Rojin Nair, Advisor
June 1st, 2021
At Incyub8 Inc, Rojin is focusing on nurturing and guiding various national and international start-[...]
FrontFundr announces new chair of the board
FrontFundr | Victoria Bennett | April 25, 2019
International business leader and executive, Prof. David R. Beatty C.M., O.B.E., F.ICD, CFA has joined as Chairman of the Board of Silver Maple Ventures Inc., doing business as FrontFundr and SMV Capital Markets.
Toronto, Canada, 23 April 2019 FrontFundr today announced Prof. David R. Beatty C.M., O.B.E., F.ICD, CFA as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Professor Beatty has served on 39 different boards of directors and been chairman of nine public companies in five different countries. He was on the board of the Bank of Montreal (BMO Financial Group) for over 20 years, including seven terms as Chairman of the Risk Review committee. In 2018, he was awarded the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) Lifetime Achievement award. ICGN is an investor led organization that includes over 200 Asset Managers who manage over $US34 trillion.
Peter-Paul Van Hoeken, FrontFundr’s Founder and CEO said of the appointment:
“As Canada’s largest investment crowdfunding platform, we have democratized investing in private companies. The appointment of such an experienced business leader as David, reflects our transition into the next phase of mainstream financial services. I look forward to working with him to take our position as leading online private capital markets platform to the next level - unlocking investing in private companies to the wider investor community and building out our trusted brand.”
Beatty responded,
“I have been impressed how FrontFundr, and most recently SMV Capital markets has led the way in opening access to capital for private companies and investing in the private capital markets for all Canadians. I look forward to working with the team to make this the norm for businesses seeking capital and individuals looking to get access to investment opportunities in private companies.”
FrontFundr continues to expand in the private capital markets, helping more Canadian companies get funded. From start-ups that are looking for seed capital and growth companies looking for expansion capital.
Founded in Vancouver four years ago, FrontFundr now operates its fully bilingual online investing platform in eight provinces, including Quebec. Last year, the firm opened a Toronto office, solidifying its leading position as an online private markets platform in Canada.
Silver Maple Ventures Inc. (SMV) operates an online investing platform that empowers Canadians to find and make direct investments in the private companies they believe in - and become stakeholders in their future. SMV’s online Exempt Market Dealer (EMD) status plus its modern technology enables users across Canada to easily invest in innovative growth businesses in under 12 minutes and starting from $250. Invest in the Future.
Professor David R. Beatty C.M., O.B.E., F.ICD, CFA is the Conway Chair of the Clarkson Centre for Board Effectiveness, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. He has served on 39 different boards of directors and been chairman of 9 public companies. He was the founding Managing Director of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (2003-2008). At the University of Toronto, he created the Directors Education Program (DEP) and remains curriculum overseer. Internationally, he created Saudi Aramco’s Joint Venture Director Training and he has been a member of the IFC’s GCGF advisors. In 2018, he was awarded the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) Lifetime Achievement award. In 2013, he was inducted into the Order of Canada the nation’s highest civilian honor and in 1994 he was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (the O.B.E. above) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his services to Papua New Guinea.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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FFCON21 ON-DEMAND VIDEOS NOW AVAILABLE! Support NCFA by Following us on Twitter!Follow @NCFACanada |
BIS | Raphael Auer, Codruta Boar, Giulio Cornelli, Jon Frost, Henry Holden and Andreas Wehrli | Jun 24, 2021 CBDCs offer an opportunity to rethink some key features of cross-border payments. Central banks could ease current frictions by factoring an international dimension into their CBDC designs from the outset. For front-end retail uses, CBDCs could allow for use by non-residents in a jurisdiction, or abroad, if central banks permit this option and the transacting parties agree on using the CBDC as means of payment. Some CBDC designs could allow for transfers that are as frictionless as digital messages. Account-based CBDCs that link balances to identification could bring efficiency while mitigating any key risks that digital cash may otherwise entail (Carstens (2021a)). See: Stablecoins: What’s old is new again – speech by Christina Segal-Knowles An alternative option is for various mCBDC arrangements, which are generally focused on wholesale uses. At least three models exist in principle to facilitate cross- border payments in this way, involving successively greater integration and policy coordination. Our survey finds that central banks are actively considering these cross-border issues around CBDCs. While a slight majority of central banks have not yet come to any firm conclusion on ...
