HSBC AM leads €12 million investment in Unbox

Unbox provides parties to an exchange with closed loop platforms for the control, distribution and registration of a diverse range of assets. The platform embraces a wide range of use cases, from traditional currency or local community currencies through the Unbox Community Issuance software suite, or high-value assets like diamonds or semi-conductors, and even low-value items such as plastic bottles or toys using the firm's State of Product software suite.

Remi Bourrette, head of venture investments at HSBC says the investment is part of the bank's venture capital strategy focused on fintech and enterprise software.

Referring specifically to Unbox, he comments: "Thanks to their technology, traceability and programmability can be embedded into existing payment networks, which simplifies deployment. As governments, institutions and not for profit organisations are constantly looking for more efficient ways to distribute grants or financial support, we believe the need for solutions such as Unbox’s will rapidly expand.”

Unbox CEO Erik Saelens says a sizeable portion of the investment will be directed towards talent recruitment and the ongoing development of existing team members. Brussels, Belgium will serve as a central hub for Unbox’s global operations.

"Money is the bloodstream of economies, yet its nature has not evolved through numerous industrial revolutions," he says. "Money is a wonderful invention, but in its current form, it is outdated. It is time to think about something new."

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