We asked Ian to share his experience of advising us. In this blog, he shares his motivation for backing us and his experience ever since.
- Why do you believe in the vision of Bond180?
I have been closely involved in buy-side innovation for many years, and repeatedly see the disconnect between the issuance of assets and the needs of the investor: the issuer wants to fund their business, while the investor seeks assets with attributes that closely fit their portfolio’s objectives. In Bond180 I saw a business that wanted to address this disconnect head-on.
2. What role do you play in Bond180?
I am an advisor to Bond180, focused on the buy-side perspective. I became involved early in Bond180’s development, attracted both by the vision of the firm and the focus and integrity of the Bond180 team. It has been a great fit. I wanted to be actively involved in an initiative that I believe in wholeheartedly, and Bond180 demand active involvement from their advisors.
3. Where do you see Bond180 in 5 years?
There are many fintech start-ups, and many of them will fail. I see Bond180 as a likely success story because its goal is well-defined, it addresses a distinct need, and its management team is energetic and wholly focused on success. The business model for asset sourcing which Bond180 is developing is more efficient by far than the current market structure. Over time, I expect to see Bond180’s model becoming the market standard.
4. What problem do you think Bond180 is solving?
Bond180 addresses a key issue in asset ownership and asset management: the sourcing of assets that closely meet the requirements of the investor. This is a significant issue generally, is more focused in fixed income, and becomes harder as investment moves into alternative assets.
5. What is your view on the technology Bond180 is developing?
Bond180 deploy modern architectures, including distributed ledger, to match the needs of the issuer and the investor, helping them to find each other efficiently, and providing a low-cost issuance/investment environment. This is a great application of innovative technology.
6. Who do you think are the right client segment for Bond180?
Bond180 helps the capital issuer and the investor. So corporate treasurers are a natural target, as are the investment teams of asset owners and asset managers. The asset sourcing issue is sharpest in fixed income, so there is a natural focus there, but the approach of Bond180 has general applicability to issuance and investment across asset classes.
7. How do you think Bond180 can help buy-side firms?
Bond180 makes it cheaper and easier to find the right assets to invest in. It, therefore, reduces the cost of investment and provides better value to the investor, while strengthening the profitability of the asset manager. What’s not to like from a buy-side perspective?