Read More
CSA | Jun 23, 2021 Vancouver – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today adopted harmonized rules for securities crowdfunding. National Instrument 45-110 Start-up Crowdfunding Registration and Prospectus Exemptions introduces a single, uniform set of rules that replaces and enhances the requirements currently in effect in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Québec and Saskatchewan. “These rules expand the ability of small businesses and start-ups to use securities crowdfunding to gain access to capital,” said Louis Morisset, Chair of the CSA and President and CEO of the Autorité des marchés financiers. Following stakeholder consultation, the CSA made targeted amendments to improve the effectiveness of start-up crowdfunding as a capital-raising tool, including: Increasing the maximum total amount that an issuer can raise under the crowdfunding prospectus exemption in a 12-month period to $1.5 million (from the current $500,000). Increasing the maximum investment a purchaser can make in an offering to $2,500 (from the current $1,500), with a higher limit of $10,000 if a registered dealer advises that the investment is suitable for the purchaser. Removing barriers preventing federal and provincial co-operatives or associations from using the start-up crowdfunding prospectus exemption. Requiring funding portals relying on the registration exemption to certify on a ...
Read More
The Alan Turing Institute | Joanna Dungate | Jun 14, 2021 A new report published today (Monday 14 June 2021): AI in Financial Services explores the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and the importance of responsible innovation in the financial services sector. The report was commissioned by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as part of The Alan Turing Institute’s public policy programme collaboration with the FCA and has been launched at the accompanying CogX session. The authors hope it will provide stakeholders in the sector with the understanding needed to navigate the evolving AI landscape in pursuit of responsible and socially beneficial innovation. On-demand Video: FFCON21: May 11 AI and the future of innovation in financial services AI is already having a substantial impact on the delivery of financial services and its role will increase in the years to come. The adoption of AI in financial services is underpinned by three distinct elements of innovation: machine learning (ML), non-traditional data, and automation. Each of these elements can enable significant benefits but also pose challenges that give rise to potential harms. The new report provides an introduction to AI, discusses general challenges and guiding principles for the responsible adoption of AI, and maps ...
Read More
CEBL | Release | Jun 17, 2021 The Canadian Elite Basketball League will allow players to receive portions of their salaries in bitcoin, through a partnership with Bitbuy. See: NBA Top Shot launches in beta with tokenized, collectible highlights The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday that it has entered into a partnership with Bitbuy, a leading Canadian cryptocurrency platform, that will enable the league to pay players a portion of their salaries in Bitcoin. The partnership will be the first of its kind for any professional sports league in North America and comes as the league is set to tip off its third season June 24. “Innovation and delivering a new basketball experience have been a driving force behind our creation of one of the world’s most widely recognized pro basketball leagues,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and CEO of the CEBL. “Some of the best players outside the NBA, and some with NBA experience, have joined our league because we make player-first decisions. Our partnership with Bitbuy speaks to our commitment to players, and also to our forward-thinking approach to how we go about our business. We appreciate Bitbuy’s investment in helping us further grow Canada’s official national ...
Read More
McKinsey & Company | Jun 16, 2021 Companies that master the deployment of intangibles investment will be well positioned to outperform their peers. Investment in intangible assets that underpin the knowledge or learning economy, such as intellectual property (IP), research, technology and software, and human capital, has risen inexorably over the past quarter century, and the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have accelerated this shift toward a dematerialized economy. Are we seeing the start of a new stage in the history of capitalism based on learning, knowledge, and intellectual capital? As economies recover from the pandemic, could a wave of investment in intangible assets breathe new life into productivity and unlock more growth potential? See: [Report] A New North Star: Canadian Competitiveness in an Intangibles Economy The research takes the broader definition of intangibles outlined by economists Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake, who include economic competencies such as advertising and brands, marketing research, organizational capital, and training. This more expansive definition of intangibles appears more relevant to the role they increasingly play in companies, sectors, and economies. Over the past 25 years, the investment share of intangibles has increased by 29 percent Looking in more detail at the different types of ...
Read More
Bernhard Mueller via Medium | Jun 18, 2021 Tether’s USDT stable coin has experienced massive growth since the start of the ongoing bull cycle. There’s now an order of magnitude more USDT in circulation than during the height of the 2017–2018 cycle. This makes it worth re-investigating whether the crypto markets are robust against a potential Tether-related liquidity shock. In this article I attempt to address the following questions: How would a loss of confidence in Tether play out in the short term? Who would get most rekt if a Tether-related crash happens? Would a Tether confidence crisis be a black swan event* that would severely impact the market? * For the purpose of this article, we use “black swan” to refer to a massive event that would surprise most people. After all, 95% of people in the crypto space insist that Tether is fine. If you’re unhappy with that definition feel free to think of it as a white swan event. “What may be a black swan surprise for a turkey is not a black swan surprise to its butcher.”— Nassim Nicholas Taleb See: A Visual Explanation of Algorithmic Stablecoins The shape of US dollar liquidity in the crypto ...
