Tokeny, the fintech startup guiding Monaco in the tokenisation of assets

Will Monaco, accompanied by blockchain startup Tokeny, be the future “funding nation”? The process of Fundraising through tokenisation of assets in Monaco is being prepared. Indeed, Monaco’s ambitions for the Blockchain are making two great strides: Preparing the legislative system to welcome decentralised finance with Law 1491 of June 2020. Recruiting the technology startup specialising in the creation of blockchains: Tokeny Frédéric Genta, who worked for Google and is interministerial delegate in charge of the digital transition, has the ambition to host regulated Security Tokens Offerings (STOs). STOs are an alternative to fundraising, which allows funds to be raised directly through the sale of tokens. Each token represents a share of the company. And any asset (company, work of art, film project etc…) can be tokenised. Sometimes called “securitisation 2.0”, the tokenisation of assets has many advantages: Improving liquidity Enabling faster settlement Reducing costs and strengthen risk management and compliance.   Tokeny, fintech startup, Blockchain partner in Monaco for the DeFi Tokeny, a Luxembourg-based fintech company, will manage the operational part of Monaco’s decentralised finance. On the administrative aspect, the Principality will label the projects to reassure investors. “The lack of high quality tokenised assets has been a stumbling block in the tokenisation industry. With the mandatory label, the projects selected by the Principality of Monaco will be easily recognised by investors as serious and high quality investment opportunities”, explains Luc Falempin, CEO of Tokeny Solutions. Tokeny’s solution for Monaco’s STOs Tokeny’s solution consists of a technology platform sold as a service and supported by a robust blockchain. The blockchain startup Tokeny offers three products: Issuance and allocation of tokens and onboarding investors; Transfer and control of these tokens by the blockchain; and after-issuance service and a white-label investor portal. High security measures for the Monaco Blockchain For the issuer of the tokens, the rules related to AML and KYC checks will be automatically applied. Companies raising funds will have to be registered in Monaco. Also, the fund raising project will have to be approved by the Monegasque authorities. And finally, article 4 of Law 1491 requires that the funds be sequestered until they are invested. “Finally, the rights of investors will be guaranteed by their blockchain identity.” reassures Luc Falempin.   Euronext, Tokeny’s new shareholder to gain credibility In July 2019, Tokeny announced that Euronext had subscribed to its entire €5 million capital increase. The Luxembourg start-up had already won the Fintech prize at the 4th edition of the Fintech Awards Luxembourg. This entry in Euronext’s capital is a clear sign of the market’s confidence in Tokeny. Indeed, the young startup fintech was only born in September 2017 and has quickly established itself as a serious player in the field. Thus, Euronext subscribes to the €5M and takes control of 23.5% of the shares. Finally, the manager of the European stock exchanges benefits from a position on the board of directors.   5M raised for Tokeny and a good dose of credibility alongside Euronext “This is doubly important,” notes Tokeny’s CEO, “On the one hand, we will be able to recruit the best people to continue our development. Of course, developers but also support functions. People who will be able to accompany us in the deployment with our new customers, and in communication as well.” “And on the other hand, Euronext, with whom contacts began in February-March, is the perfect partner for its European dimension, but also central to the organisation of the markets. This can be reassuring for our prospects and future clients”. In short, great prospects for the fintech hosted at the Lhoft! “It’s also the right time because regulations are opening up, particularly in France and Luxembourg“, says Luc Falempin.   Tokeny, supported by PWC for turnkey tokenisation solutions Tokeny and PwC Luxembourg have founded a joint business relationship. This enables them to provide turnkey solutions for asset tokenisation. This solution can be applied to both capital markets and asset management. This partnership will be a complete offer on the tokenisation of existing and new assets: Legal and legal aspects to be managed by PWC (from accounting to law, regulation, taxation, risk insurance Technical aspect to be managed by Tokeny (technical solution, cybersecurity or conservation) Tokeny is gearing up to become the partner of the Principality of Monaco in its Blockchain and STO projects! “Thanks to tokenisation, institutions can digitise financial assets such as shares, loans, bonds, funds and other securities. They can thus streamline their administration to provide customers with a digital service first”, according to Luc Falempin. “In addition to reducing costs for companies, this new technology can open up new revenue models and new markets for industry players”.

