Many fintech startups are drastically changing established practises and challenging incumbents across the financial service sector. Investment technology, a subset of fintech, is making reforms in investment management as the rise of investment into alternative assets as investors continue to seek higher yields.
Raised £1.6M funding
Based out of London, Vauban is an investment services platform for launching alternative investment funds and vehicles. The company has raised £1.6 million in Seed funding from leading tech investors including Pi Labs, Kima Ventures, Westloop Ventures, Argonautic Ventures, and UFP Fintech.
Launch investment vehicle in a few steps
Founded by Rémy Astié, and Ulric Musset, Vauban allows users to launch new investment vehicles from a laptop in a few simple steps, right from initial structuring to payment and accounting. The company transforms the fragmented and expensive operations usually performed by law firms, banks, and administrators into a simple online process that lets you close your funds and SPVs in a fraction of the time.
Venturing into real estate
The UK company, which has over £200 million managed through its platform, is set to launch a real estate product in 2021, in addition to its current digital Funds focusing on investment from venture capital funds, hedge funds, and SPV’s. With a projection of over £1 billion to be managed on the platform by summer 2021 and the launch of its automated digital process for UK real estate capital markets, Vauban has attracted investment from leading VC’s including Pi Labs.
On-boarded around 3000 investors
Since its inception, Vauban has on-boarded over 3000 investors and has an international client base, including from the UK, Switzerland, France, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates. With an estimated global value of £35 trillion real estate is one of the largest asset classes, providing a long-term opportunity for the company to target small property syndicates as well as larger investors and funds.
Remy Astie, Founder and CEO at Vauban, said: “Vauban is breaking down barriers as an innovative investment platform and trusted wealth management tool. Our goal is to provide an alternative model for capital flows, making an investment an attainable and agile process. This Seed round will help support our rapid growth, which has been driven by an increase in VC funds, private equity companies, and HNWI looking for ways to securely contain and deploy their capital.”
Ulric Musset, Founder, and COO at Vauban said: “This funding round will allow us to effectively expand with an eye on real estate, private equity, private debt, and collectibles in new jurisdictions. With support from Pi Labs, which is largely considered to be the most impactful and established investor into the proptech market, we have a strong network to effectively launch into the real estate market and continue to grow our customer base.”
Esha Vatsa, Principal at Pi Labs, said: “Vauban’s unique proposition is providing a new investment experience. With Vauban’s considerable success across its core markets and passion to transform the end-user experience, we identified the potential for this product to grow across multiple product lines and jurisdictions. With an impressive track record, strong and organic revenue growth, we are pleased to be part of Vauban’s journey as it gears up to digitise the real estate investment management industry. Vauban has taken what has traditionally been a drawn-out process and digitised it, reducing friction for those looking to secure and deploy. Vauban is leading the charge in a growing trend; with a boom in alternative assets, the scaling company is set to be the infrastructure layer that investment will be built on. The real estate industry is increasingly adopting technology that facilities efficiency to enhance the transaction process. We continue to invest in the start-ups that are reshaping the property industry, such as Vauban, which can become category leaders.”