In a world that celebrates globalisation, the strangest phenomenon is having the backers of innovation confined to opportunities mostly within their countries. Investors should be able to express their best investment ideas across borders: wherever they wish, with whomever they wish. And despite a colossal $621 Billion being invested in the global venture space last year, an elegant solution didn’t exist.
Outside of the US, we’re comfortably (and happily) the go-to for investors. Our investors span over 100 countries, as far as American Samoa. From handling German notaries to transacting 130 currencies, we’re proud of the seamlessness in our process. Looking towards the US was not on our minds just yet. But clients who use US platforms for their US investors and Vauban for the rest-of-world started to increasingly demand running their whole operation on Vauban. One platform…Who are we to deny them?
Enabling investors to quickly set up an SPV or fund, it’s unrestricted with regards to minimum US investor requirements other offerings have. While current US platforms are great for US SPV leads with US Limited Partners looking to invest in domestic companies, this is a little different, has more spice. It can be used in the same use case, but its attractiveness is intentionally aimed at the international investor. For sponsors that have an investor base both in the US (who prefer to invest through US structures) and rest-of-the-world investors (who simply want to invest through a tax transparent structure).
Most of that money was in early-stage deals, signalling that the venture market in America is still “the land of opportunity”, still growing with more to give.
In all honesty, we feel we’re a small part of a much bigger shift that’s about to take place. If investors are able to execute intuitively and independently of lawyers and accountants, there will be a shift in the types of players involved. It becomes a true test of who has the best investing prowess, who seizes the best opportunities in the unchartered territories. Unburdened by admin and loss of time, the number of deals possible will be amplified to the nth degree. With this amplification there will be a newfound liquidity, a new era for private markets.
The barriers needlessly existed. “To deal or not to deal” – that is the only question our investors will have. America – here we come.