5 Monegasque startups enter the MonacoTech incubator in 2020

When you think Monaco, you automatically think about yachts, big cars and richest men on the planet, and not so much about the Monegasque startups. But the Principality has a lot of projects like becoming a leader of fundraising through the tokenisation of assets and developping a state of the art incubator. Indeed, And Monaco is now home to a startup incubator, MonacoTech. And the institution is rather well-born since it was founded by Monaco Telecom but above all by the startupper Xavier Niel himself! It must be said that the first startupper in France is a shareholder of Monaco Telecom. He is even developing 5G in the country! MonacoTech, the incubator of Monegasque startups, has just selected 5 new candidates to be incubated. For this 5th edition of the competition launched, the Principality’s incubator received 38 projects from 13 different countries. Not bad for an incubator founded in 2018 only! The Monaco incubator welcomes start-ups from a wide variety of sectors, under the direction of Lionel Galfré, former director of the IMSEE : AdTech BioTech GreenTech MedTech Yachting, of course! Where better than in Monaco? The Startuppers Club presents the 3 incubated startups that you need to get to know: Carlo (Commerce), our favourite startup at MonacoTech The most Monegasque of Monegasque startups. The Startuppers Club’s favourite! The startup is reinventing the local shopping experience, and has already developed its offer in the Principality. Led by startupper Antoine Bahri, the application has already convinced 66 shops in Monaco to join the programme. In these difficult times for small businesses, this application has everything to please. Created in March 2018, the Monegasque startup’s ambitions are already focused on international markets. Indeed, the Carlo application is currently being tested in Barcelona. The principle is simple: all you have to do is scan the shop’s QR code to be credited with 5% cashback on your virtual wallet. In concrete terms, you don’t need to give your bank details, the shop will treat your credit like a gift voucher! Air Ion Technologies (Aeronautics) Air Ion, incubated in Monaco, develops drones and a 100% electric helicopter. This young Swiss company mainly develops military drones. This startup is made up of a group of engineers, pilots and managers specialised in aeronautics. The small team came together in Lugano in 2017 to found Air-Ion. The startup is located next to the private airport of Ambri in order to carry out tests more easily and to be closer to its first partner SKT Helicopters. But the startup has already collaborated with Antonov as well! Mea Plant (GreenTech) The Italian startup Mea Plant is developing an innovative solution for above-ground cultivation using a non-absorbent substrate. The drops of water, supplied by the irrigation system, remain suspended on a network of wires that make up the innovative cultivation substrate. The concept works a bit like a spider’s web after the rain that holds the water drops. The water is completely consumed by the roots, without any accumulation of mineral salts in the substrate. The water savings made possible by this concept is about 90%. Of course the elements are made of recyclable materials and the whole thing does not need any pesticides or herbicides. Finally, the good autonomy of the solution ends up making it a promising startup in the GreenTech. 2 other Monegasque startups incubated in MonacoTech that worth a look YouStock, an Monegasque startups alumni ! The Monegasque startup YouStock is one of the successes of the MonacoTech incubator. The company makes storage accessible to all. Indeed, Youstock offers a service adapted to everyone and at unbeatable prices. The team comes to your premises and does its utmost to save you time. The services offered by the startup are diverse, from packaging, to inventory and, of course, the storage of your belongings. Thanks to the online inventory, you can request the partial or total recovery of your belongings at any time within 24 hours. Rates are calculated to the nearest cubic metre, which will allow you to take advantage of an advantageous and degressive rate depending on the duration of your commitment. YachtNeeds Yachtneeds allows its user list, mainly made up of captains, crew and shore-based professionals, to chat live. The site and the related application allow you to find and apply for jobs worldwide. Also, a geolocalised directory allows users to search for products and services in more than 600 major ports and marinas. The ambition of this startup is to be the reference in terms of the online yachting ecosystem. What better place to start than the Principality of Monaco!