Read More
Guest Post | Jun 18, 2021 Day trading was hugely popular back in the 1990s but its popularity waned with the turn of the millennium. Now, it's starting to make a comeback in a big way, with more and more people taking an active interest in these unique forms of trading. Some hope to use it as a side hustle for a little extra money on the side, while others hope to turn it into a career or make enough money to live from. Whatever your dreams and aspirations for day trading happen to be, it's important to take some time, learn about your options and risks, research different strategies, and find all the help you can get before you get started. Becoming a successful day trader isn't something that happens overnight, but with patience and hard work, along with strong stock market analysis and strategy, you can get there. The More You Know The first tip to get off to a good start with day trading is to be willing to learn. As stated in the introduction, this isn't something you can rush into and succeed at without any planning, preparation, or education, and there are a lot of ...
Read More
WEF | Stephen Stonberg | Jun 17, 2021 As with the feverish debate around Bitcoin and its carbon footprint, there has been no shortage of discussion surrounding cryptocurrencies and the energy they consume. But this back and forth around crypto’s environmental impact is missing a glaring point. It is important to recognize that crypto is still in its very early stages, not dissimilar to where the internet was in 2002. The entire space is going through its Amazon moment. The first decade of this cryptocurrency experiment has grown far beyond anybody’s wildest expectations. At the same time, it has allowed those of us in the industry to identify what works and what doesn’t. For example, the proof-of-work consensus algorithms (the mathematical problems that Bitcoin miners must solve) that power the Bitcoin network do indeed require a lot of energy. But what these arguments about Bitcoin’s environmental impact obscure is that the broader crypto ecosystem is in the midst of a shift towards a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future that will result in significantly lower carbon emissions. See: Ethereum cryptocurrency to slash carbon emissions This can be seen with the launch of Ethereum 2.0 and the move from a proof of ...
Read More
Crowdfund Insider | JD Alois | Jun 15, 2021 The US investment crowdfunding industry received a boost this year as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adjusted the securities exemptions that platforms and issuers utilize to raise growth capital online. Along with other improvements, key changes include the adjustment of Reg CF (Regulation Crowdfunding) to allow for the funding of up to $5 million – from a previously anemic $1.07 million, and a boost to Reg A+ to up to $75 million from $50 million. Many, if not most securities crowdfunding platforms, utilize the three main crowdfunding exemptions – Reg CF, Reg A+, and Reg D 506c. Reg D, currently available only to accredited investors, remains the most popular securities exemption in the US powering a $1 trillion private capital market. Recently, Crowdfund Insider connected with Doug Ellenoff, Managing Partner of Ellenoff, Grossman, and Schole – a top legal firm engaged with the Fintech sector, as well as a leading SPAC advisor, for his thoughts on the future of online capital formation. Ellenoff has been engaged with securities crowdfunding since before the JOBS Act of 2012 emerged as the legislative path to legalize raising capital on a digital platform. Counsel ...
Read More
Guest Post | Jun 17, 2021 Although smaller businesses are more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals, large corporations are having to employ much tougher defences. That’s because they deal with more financial resources, more data, and higher customer expectations. As a result, they are investing in the technologies and the people that make it easier to detect the increasingly sophisticated frauds and scams that cybercriminals use. See: Comparison of UK banking providers’ fraud controls The key is to make it as difficult as possible for fraudsters to receive payments, and there are multiple methods of avoiding those payments or recognizing when a fraudulent payment has occurred. Learning lessons from large corporations makes it easier for smaller businesses to recognize where they can implement their own fraud defences. Employee Training The first step to any kind of online security is to ensure that team members are kept up to date with risks and warning signs. Every member of the team, no matter their department, needs to be aware of the online safety procedures and the detected fraud process of the company. They also need to know the specific threats that their role might be expected to be faced with. While ...
Read More
BIS | Raphael Auer, Codruta Boar, Giulio Cornelli, Jon Frost, Henry Holden and Andreas Wehrli | Jun 24, 2021 CBDCs offer an opportunity to rethink some key features of cross-border payments. Central banks could ease current frictions by factoring an international dimension into their CBDC designs from the outset. For front-end retail uses, CBDCs could allow for use by non-residents in a jurisdiction, or abroad, if central banks permit this option and the transacting parties agree on using the CBDC as means of payment. Some CBDC designs could allow for transfers that are as frictionless as digital messages. Account-based CBDCs that link balances to identification could bring efficiency while mitigating any key risks that digital cash may otherwise entail (Carstens (2021a)). See: Stablecoins: What’s old is new again – speech by Christina Segal-Knowles An alternative option is for various mCBDC arrangements, which are generally focused on wholesale uses. At least three models exist in principle to facilitate cross- border payments in this way, involving successively greater integration and policy coordination. Our survey finds that central banks are actively considering these cross-border issues around CBDCs. While a slight majority of central banks have not yet come to any firm conclusion on ...
