area2invest offers a multi-asset, multi-product marketplace for traditional and tokenised issuances, connecting non-professional, professional and institutional investors with issuers. On area2invest, investors have access to a 360-degree product portfolio which allows them to independently and directly invest in various asset and product classes on the "Online Shop for Financial Products".

Issuers gain direct access to investors on the marketplace and can thus expand their placement reach and the investor pool internationally. As a tied agent of Bank Frick & Co. AG, area2invest builds on its strong network of banks, brokers, asset and fund managers. More about area2invest at www. area2invest.com.

Thought leader
Max J. Heinzle studied Business Management and Global Banking & Finance at European Business School in London. As Head of Investor Relations at an international VC firm he gained extensive capital market experience. Later, Max J. Heinzle assumed the role as Head of Capital Markets of a leading corporate finance advisory firm, where he was responsible for numerous successful bond issuances. In  2015 he co-founded Onecrowd Securities, pioneering the real-estate crowdfunding space in Germany and growing the business to  EUR 50 m in transaction volume and 80.000 registered users. In early 2017, Max founded the Liechtenstein-based multi-asset, multi-product marketplace area2invest, with the goal of digitalizing the world of securities and token issuances and establishing a primary and secondary market through area2invest.

Q&A Max J. Heinzle

How is DLT and Blockchain reshaping wealth and asset management? Where is the industry today and how do you foresee things changing in the future?

Where is the market today?
In the last few years we have seen an increase of token issuance and distribution, particularly in the unregulated space. The regulated market has also picked up and started to issue securities or alternative asset classes based on tokens. We foresee this interest among professional investors increasing, hence a transition from traditional securities towards tokenized assets.

Why should wealth & asset managers get up-to-speed on Blockchain & DLT technology?
Blockchain is a leading disruptive technology for the future evolution of financial markets. It is clear we are moving towards a peer-to-peer (P2P) market in which unavoidably wealth & asset managers will also experience a strong move towards disintermediation. For example, funds will be set-up on the blockchain, while its P2P architecture will empower anybody to invest in, hold or manage such funds without the need of financial intermediaries.

How do you foresee the role of Blockchain & DLT in the next wave of transformation in wealth & asset management?
We believe we are transforming from the internet of communication towards the internet of value. In our opinion this means that we are moving away from messaging systems such as SWIFT, in which settlement is decoupled from the transaction information, towards settlement protocols, in which the transaction from one wallet to another happens in t+0 (i.e. in real-time).

At the same time, as tokens are programmable financial contracts they will enable new ways of transactions. A good example is automated delivery versus payment methods, in which no manual processes will be needed anymore. This new form of technology has major implications on financial markets, especially if we think that automation and the change of roles of trusted counterparties is challenging today’s operating models.

What solution(s) does your company offer that wealth and asset management firms should consider?
area2invest provides a multi-asset, multi-product marketplace with access to premier investment opportunities, enabling wealth and asset managers access to a diverse product portfolio, combined with easy payment and settlement processes, as well as financial market conforming reporting procedures. On the issuer side, area2invest offers the possibility to list financial products while increasing the placement reach to private and professional investors. Wealth and asset managers who issue their products on the platform can customise their issuance on our regulatory compliant marketplace and benefit from the effectiveness of our highly automated processes.

Benefits

​For investors:

• 0% service fees: We charge no fees for the services provided by area2invest and the use of the platform.
• 360° products and assets: We enable wealth and asset managers to access institutional deal flows provided by selected issuers; including crypto, equities, commodities, funds and fixed income
• Regulated & secure: wealth and asset managers use area2invest to invest on banking-grade security and stringent compliance practices
• Early access: Investors profit from early and exclusive access to primary market listings, both securitised and tokenised
• 100% digital: Digital onboarding process, 24/7 access, performance and portfolio management via our integrated all-in-one dashboard
• 100% transparent: Full disclosure on all product and management fees. No hidden fees or kickbacks.

area2invest provides a one-stop shop solution spanning from tokenisation towards listing and distribution utilizing the combined expertise of a broad partner network.

For issuers:

• Investor base: The digital marketplace enables access and an expanded investor base - categorised into institutional, professional & retail segments
• Custom placements: Wealth and asset managers can choose between private or public placements, tokenised and/or securitised and many other features
• Partner network: area2invest provides access to a broad network of qualified partners to efficiently structure and promote their offering.
• Broad market access: Enables issuing of projects locally and multiplies the reach throughout Europe.
• Time-to-market: Our efficient and streamlined listing process ensures not only quality but also speed.

Solution deployment & development
We’re currently translating our portal into English in order to improve our service for non-German-speaking users. In addition to this we are redesigning the area2invest marketplace to improve user-friendliness and make the portal clear and intuitively operable for our customers. We are also steadily expanding our partner network to improve the variety of services for investors and issuers. Our Client Relations team has some innovative and exciting products in the pipeline which will be available soon for marketplace users.

ACCESS THE FULL WEALTHTECH VIEWS DLT & BLOCKCHAIN REPORT HERE