Part 3 of 5

Join us for an engaging discussion with Derek Watson from N2 Technology, and Bishr Shiblaq, LLM, CIFD.

We speak on being investment-ready and preparing for the due-diligence questions that investors usually ask.

Also featured is a panel discussion with Egor Romanyuk, an early-stage investor, in which he speaks about how he decides which startups to invest in.

For startups, and VCs, and everything in between!

Read up more on DIFC Innovation Licenses, and get in touch to be part of the UAE’s premium tech ecosystem.

For More Details, Mail us at: [email protected] or Call us at: +97142778349 or Visit us at: https://10leaves.ae/ or chat with us!

Part 2 of 5

Join us for an engaging discussion with Derek Watson from N2 Technology, and Bishr Shiblaq, LLM, CIFD.

We speak on being investment-ready and preparing for the due-diligence questions that investors usually ask.

Also featured is a panel discussion with Egor Romanyuk, an early-stage investor, in which he speaks about how he decides which startups to invest in.

For startups, and VCs, and everything in between!

Read up more on DIFC Innovation Licenses, and get in touch to be part of the UAE’s premium tech ecosystem.

For More Details, Mail us at: [email protected] or Call us at: +97142778349 or Visit us at: https://10leaves.ae/ or chat with us!

Part 1 of 5

Join us for an engaging discussion with Derek Watson from N2 Technology, and Bishr Shiblaq, LLM, CIFD.

We speak on being investment-ready and preparing for the due-diligence questions that investors usually ask.

Also featured is a panel discussion with Egor Romanyuk, an early-stage investor, in which he speaks about how he decides which startups to invest in.

For startups, and VCs, and everything in between!

Read up more on DIFC Innovation Licenses, and get in touch to be part of the UAE’s premium tech ecosystem.

For More Details, Mail us at: [email protected] or Call us at: +97142778349 or Visit us at: https://10leaves.ae/ or chat with us!

Part 4 of 4

You can also view this episode on You Tube - https://youtu.be/PKSwMsWVzt4

Join me for an engaging discussion with Bishr Shiblaq, LLM, CIFD and Derek Watson from the pioneering N2 Technology on setting up in the DIFC Innovation Hub and being part of an ecosystem that does so much more than just provide a license and a fantastic place to do business...

For startups, and VCs, and everything in between! For More Details, Mail us at: [email protected] or Call us at: +97142778349

Do also tune in to our podcasts on the DIFC Innovation License and the DIFC VC Fund Manager Regime. Happy listening!

Part 3 of 4

You can also view this episode on You Tube - https://youtu.be/PKSwMsWVzt4

Join me for an engaging discussion with Bishr Shiblaq, LLM, CIFD and Derek Watson from the pioneering N2 Technology on setting up in the DIFC Innovation Hub and being part of an ecosystem that does so much more than just provide a license and a fantastic place to do business...

For startups, and VCs, and everything in between! For More Details, Mail us at: [email protected] or Call us at: +97142778349

Do also tune in to our podcasts on the DIFC Innovation License and the DIFC VC Fund Manager Regime. Happy listening!

Part 2 of 4

You can also view this episode on You Tube - https://youtu.be/PKSwMsWVzt4

Join me for an engaging discussion with Bishr Shiblaq, LLM, CIFD and Derek Watson from the pioneering N2 Technology on setting up in the DIFC Innovation Hub and being part of an ecosystem that does so much more than just provide a license and a fantastic place to do business...

For startups, and VCs, and everything in between! For More Details, Mail us at: [email protected] or Call us at: +97142778349

Do also tune in to our podcasts on the DIFC Innovation License and the DIFC VC Fund Manager Regime. Happy listening!

Part 1 of 4

You can also view this episode on You Tube - https://youtu.be/PKSwMsWVzt4

Join me for an engaging discussion with Bishr Shiblaq, LLM, CIFD and Derek Watson from the pioneering N2 Technology on setting up in the DIFC Innovation Hub and being part of an ecosystem that does so much more than just provide a license and a fantastic place to do business...

For startups, and VCs, and everything in between! For More Details, Mail us at: [email protected] or Call us at: +97142778349

Do also tune in to our podcasts on the DIFC Innovation License and the DIFC VC Fund Manager Regime. Happy listening!

