Zurich, Switzerland, September 14, 2023 — Zurich-based Fintech Arcton has successfullyclosed its pre-seed funding round, securing CHF 350’000. With this funding,Arcton is paving the way for a new type of venture capital investing: startupIPOs.
Startup IPOs, a novel fundraising approach designed by Arcton, allow thegeneral public to invest in startups. Similar to traditional crowdfunding campaigns,Arcton’s model enables retail investors to invest in startups with small sums. However,immediately after the campaign has ended, the investors can trade their shares 24/7,similar to a traditional IPO on a stock exchange. This approach fundamentallydiverges from current startup financing models, where investors are oftenlocked into their shares for up to ten years, by offering significantly moreflexibility. Arcton's first startup IPO is planned for October.
The pre-seed round attracted investments from three investors. Amongthem is Prof. Aleks Berentsen from the University of Basel, a leading expert inDistributed Ledger Technology (DLT), Blockchain, and Cryptoassets. Anotherinvestor is strategically aligned with Camelot, a decentralized exchange,further solidifying the existing partnership between Arcton and Camelot.Francesco Illy, former owner of Illycaffè, also participated in the round,adding a diverse range of experience to Arcton's investor base.
"With this fresh capital, we are accelerating our mission todemocratize startup investing," remarks Merens Derungs, CEO of Arcton. "Ourgoal is to make startup investments as straightforward as investing in publiclytraded companies."
Arcton is set to launch its inaugural startup IPO this October. The IPOwill feature Money Masters, a Geneva-based startup that aims todemocratize financial literacy. Immediately after the IPO, investors will beable to trade their Money Masters shares in real-time through Camelot. Inanticipation of the startup's IPO, Arcton is conducting an IPO roadshow acrossSwitzerland, culminating in a grand finale in Zurich.
About Arcton
Arcton, a Swiss Fintech, has developed the first public marketplace for startup investments. The platform letsinvestors invest in startups with as little as CHF 100 and provides thecapability for them to trade their shares on a 24/7 basis. The startup sharesare tokenized in accordance with the Swiss DLT Bill.
"Startup investments have historically been limited to thewealthiest 3% of the population. Our platform aims to broaden access to startupinvestments to a wider audience. The future of startup investing belongsto the crowd" note the two co-founders.
Recently, Arcton released the first startup Investor Map, illustratinghow investors can invest in Swiss startups. A high-resolution version of theSwiss startup Investor Map can be found at www.map.arcton.com
For Media Inquiries:
Merens Derungs, CEO & Co-founder
Email: merens.derungs@arcton.com
Phone: +4179 586 21 63