NEWS

Why we’re leading alternative investment app, Koia’s, $1.4M pre-seed round

Alternative investments and being able to own a piece of something you love is very much at the forefront of conversation and yet, the ability to understand – or access – them still feels off-limits for the majority of people. That’s why we’re delighted to back Iris, Richard, and Ben as they launch Koia, on a mission to make alternative assets accessible to anyone via fractional ownership.

Koia co-founders Ben Riazy, Richard Draper, and Iris ten Teije

Koia allows users to invest in assets they understand and are truly passionate about, breaking down existing barriers to entry and enabling more than the wealthiest 1% to own a piece of an iconic asset; be it a watch, fine wine, or a Pokemon Card. In time, their vision is to be able to fractionalise any kind of physical or digital asset so we can all own a piece of something we love.

Our investment in Koia comes at a time when interest in collectibles is at an all-time high, with 2021 seeing record-breaking sales across everything from sneakers to trading cards and whisky. Auction houses tripled their sales in the first half of the year while companies selling physical collectibles, such as a StockX, reached multi-billion valuations and NFTs surpassed $40Bn in sales.

Koia co-founders Iris ten Teije, Richard Draper and Ben Riazy have spent their careers across traditional financial services and fintechs. The team believes that the democratization of financial services has only just begun and that by leveraging blockchain and DeFi, there will be opportunities to provide access to new, engaging, and financially rewarding asset classes. Iris comments:

“We want to enable a fractional economy and open up access to opportunities previously only accessible to the ultra-wealthy. We want to make buying and selling a fraction of a Rolex, as fast and frictionless as buying a fractional share in your favorite company.”

To realise its vision, not only will Koia’s minimum investment amounts make alternative assets more accessible; storage, insurance, and authentication will also be taken care of. This means investors won’t face any of the hurdles they would typically encounter when attempting to invest in alternatives.

Our Partner, Tom Wilson, adds:

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Koia team on their journey to create the leading fractional marketplace. We’re seeing a new wave of collectors who are increasingly investing in what they’re passionate about – be that NFTs, basketball collectibles or luxury watches – with a booming alternative asset market as a result. Koia is perfectly placed to further democratise this market by better serving users looking to get access to unique collectibles and we’re excited to see how they will change the alternative asset landscape.“

The Koia App is available on the App Store. Visit joinkoia.com to check out the next drops.

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