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://10leaves.ae/publications/difc/difc-digital-investment-management-robo-advisory-license

The DIFC has provisions for both regulated and non-regulated fintech in the Innovation Hub. While they have issued detailed guidelines on Money Services Businesses, there is no such explicit guidance on Robo Advisory licenses.

What are Robo-Advisors?

Robo-advisors are a class of financial adviser that provide financial advice or Investment management online with moderate to minimal human intervention. They provide digital financial advice based on mathematical rules or algorithms, and use technology to interact with more tech-savvy clients, as opposed to the traditional method of relationship-based advisory. This technology allows investment managers to provide tailored investment management services to clients in a cost-effective and scalable manner.

Why Use a Robo-Advisor?

There are many reasons why investors may choose to use robo-advisors as opposed to a traditional portfolio manager or financial advisor including:

Low fees and no conflict of interest: Many Digital Investment Managers charge significantly lower fees compared to traditional financial advisors. Conflicts of interest are minimized, since there is no bias or pressure to push a certain set of products or solutions.

Low minimum requirements: Most financial advisory firms have higher requirements of initial commitments – usually a minimum in excess of US$ 100,000. Robo advisors have much lower entry requirements (some as low as US$ 1,000) and work on volumes.

Availability: Digital Investment Managers are automated and hence available 24/7.

Prominent robo-advisory firms include https://www.betterment.com, https://www.personalcapital.com, and https://intelligent.schwab.com.

The Dubai Financial Services Authority, or DFSA, reviews applications from firms who wish to carry out financial services from the DIFC.

In the absence of explicit guidance, based on our experience with DIFC Robo-advisory applications, the following activities may be applicable, depending on the business model, whether fully-digital, or hybrid.

Firms that sell white-labeled technology solutions to wealth managers are not covered since they do not require financial services permissions.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://10leaves.ae/publications/adgm/adgm-spvs-as-holding-companies

Why hold assets in an ADGM SPV? What are the benefits and uses?

Flexibility of ownership

Shareholding in operational companies:

Holding shares in operational companies in the name of an SPV, instead of in individual names, helps better manage business-related liabilities, and also provide for potential investments in the business. The UAE mainland, for instance, has a 51%/49% share structure for trading entities. These shares are usually held in individual names.

Holding these shares in the name of ADGM SPVs can provide many benefits, including more robust arrangements, under Common Law, for the relationship between the UAE National and the expatriate partners.

Can ADGM SPVs hold property?

Yes! Investors who wish to purchase property, or have already purchased property, can use ADGM SPVs to hold these assets.

We have seen investors using one SPV per property, primarily when such assets are bought for onward sale. Others use ADGM SPVs to consolidate their portfolios by region (in this case, by Emirate), or by type of property (residential, commercial) etc.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://10leaves.ae/publications/adgm/adgm-spvs-as-securitisation-vehicles

What are the benefits of setting up a securitisation vehicle in the ADGM?

In the ADGM, securitisation of a wide range of assets, loans, bonds, incomes and risks is allowed. In addition to this, risks related to debt, movable or immovable property, tangible and intangible assets are also allowed to be securitised.

In general, anything that is a store of future income can be securitised in the ADGM.

The ADGM SPV is governed by Common Law, and it’s direct applicability in the ADGM provides legal certainty and comfort to foreign investors. SPVs also have access to the ADGM Courts, which provides a mechanism for registration and enforcement of contracts, again under Common Law.

There are no restrictions on foreign ownership in the ADGM, and so ADGM SPVs can issue 100% of it’s securities and shares to foreign nationals.

The ADGM SPV is a low-cost and flexible vehicle. There are no office-space requirements (the services of an ADGM registered agent would suffice), and multiple classes of shares are allowed.

Also, an ADGM SPV has access to the extensive Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty Network that the UAE has in place with most major countries around the globe. In this case, there are additional requirements to fulfil from the Ministry of Finance.

The ADGM is a zero-tax jurisdiction and there are no corporate, withholding or income taxes in the centre. 100% of the profits of an ADGM SPV can be repatriated.