By Vanessa Malone
Despite the unforeseen circumstances of 2020, Horizon reached some incredible milestones enhancing our securities technology ecosystem and establishing joint ventures to begin building and powering global exchanges.
As we approach 2021, we want to first look back at our biggest accomplishments from 2020.
February 7 — Horizon receives a strategic investment from Element ASA
In February, we announced that Horizon received a strategic investment from Element ASA, an innovative investment company with a growing interest in blockchain technology projects with defensible IP.
Element invests in global growth-stage companies which leverage the digitization of information to create shareholder value. The company identifies undervalued companies and projects, where infrastructure and other basic work, if necessary, have in large been completed and where the investee companies are executing their go-to-market strategies.
June 19 — Horizon announces corporate name change to Horizon Fintex
To reflect our commitment to bring liquidity to the growing equity crowdfunding market with our fintech solutions, Horizon announced a corporate name change from Horizon Globex to Horizon Fintex.
In the U.S., exempt securities offerings have significantly outpaced registered offerings. In 2019, exempt securities offerings accounted for 69.2% of all new capital raised (this includes common crowdfunding vehicles Reg D, Reg A+, Reg CF).¹ Globally, the total equity crowdfunding market is an estimated $4.97 billion.²
To support and fuel the burgeoning capital raising trend, Horizon has developed a complete one-stop-shop to support these issuers: our tech-stack includes issuance, an investor onboarding app with built in KYC/AML integrations, cap. table management and dividend payment solutions, and exchange technology we license to regulated entities. Horizon Fintex also licenses its compliance technology to broker-dealers, banks and other financial institutions.
October 2- Horizon $5M series A funding round opens
After a necessary hiatus due to the pandemic, Horizon’s $5 million Series A funding round was re-launched. You can request the offering materials here or by emailing us at offering@horizonfintex.com.
Through recently signed agreements in the U.S. and globally, our team has completed milestones that further our vision to unlock liquidity for the global multi-billion dollar crowdfunding market. Horizon has also made some exciting new additions to our team which we believe will mobilize a global sports fan base.
With all of these exciting developments in place, we are looking forward to sharing any future success our company may have with our current and future investors as we execute and scale our recent licensing agreements. Both institutions and qualified investors have the opportunity to become shareholders.
October 9- Horizon lists in the FINRA Compliance Vendor Directory
Horizon Fintex (Horizon) is proud to be listed in the FINRA Compliance Vendor Directory (CVD), a resource developed to help regulated firms better locate and assess vendors providing compliance-related products and services. The listing affirms our commitment to compliance and to fueling the securities industry with streamlined onboarding solutions.
As a new participant of the FINRA CVD, FINRA members can review Horizon’s KYC compliance and AML screening solutions, KYCware and AMLcop, which integrate proprietary Know Your Customer “KYC” and anti-money laundering “AML” technology to enhance a firm’s compliance program. You can click here to schedule a demo and learn how our proprietary technology solutions can be customized to fit your unique customer onboarding needs.
October 13 — Horizon, Finceler8 and UK Department for International Trade (DIT) host webinar Capital Raising in the Era of Digitalization: Regulatory & Fintech Considerations in the U.K.
Horizon, Finceler8, and the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) hosted a live webinar to discuss the state of capital raising with a focus on regulatory and fintech challenges across the U.S. and U.K.
The live pane included additional speakers from Albion VC and SteelEye and gave fintechs, entrepreneurs, investors, and surrounding securities market participants actionable insights into the state of the market to help form an enhanced capital raising strategy.
October 29 — Horizon launches Global Fan Exchange
In October, Horizon partnered with former NFL executives and players Ryan McNeil, Ray Farmer, and Garrick Jones to launch Global Fan Exchange “GFX,” a sports platform that will allow fans to invest and ultimately trade shares tied to a portion of athletes and teams’ income streams.
GFX is not another fantasy sports app. With the GFX app, fans will have the opportunity to own actual equity stakes in the future of their favorite professional athletes. GFX’s end-to-end funding and fan engagement solution is built and we’re actively recruiting U.S. and international athletes to offer their branded securities to all eligible fans, 18 or over.
Interested sports fans can learn more and join the investor waitlist at https://globalfanexchange.com/. Interested agencies and athletes can reach the management team at horizon@globalfanexchange.com.
December 15 — Horizon & MERJ announce joint venture to launch ‘Upstream,’ the first global exchange for crowdfunded securities
Most recently we announced that Horizon has signed a joint venture and licensing agreement with MERJ Exchange, an affiliate of the World Federation of Exchanges, to launch “Upstream,” a revolutionary app-based market for crowdfunded securities.
Over the last few years, billions have been invested in crowdfunded offerings, yet no dedicated exchange has existed to provide exit-liquidity. Expected to launch Q1 2021, Upstream will provide the first secondary market for crowdfunded securities to trade in real-time from a user-friendly trading app.
Upstream is accepting listing applications from existing issuers who have completed their offerings on crowdfunding platforms around the world, and who are looking to provide exit-liquidity to their shareholders and offer their shares to a whole new set of fans, investors, and traders. Register interest at https://upstream.exchange.
Conclusion-
We are very proud of what the Horizon team has accomplished in 2020. Starting with our marketplaces Upstream and Upstream affiliate Global Fan Exchange, we aim to unlock liquidity for issuers with our complete securities tech stack.
To learn more about Horizon’s vision to build and power global exchanges, please visit https://www.horizonfintex.com/.
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