Hedgehog launches two tokens backed by real assets in New York
The investing app offers digital tokens that are backed by income generated, directly or indirectly, by real-world assets. The technology helps Hedgehog remove barriers to entry and enables eligible individuals to have more control over the investments they own.
Hedgehog, a blockchain-driven investing app led by co-founders from Partners Group and Goldman Sachs, has announced it has secured exclusive access to a pipeline of real-world assets worth more than $1.5bn in total value.
The two tokens made available represent investments in renewable energy infrastructure and commercial real estate, both in the New York metro area. The offering is available only to eligible individuals in the US, UK and Switzerland.
Combination of regular income and growth
Ron Lamb, co-founder at Hedgehog, commented: “We are excited to offer two more investment opportunities to the eligible individuals registered on our platform. Our model is to provide investors with the opportunity to pick and choose between investments that offer a different mix of benefits, to prioritise the outcomes most important to them as individuals: financial, social or environmental.”
The move addresses general criticism of cryptocurrencies for their lack of underlying value. Via its investment funds, Hedgehog gives eligible individual investors exposure to real-world assets, such as real estate and infrastructure.
As the markets face greater volatility, real assets, or tangible assets with intrinsic value, have seen an uptick in demand from institutions, including pension funds, which are increasing their ownership, according to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch report published last year.
The tokens target a combination of regular income and growth, and will be available to buy directly via the Hedgehog app, with a minimum investment of $5,000.
Both tokens represent indirect investments in real-world assets located within one hour of Manhattan, New York:
Industrial Warehouse @ i.Park 84 is a fully leased manufacturing building at i.Park 84, the former IBM East Fishkill semiconductor manufacturing facility situated on 300-acres of land with over 3 million square feet of buildings.
Solar @i.Park Hudson is one of the largest arrays of rooftop solar in the New York metro area: 3,700 solar panels covering 2.2 acres of rooftop that provides the tenants of @ i.Park Hudson with a source of green energy.
Michael Ward, co-founder at Hedgehog, said: “We are catering to investors that have demand for some of the benefits that investing in valuable real-world assets can provide. Industrial Warehouse @ i.Park 84 is a source of stable cash flow and upside potential, while investors in Solar @i.Park Hudson can earn regular income and support the transition to a low-carbon economy at the same time.”
The investing app offers digital tokens that are backed by income generated, directly or indirectly, by real-world assets. The technology helps Hedgehog remove barriers to entry and enables eligible individuals to have more control over the investments they own.
