Digital Securities
CurioInvest – Fractional Fine Automobile Investing
Who is CurioInvest?
CurioInvest is a young company, operating out of Zug ‘Crypto Valley’, Switzerland.
The team behind the project is comprised of car and blockchain enthusiasts, which have set out to combine their passions. Above all, they state that their mission is to enable,
“…everyone to invest in and profit from collectable cars. By using a crowdfunded, community-based investment model, CurioInvest will open up the collectable car market to millions of new investors.”
What is the Problem?
Vehicles are much more than simply a means of transportation. They are pieces of art, which speak to the person driving them. Values are driven by rarity, quality, functionality, beauty, and more – each creating differing levels of market demand.
Unfortunately, the upper echelons of the collectible car sector is typically out of reach for most. This is due to a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, the following:
Expense
Truly collectible cars are not a small investment. Good examples will range anywhere from six to eight digit values.
Select sales straight from the factory
It is commonplace for manufacturers, such as Ferrari, to essentially interview individuals before selling them a vehicle. Even if you can afford the product, these limited edition vehicles only find their way in to the hands of a select few.
On-going maintenance
You do not buy an exotic car, and simply tuck it away in a garage while it increases in value. Sitting idle is not good for mechanical devices, and they require constant care and upkeep. When dealing with exotic cars that are very unique in nature, this task becomes even harder, as specialized skillsets are needed to care for each vehicle.
For those that do not find these hurdles as an issue, the asset class represents a highly lucrative one. CurioInvest indicates that for over a decade, collectible cars have outperformed gold, S&P500, etc.
How will CurioInvest Solve it?
In their attempt to build on their passions, the team at CurioInvest has developed a platform facilitating access to the asset class for a broader range of investors.
To achieve this, CurioInvest will strategically invest in exotic vehicles which are anticipated to grow in value. They intend to solve all of the discussed issues which plague such assets through the use of blockchain technologies.
More specifically, the team at CurioInvest will be hosting an STO, which will give accredited investors the opportunity to purchase security tokens. These tokens can be used to invest, through fractionalized ownership, of a curated collection of vehicles. The tokens impart their holders with rights to a proportionate share of profits, when vehicles from the collection are sold for a profit – no less than 120% of purchase price.
By using this tactic, CurioInvest opens the possibility of investing in such assets to an entire new group of investors that could not previously afford to do so. Furthermore, the use of a security token should allow for investors to experience increased liquidity, through the ability to enter and exit positions on secondary markets.
Commentary?
We reached out to CurioInvest for further comment on the nature of their plans. CEO, Fernando Verboonen, took the time to share the following insights.
Q: Other projects such as ‘TheArtToken’ have set out to democratize investing in traditionally expensive assets such as fine art. What about exotic cars make them an ideal asset for tokenization?
A: Classic & hyper cars are the perfect wedge: big audience, scarce supply, willingness to pay, emotional asset. Furthermore of the 10 asset classes Knight Luxury Investment Index (KFLII), classic cars performance in terms of price over the past decade has been staggering. CurioInvest.com brings an additional degree of independence by tokenizing assets individually. This means you now to get pick which asset to acquire – this was simply not economically feasible in the past and it’s a great example of how STOs may well disrupt the status quo.
Q: What factors come into play when deciding on an appropriate vehicle to purchase for investment? Rarity? Vintage or New? Past growth? Current Market trends?
A: Provenance and state of the asset are extraordinary relevance. However, latest market trends and overall social media sentiment play an increasing role. Ultimately, an investment in a collectable automobile touches the passion on an individual’s own experiences – making of collecting an exciting experience.
Q: Can you speak on the structuring of the upcoming security token? Do holders have voting rights? Will they be available on any exchanges which support digital securities? Are these ERC-20 based tokens?
A: Whats most fascinating about our product is that it was design with the holder in mind, hence the structure may evolve as we get further feedback from our customers. From the very beginning we pursued a non-voting right that would enable management to remain agile when exiting the asset. This means as well as the sale triggers are laydown beforehand in a transparent manner. As of today the tokens are ERC20 and as far as we know are the world’s first tokens that back a collectable car and come together with an ISIN
The Team
Boasting professional resumes which include years of experience in exotic car investing, and FinTech, the following two find themselves at the helm of CurioInvest. Under their watch, CurioInvest has as good a chance of succeeding as possible.
Fernando Verboonen – Chief Executive Officer
In Other News?
As indicated above, there have been other companies which have taken similar pathways. ‘TheArtToken’ is an example of this, as those behind the project hope to use blockchain as a means of bringing access and liquidity to an asset that traditional has lacked both of these qualities.
TheArtToken : Preserving Wealth on the Blockchain – With ART
Interview Series – Oliver T. Roehl, Art Strategist and Purchaser
