Innovative investment technology platform Vauban, which has seen over 120 digital Funds launched on its platform, has raised GBP1.6 million in Seed funding from leading tech investors.
Europe’s most active proptech VC company, Pi Labs, is joined by Kima Ventures, Westloop Ventures, Argonautic Ventures and UFP Fintech, as Vauban leads the digitisation of the fund management industry.
Founded in 2018, the scaling business, which has over GBP200 million managed through its platform, is set to launch a real estate product in 2021, in addition to its current digital Funds focusing on investment from venture capital funds, hedge funds and SPV’s.
Vauban’s platform allows companies to set-up and deploy complex legal entities such as Funds and SPVs in hours, from multiple global investment jurisdictions. From initial structuring to NAV calculation, it is a fully integrated platform, providing its customers with full visibility over the entity creation process through a seamless digital experience.
Since launching Vauban has on-boarded over 3000 investors and has revolutionised VC investment, as evidenced through the facilitation of deals into AirBnB, SpaceX, Atai Life Science, Calm and Algolia. It has an international client base, including from the UK, Switzerland, France, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
With a projection of over GBP1 billion to be managed on the platform by summer 2021 and the launch of its automated digital process for UK real estate capital markets, Vauban has attracted investment from leading VC’s including Pi Labs.
With an estimated global value of GBP35 trillion real estate is one of the largest asset classes, providing long-term opportunity for the company to target small property syndicates as well as larger investors and funds. As such, Vauban has secured investment from the most active European investor into property technology, Pi Labs. With over 75 mentors, 70-plus portfolio company Founders, and over 100 co-investors, Pi Labs has evolved into the largest proptech ecosystem in Europe.
Remy Astie, Founder and CEO at Vauban, says: “Vauban is breaking down barriers as an innovative investment platform and trusted wealth management tool. Our goal is to provide an alternative model for capital flows, making investment an attainable and agile process. This Seed round will help support our rapid growth, which has been driven by an increase in VC funds, private equity companies and HNWI looking for ways to securely contain and deploy their capital.
Ulric Musset, Founder and COO at Vauban, says: “This funding round will allow us to effectively expand with an eye on real estate, private equity, private debt and collectibles in new jurisdictions. With support from Pi Labs, which is largely considered to be the most impactful and established investor into the proptech market, we have a strong network to effectively launch into the real estate market and continue to grow our customer base.”
Esha Vatsa, Principal at Pi Labs, says: “Vauban’s unique proposition is providing a new investment experience. With Vauban’s considerable success across its core markets and passion to transform the end-user experience, we identified the potential for this product to grow across multiple product lines and jurisdictions. With an impressive track record, strong and organic revenue growth, we are pleased to be part of Vauban’s journey as it gears up to digitise the real estate investment management industry.
“Vauban has taken what has traditionally been a drawn-out process and digitised it, reducing friction for those looking to secure and deploy. Vauban is leading the charge in a growing trend; with a boom in alternative assets the scaling company is set to be the infrastructure layer that investment will be built on. The real estate industry is increasingly adopting technology that facilities efficiency to enhance the transaction process. We continue to invest in the start-ups that are reshaping the property industry, such as Vauban, which can become category leaders.”
Vauban’s growth is reflective of the continuing rise of investment into alternative assets as investors continue to seek higher yields. With this global trend accelerating, Vauban’s innovative digital structure is helping to meet investor demand with appetite set to increase.
