Adaverse Invests in Altify Shaping the Next Frontier in Alternative Investment

5 min readDec 8, 2023

PRESS RELEASE: December 8, 2023

Adaverse, the pioneering accelerator at the heart of the Cardano ecosystem in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, has concluded a strategic investment in the alternative investment platform Altify. This funding commitment marks a significant milestone in the Adaverse mission to empower startups in emerging markets with a focus on driving blockchain innovation across the globe.

Altify stands as a pioneering wealth-building and savings platform aiming to empower its users to grow their wealth outside of the stock market through alternative investments, revolutionizing the investment landscape for its expanding user base of over 80,000 across Africa and Europe. Altify is on a mission to democratize access to a diverse range of alternative investment opportunities that were once reserved for big institutions and the ultra-wealthy. Alternative investments include asset classes such as private credit (private debt), venture capital, real estate, crypto assets, collectibles, and more.

Alternative investing is rapidly evolving through digital trading and asset tokenization enhancing accessibility beyond conventional investment classes like stocks and bonds. However, despite these advancements, barriers to entry remain high, with the market predominantly influenced by high-net-worth individuals and institutional players.

“At Adaverse, we invest in the future, and Altify embodies this vision. Their innovative use of blockchain to make wealth accessible to everyday investors through secure, fractional digital assets is exactly why we see them as pioneers in the financial sector,” said Vincent Li, Founding Partner of Adaverse.

The Growing Alternative Investment Market

The global alternative investment market, on track to reach $18.3 trillion by 2027 is seeing growing interest in Africa, especially among institutional investors, as underscored by a South African report on the region’s expanding market. This trend is mirrored in Africa’s vast population and other emerging economies, where widespread adoption of cryptocurrency through mobile devices is now extending to other alternative asset classes, positioning Africa as a vital player in this expanding domain.

Yet, as the popularity of cryptocurrencies, DeFi, and NFTs grows, it has exposed an accessibility gap in asset classes like private credit, real estate, and collectibles for the average investor. Addressing this, Altify has developed a suite of alternative investment and savings options aimed at breaking down these barriers, enhancing financial inclusivity, and broadening the reach of diverse investment opportunities that are fractionalised on the blockchain.

Altify: The Alternative Investment Super App

Altify was created in Q4 2023 through a merger between South African crypto asset investment platform Revix, joined by fellow South African crypto investment platform BitFund, and Austria’s Coinpanion to form Altify.

“From a global perspective, alternative investments significantly shape economies, offering new dimensions of financial growth. This wonderful access that Altify is creating is akin to a coalition of cutting-edge technology and market inclusivity. It’s a crucial step in empowering diverse economies and redefining wealth access for all,” stated Shogo Ishida, Co-CEO of EMURGO Middle East and Africa and Director at Adaverse.

Why Altify is Unique

With a minimum investment of just $10, Altify’s platform makes it easy to buy, sell, and earn yield from a diverse range of assets at once. Altify features existing ETF-style Crypto Bundle, enhanced cryptocurrency pairs, savings benefits, and other unique assets such as physical gold. Altify is expertly tailored for the digital asset landscape, providing everyday investors with dynamic, auto-updating portfolios that integrate real-time market data from leading crypto exchanges. This sophisticated approach ensures that users always have access to the most advantageous pricing and agile market interactions.

About The Founder

Sean Sanders — CEO and Co-Founder of Altify

Sean Sanders founded Revix as a crypto-ETF-centric investment platform in 2018, targeting the South African market. He realized that there was a limit to investment diversity, especially for the everyday investor, and the alternative investment market is dominated by the ultra-wealthy who are also often older. Thus, he set out to make wealth building more accessible for younger and everyday investors. With years of financial expertise in investment management, VC, and entrepreneurial pursuits, Sean now spearheads Altify following its strategic merger with BitFund and Coinpanion.

“As a CFA Charterholder and investor myself, I was frustrated with the lack of investment opportunities and tooling available as a retail investor. That’s exactly what we plan to solve through Altify, as our mission is to empower our users to access the lucrative alternative investment markets which have, over the long term, outperformed global stock markets and provided exceptional risk-reducing diversification to investment portfolios. While High Net Worth Individuals invest an average of over 20% of their wealth in these alternatives, everyday people are at less than 3%. Our aim is to change this by democratizing access to these lucrative opportunities, thereby helping our users grow their wealth in ways that are both sustainable and impactful.” — Sean Sanders, Altify CEO

Global Expansion and Diversification

Altify is charting an ambitious course to broaden its range of alternative investment assets, aiming to include private credit, real estate, and venture capital, augmented by innovative savings options. Rooted in South Africa, with a presence in the UK and Austria, the company is poised to tap into its diverse market base. Crucially, Altify plans to harness the global network and expertise of Adaverse and EMURGO, leveraging this alliance to enhance its wealth offerings. This strategy not only aligns with its mission to democratize wealth creation but also positions Altify as a comprehensive hub for alternative investments, poised for global reach and impact.

To learn more about Altify, visit the website here

About Adaverse

Adaverse is a Cardano Ecosystem Accelerator and Incubator established through a collaborative initiative between EMURGO and Everest Ventures Group to support Web3 founders through funding and mentorship. With a portfolio boasting 53 investments, including 16 accelerated startups spanning 12 countries, Adaverse covers a diverse range of sectors within the Web3 landscape. From Web3 innovations and cryptocurrency exchanges to NFTs, gamefi, DeFi, and proptech.

Adaverse stands at the forefront of the Web3 revolution, guiding founders from the ideation stage through development, acceleration, and ultimately scaling their promising ventures in the ever-evolving realm of Web3.

Web3 startups can apply for Adaverse funding here.