Dutch Central Bank as a provider of cryptocurrency services.

Retail investors demanding sophisticated passive investment strategies are looking for an edge.

Retail Trading Infrastructure

Bux sells UK subsidiary Bux Financial Services Limited to UAE’s Asseta Holding

BlackRock

To offer risk-adjusted ETF savings plans on the Bux platform, providing retail investors access to BlackRock ETFs across the risk spectrum.

Startups that offer online platforms for investors to trade various securities such as stocks, ETFs, and options directly via the platform

Bux is a Dutch online brokerage that offers commission-free trading of equities, ETFs and cryptocurrencies through Bux Zero, its flagship platform. Further, it offers CFD trading on stocks, commodities, and indices through Bux X. With over 500,000 customers as of April 2021, Bux products are available in 10 European countries, with Bux Zero available in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Ireland, Belgium, and Spain. Bux Zero is regulated by the Dutch Authority for Financial Markets; BUX X is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; and Bux Crypto is registered with the Dutch Central Bank as a provider of cryptocurrency services.While US shares are traded at zero-commission, Bux Zero generates revenue on commissions (EUR 1) on market orders and limit orders on EU shares and ETFs, as well as markups (0.25%) on currency conversion between USD and EUR. As of January 2022, the platform offered commission-free trading of cryptocurrencies. Bux X charges commissions on CFD trades, as well as overnight fees and inactivity fees.In April 2021, Bux raised USD 80 million in a Series C funding round co-led by Prosus Ventures and Tencent. The company intended to funnel the fresh funds into product development and to continue its European expansion.

Ellevest is a hybrid investment management platform that specifically targets women, with an algorithm that takes into account gender-specific factors such as career breaks, longer life expectancy, and income differences.Ellevest currently offers services under three categories: Ellevest Essential (at a monthly fee of USD 1), Ellevest Plus (USD 5 per month), and Ellevest Executive (USD 9 per month). All three offerings include portfolio customization, banking services (spending and savings accounts), access to human advisors, and on-demand learning for subjects such as investing, career, and money. Ellevest Plus is more costly because it handles retirement accounts for clients. Meanwhile, Ellevest Executive handles both retirement accounts and investment management for multiple goals. The company also offers private wealth management services for clients who wish to invest USD 1 million or more through the platform. A dedicated advisor will work together with clients to create investment plans to meet their goals.Ellevest reported assets under management (AUM) of USD 1.4 billion as of December 2021, growing 44% during the year.In April 2022, Ellevest raised USD 53 million in Series B <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9622?industryIds=28">funding </a>co-led by BMO and Contour Venture Partners. The company planned to use the funds to expand its product offering and provide personalized coaching.

Ellevest

ComposedPro is a digital investment advisor that handles clients’ investment accounts at their employers (such as employer-sponsored accounts) as well as private investment accounts, focusing on low cost Employer-Coordinated Portfolios. The company oversees USD 25 million in total assets over 181 customer accounts as of the company’s Q2 2020 filing. ComposedPro manages half of the company’s accounts on a discretionary basis, meaning an investment advisor has the discretion to make buy and sell decisions for a client’s account. ComposedPro also has 46 non-discretionary accounts totalling USD 7.9 million in assets. The average investment account size is USD 138,222 placed across exchangeable assets such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), equities, bonds, and options.

ComposedPro

Guideline provides automated investment management services for employer-sponsored retirement accounts. The services also include plan set-up and administration, enrollment and education, recordkeeping, compliance with Retirement Income Security Act, and reporting.As of July 2023, Guideline had assets under management (AUM) of over USD 9 billion and over 350 employees. The company stated that it is the only provider that does not charge plan participants (i.e. employees) with any fees. Guideline charges the employers with a straightforward pricing of one flat fee per participant, in contrast to the asset-based fee model predominant in the industry (i.e. fee is charged on account balances). The standard service has a base fee of USD 49 per month and an additional USD 8 per participant. The standard service includes unlimited phone/email support to both plan participants and employers. For prime service, access to a dedicated account manager is available at a higher base fee of USD 129 and an additional fee of USD 8 per participant. In addition, the company stated that it has a low mutual fund expense ratio, at 0.08%. It purchases mutual funds from Vanguard and other fund providers.Funding and financialsIn June 2021, Guideline raised USD 200 million in funding led by General Atlantic. The company intends to utilize the funding to broaden its 401(k) offerings and introduce new retirement plan solutions.

Guideline

Based in Plano, Texas, AssetBuilder is a robo-advisory company that develops investment portfolios based on the Fama/French school of thought, using low-cost active index funds. It has Dimensional Fund Advisors (the eighth largest fund company in the world as of September 2019) as its funding partner. Human advisors are available to provide investing guidance. As of April 2019, the firm’s assets under management (AUM) amounted to USD 765.9 million. The firm’s business model relies on a fee-only structure, meaning a customer solely pays AssetBuilder to create and manage investments (the company does not receive product-specific commission). The minimum investment for AssetBuilder is USD 50,000 with an asset management fee ranging from 0.24% to 0.45%; the higher the investment, the lower the fee. Though the firm does not have a setup fee, it requires a custodial cost for setting up a portfolio of USD 11.95 per trade for each recommended mutual fund. Most of the platform’s portfolios require about 11 to 14 mutual funds, costing about USD 131.45 to USD 167.30 to open an account.

AssetBuilder

Based in Canada, Smart Money Invest provides portfolio management services to individual clients, advisors, and employers (such as group saving plans for retirement). Human advisors are available to serve individual investors.The company provides financial tools to develop a long-term financial strategy by calculating net worth, setting a budget, managing investment accounts, and planning for retirement.

Smart Money Invest

Robo advisory startups that offer automated investment services directly to individuals solely via digital platforms.

Robo advisory startups that offer automated investment services to individuals via both digital platforms and human financial advisors.

Provide solutions for financial advisors/asset managers to automate wealth management and administration functions.

Robo advisory startups that offer automated investment services to businesses via both digital platforms and human financial advisors.

Provides solutions for financial institutions to set up their own robo-advisory function and offer services to clients.

Leverages AI/ML to automate allocation and management of investment funds to cater to retail investors

Operates a B2B SaaS model to support financial institution in offering various investment related services

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

<div>
 
 Online trading platform, BUX, which is owned by ABN Amro, a Dutch banking group, has sold BUX Financial Services (BFS) to Asseta Holding. BFS is a UK-based FCA-licensed entity offering services in contracts for differences (CFDs) and spread betting. Asseta Holding is the parent company of APM Capital, an online trading platform based in the UAE. The purchase price is undisclosed.
 ABN Amro has mentioned that BFS did not significantly contribute to BUX's revenue, reporting a revenue of GBP 1.5 million (approximately USD 1.9 million) for 2022. However, it also reported losses amounting to GBP 25.9 million (approximately USD 33.6 million) by the end of the year. Prior to being acquired by ABN Amro in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25089"> December 2023 </a>, BUX had already withdrawn from the UK market in 2023.
 Post the divestment, BFS will function as a sister company to APM Capital. This will aid APM Capital in its ongoing international expansion plans and will improve its service offerings.
 
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