London, 4 April 2022 – Pioneering European blockchain start-up Nous Systems has launched a seven-figure seed fund raise based on a €30 million valuation as it develops the world’s first decentralised investment platform, which will be launched later this year and allows investors access to automated asset management services.
Despite the proliferation in products and services offering retail investors “access to markets,” little has been done to democratise access to the systems and services offered to more sophisticated, HNW clients of hedge and quantitative funds.
Since 1995, the top 1% have captured nearly 20 times more of global wealth than the bottom 50% of humanity. Democratising access to the systems and services used to manage the funds of the top 1% could make a strong contribution to ending the endemic wealth divide.
Access to Nous’ platform and services requires a minimum investment of only $100, in contrast to traditional funds aimed at HNW investors, which typically have a minimum investment amount of between $200,000 -$1,000,000. This reflects Nous’ belief that automated asset management should be available regardless of societal or financial status, opening up this sector to millions of investors around the world.
By using non-fungible smart contracts based on blockchain, Nous removes the reliance on paper contracts and the reliance on multiple third parties to enforce the terms of contracts. This allows traditional financial services and products to be offered at a much lower cost benefiting the end user and the service provider.
Also, by building decentralised infrastructure to govern the creation and management of contracts and funds, Nous can ensure greater levels of security, transparency and efficiency for its users whilst mitigating counterparty risk. It also allows investors to invest and manage their holdings at any time.
Focused founders
Nous Systems’ co-founders bring a wealth of experience that has shaped their vision for the future of asset management. Tom Stuart, CEO of Nous Systems, previously founded an open-banking start-up which was acquired in April 2021 for an undisclosed amount. His interest in the application of smart contracts to replace conventional legal agreements motivated him to co-found Nous in 2021.
Muhamed Selmani, COO of Nous Systems, has previously worked as an investment manager for a leading family office in the EMEA region. Working in the wealth management industry he noted operational flaws within traditional finance, which he thought would be solvable through blockchain solutions.
Kristijan Zivcec, CTO at Nous Systems, brings with him over 20 years’ experience from his career in software development. His background ranges from working for big tech companies including Siemens to free open-source projects where he contributes his expertise pro bono.
Tom Stuart, CEO of Nous Systems, commented:
“We are delighted to announce this seven-figure seed fund raise, which will help give us the funds to drive forward with our vision of democratising asset management and breaking down barriers that have facilitated inequality within the sector. With the wealth divide representing one of the most challenging problems facing humanity, we believe that one way to address this is to rethink traditional routes to accessing wealth management services and financial markets.”
Kristijan Zivcec, CTO of Nous Systems, added:
“Major technological advances in the blockchain arena in recent years have allowed us to develop a decentralised investment platform, and by using non-fungible smart contracts based on blockchain, we have removed the need for paper contracts and third-party verification. This means we can offer financial products at a much lower cost, as well as provide greater levels of security and transparency for the investors. We believe this will be transformational for the asset management sector and for investors, bringing greater equality and fairness that will help narrow the global wealth divide that is such a blight on society.”
About Nous Systems
Founded in 2021, Nous Systems is a European blockchain start-up pioneering in the use of non-fungible smart contracts to provide a decentralised network of investors with automated asset management services. Nous Systems is on a mission to build the world’s first decentralised hedge fund – promoting equal access to elite asset management and breaking down the wealth gap. Leveraging the outstanding technology developed by Chainlink, Polygon, and Glassnode, Nous Systems’ hopes to manage the assets of a diverse and global collective of investors, using a data-driven approach in the development of future investment products.