Monaco: Fundraising through tokenisation explained by Grant Thornton

Fundraising through tokenisation of assets is a hot topic. The Principality of Monaco wants to become the world leader in ICO (Initial Coins Offering) and STO (Security Tokens Offering). The State has defined 3 main objectives linked to the tokenisation of assets: Attract new start-ups and activities Become the leader in environmental fundraising (CleanTech) Develop an alternative to a stock exchange via tokens Extended Monaco‘s ambition is to attract companies and activities thanks to the development of new technologies, such as the blockchain, with the help of innovative means of financing. For its part, the State is financing a first ICO dedicated to the production of the new documentary film by Luc Jacquet, Oscar-winning director of The March of the Emperor. Like the Monegasque State, investors will be able to invest in green projects approved by the Principality. Grant Thornton Monaco hosted a webinar on fundraising through tokenisation, which StartuppersClub attended, here the main information ! Regulatory aspects of fundraising through asset tokenisation in Monaco Monaco has established a legal framework for the use of tokens and in order to become the leader in fundraising through asset tokenisation. Law 1482 of 17th December 2019 – Monegasque law n° 1.482 of 17th December 2019 for a digital Principality, introduced (among others) the notion of “token” and recognises its legal existence in Article 2 [Translated] : The token is “an intangible asset representing in digital format, one or more rights, goods or services, which may be issued, registered, kept or transferred by means of a digital recording device on a shared register and which, at the time of its issue or subscription, assumes the legal nature of the said right, good or service”. Law 1491 of 23rd June 2020 – The purpose of this law is to introduce, in Monegasque law, a legal framework relating to token offers (called ICO or STO). Token offering is a form of fund raising carried out by means of a digital recording device on a shared register, such as a blockchain, and giving rise to the issuance of tokens in return for the capital outlay made by investors. Order 8258 of 18 September 2020 2 types of token exist: The Utility token has for final purpose its use within the framework of a service. It can be spent but it is not a financial asset, just a kind of credit in an application. Issuing this type of token is called Initial Coin Offering (ICO). The Security token is a pure financial asset, the equivalent of shares in a company for example. The issue of this type of token is called Security Token Offering (STO). Security aspects of fundraising through tokenisation in the Principality of Monaco Digital assets must be secured before they are made available to subscribers. Law 1491 of 23 June 2020 details the conditions for raising funds by tokenisation in Monaco. The aim of the Principality is here to secure ICOs and STOs, which is not always the case in other jurisdictions. This should reassure investors and create quality investments.  Producing the most secure token fundraising in the world is Monaco’s ultimate goal. Article 2 of Law 1491: Administrative authorisation of the fundraising through tokenisation [Translated] The realisation of a token offering is subject to prior administrative authorisation in the form of a label. Article 3 of Law 1491: Registration in Monaco The legal entity proposing an ICO or STO must be registered in Monaco and receive a label from the Principality. Article 4 of Law 1491: Funds escrowed until the end of the fund raising process The funds collected will be placed in an escrow account located in the Principality. The transferred funds can only be used when the project actually starts. If the fundraising is not fully completed, the funds will be blocked in a Monegasque bank. Article 5 of Law 1491: A dedicated platform validated by the Monegasque authorities The digital platforms will be validated by the Monegasque authorities. It will have to clearly identify the issuer and will retain full control over the tokens issued. Creation of a secondary market: the virtual stock exchange in Monaco A secondary market in Monaco would allow the sale of company shares in the form of tokens. In addition, it would facilitate the establishment of a kind of simplified stock exchange. It doesn’t exist at the moment, but the Blockchain technology combined with the tokenisation of assets could well make it possible! This market would increase the liquidity of investments in Monaco. It would therefore be possible to hold tokens for projects validated by the Principality. However, some questions still remain to be answered as to how to enhance the value of these digital assets and tax the gains. The startup Tokeny will help Monaco to develop its platform dedicated to the tokenisation of assets. The fintech is already specialised in the field of blockchain creation. According to Stanislas Colin-Benoit of the audit firm specialising in digital assets Cattalaxy, the Monegasque blockchain would gain in security as the platform is adopted by more and more people. Indeed, the security of a blockchain is determined in particular by the number of stakeholders. Monaco’s approach is of course not speculative and the State will not invest in cryptocurrencies. The aim is really to develop a new economy around this blockchain technology.   Get help from Grant Thornton Monaco for your STO (Security Tokens Offering) If you wish to carry out a fundraising campaign by tokenisation (STO) but the project seems complicated for you, Grant Thornton Monaco (Yohan Roudaut and Michael Mangano) and its partner Cattalaxy can help you with the key stages of your ICO/STO: Administrative steps to obtain the label Drafting of the “white paper”, the document that investors will read to understand the characteristics of the token (Art. 7 of Law 1491). Analysis of the compliance of internal procedures with the AML and KYC rules of Monaco Audit of the financial statements by a certified auditor, in particular for funds investing in tokens