Read More
Read More
CSA | Jun 23, 2021 Vancouver – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today adopted harmonized rules for securities crowdfunding. National Instrument 45-110 Start-up Crowdfunding Registration and Prospectus Exemptions introduces a single, uniform set of rules that replaces and enhances the requirements currently in effect in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Québec and Saskatchewan. “These rules expand the ability of small businesses and start-ups to use securities crowdfunding to gain access to capital,” said Louis Morisset, Chair of the CSA and President and CEO of the Autorité des marchés financiers. Following stakeholder consultation, the CSA made targeted amendments to improve the effectiveness of start-up crowdfunding as a capital-raising tool, including: Increasing the maximum total amount that an issuer can raise under the crowdfunding prospectus exemption in a 12-month period to $1.5 million (from the current $500,000). Increasing the maximum investment a purchaser can make in an offering to $2,500 (from the current $1,500), with a higher limit of $10,000 if a registered dealer advises that the investment is suitable for the purchaser. Removing barriers preventing federal and provincial co-operatives or associations from using the start-up crowdfunding prospectus exemption. Requiring funding portals relying on the registration exemption to certify on a ...
Read More
Read More
The Alan Turing Institute | Joanna Dungate | Jun 14, 2021 A new report published today (Monday 14 June 2021): AI in Financial Services explores the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and the importance of responsible innovation in the financial services sector. The report was commissioned by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as part of The Alan Turing Institute’s public policy programme collaboration with the FCA and has been launched at the accompanying CogX session. The authors hope it will provide stakeholders in the sector with the understanding needed to navigate the evolving AI landscape in pursuit of responsible and socially beneficial innovation. On-demand Video: FFCON21: May 11 AI and the future of innovation in financial services AI is already having a substantial impact on the delivery of financial services and its role will increase in the years to come. The adoption of AI in financial services is underpinned by three distinct elements of innovation: machine learning (ML), non-traditional data, and automation. Each of these elements can enable significant benefits but also pose challenges that give rise to potential harms. The new report provides an introduction to AI, discusses general challenges and guiding principles for the responsible adoption of AI, and maps ...
Read More
Read More
CEBL | Release | Jun 17, 2021 The Canadian Elite Basketball League will allow players to receive portions of their salaries in bitcoin, through a partnership with Bitbuy. See: NBA Top Shot launches in beta with tokenized, collectible highlights The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday that it has entered into a partnership with Bitbuy, a leading Canadian cryptocurrency platform, that will enable the league to pay players a portion of their salaries in Bitcoin. The partnership will be the first of its kind for any professional sports league in North America and comes as the league is set to tip off its third season June 24. “Innovation and delivering a new basketball experience have been a driving force behind our creation of one of the world’s most widely recognized pro basketball leagues,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and CEO of the CEBL. “Some of the best players outside the NBA, and some with NBA experience, have joined our league because we make player-first decisions. Our partnership with Bitbuy speaks to our commitment to players, and also to our forward-thinking approach to how we go about our business. We appreciate Bitbuy’s investment in helping us further grow Canada’s official national ...
Read More
Read More
McKinsey & Company | Jun 16, 2021 Companies that master the deployment of intangibles investment will be well positioned to outperform their peers. Investment in intangible assets that underpin the knowledge or learning economy, such as intellectual property (IP), research, technology and software, and human capital, has risen inexorably over the past quarter century, and the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have accelerated this shift toward a dematerialized economy. Are we seeing the start of a new stage in the history of capitalism based on learning, knowledge, and intellectual capital? As economies recover from the pandemic, could a wave of investment in intangible assets breathe new life into productivity and unlock more growth potential? See: [Report] A New North Star: Canadian Competitiveness in an Intangibles Economy The research takes the broader definition of intangibles outlined by economists Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake, who include economic competencies such as advertising and brands, marketing research, organizational capital, and training. This more expansive definition of intangibles appears more relevant to the role they increasingly play in companies, sectors, and economies. Over the past 25 years, the investment share of intangibles has increased by 29 percent Looking in more detail at the different types of ...
Read More
Read More
Bernhard Mueller via Medium | Jun 18, 2021 Tether’s USDT stable coin has experienced massive growth since the start of the ongoing bull cycle. There’s now an order of magnitude more USDT in circulation than during the height of the 2017–2018 cycle. This makes it worth re-investigating whether the crypto markets are robust against a potential Tether-related liquidity shock. In this article I attempt to address the following questions: How would a loss of confidence in Tether play out in the short term? Who would get most rekt if a Tether-related crash happens? Would a Tether confidence crisis be a black swan event* that would severely impact the market? * For the purpose of this article, we use “black swan” to refer to a massive event that would surprise most people. After all, 95% of people in the crypto space insist that Tether is fine. If you’re unhappy with that definition feel free to think of it as a white swan event. “What may be a black swan surprise for a turkey is not a black swan surprise to its butcher.”— Nassim Nicholas Taleb See: A Visual Explanation of Algorithmic Stablecoins The shape of US dollar liquidity in the crypto ...
Read More
Read More
Guest Post | Jun 18, 2021 Day trading was hugely popular back in the 1990s but its popularity waned with the turn of the millennium. Now, it's starting to make a comeback in a big way, with more and more people taking an active interest in these unique forms of trading. Some hope to use it as a side hustle for a little extra money on the side, while others hope to turn it into a career or make enough money to live from. Whatever your dreams and aspirations for day trading happen to be, it's important to take some time, learn about your options and risks, research different strategies, and find all the help you can get before you get started. Becoming a successful day trader isn't something that happens overnight, but with patience and hard work, along with strong stock market analysis and strategy, you can get there. The More You Know The first tip to get off to a good start with day trading is to be willing to learn. As stated in the introduction, this isn't something you can rush into and succeed at without any planning, preparation, or education, and there are a lot of ...
Read More
Read More
WEF | Stephen Stonberg | Jun 17, 2021 As with the feverish debate around Bitcoin and its carbon footprint, there has been no shortage of discussion surrounding cryptocurrencies and the energy they consume. But this back and forth around crypto’s environmental impact is missing a glaring point. It is important to recognize that crypto is still in its very early stages, not dissimilar to where the internet was in 2002. The entire space is going through its Amazon moment. The first decade of this cryptocurrency experiment has grown far beyond anybody’s wildest expectations. At the same time, it has allowed those of us in the industry to identify what works and what doesn’t. For example, the proof-of-work consensus algorithms (the mathematical problems that Bitcoin miners must solve) that power the Bitcoin network do indeed require a lot of energy. But what these arguments about Bitcoin’s environmental impact obscure is that the broader crypto ecosystem is in the midst of a shift towards a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future that will result in significantly lower carbon emissions. See: Ethereum cryptocurrency to slash carbon emissions This can be seen with the launch of Ethereum 2.0 and the move from a proof of ...
Read More
Read More
Crowdfund Insider | JD Alois | Jun 15, 2021 The US investment crowdfunding industry received a boost this year as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adjusted the securities exemptions that platforms and issuers utilize to raise growth capital online. Along with other improvements, key changes include the adjustment of Reg CF (Regulation Crowdfunding) to allow for the funding of up to $5 million – from a previously anemic $1.07 million, and a boost to Reg A+ to up to $75 million from $50 million. Many, if not most securities crowdfunding platforms, utilize the three main crowdfunding exemptions – Reg CF, Reg A+, and Reg D 506c. Reg D, currently available only to accredited investors, remains the most popular securities exemption in the US powering a $1 trillion private capital market. Recently, Crowdfund Insider connected with Doug Ellenoff, Managing Partner of Ellenoff, Grossman, and Schole – a top legal firm engaged with the Fintech sector, as well as a leading SPAC advisor, for his thoughts on the future of online capital formation. Ellenoff has been engaged with securities crowdfunding since before the JOBS Act of 2012 emerged as the legislative path to legalize raising capital on a digital platform. Counsel ...
Read More
Read More
Guest Post | Jun 17, 2021 Although smaller businesses are more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals, large corporations are having to employ much tougher defences. That’s because they deal with more financial resources, more data, and higher customer expectations. As a result, they are investing in the technologies and the people that make it easier to detect the increasingly sophisticated frauds and scams that cybercriminals use. See: Comparison of UK banking providers’ fraud controls The key is to make it as difficult as possible for fraudsters to receive payments, and there are multiple methods of avoiding those payments or recognizing when a fraudulent payment has occurred. Learning lessons from large corporations makes it easier for smaller businesses to recognize where they can implement their own fraud defences. Employee Training The first step to any kind of online security is to ensure that team members are kept up to date with risks and warning signs. Every member of the team, no matter their department, needs to be aware of the online safety procedures and the detected fraud process of the company. They also need to know the specific threats that their role might be expected to be faced with. While ...
Read More
Read More
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