Rochester Institute of Technology recently made history as the first university to invest in tokenized venture capital after investing in COSIMO Ventures. According to an announcement by COSIMO Ventures, the university made a seven-figure investment into COSIMO X, a tokenized fund focused on the blockchain sector.
RIT Makes History
Robert Frasca, the Managing Partner of COSIMO Ventures noted that it was the first time a US university had made a direct investment in a tokenized venture fund. However, other universities such as Yale, MIT, and Harvard have indirectly invested in the digital assets and blockchain sector via venture funds such as Paradigm and Andreesen Horowitz.
The senior VP of finance and administration at RIT, James Watters, said that, as an industry leader, it was important for them to invest in ventures that promote cutting-edge technologies. Besides that, it was essential for them to adopt such technologies as a means by which they invest. He added that the forward-thinking and entrepreneurial experience of COSIMO had impressed them. Additionally, he lauded their innovative approach when it came to venture investing. Watters noted that COSIMO’s deal flow had sourced unparalleled investment opportunities and the fund had an attractive economic structure in current market conditions.
About the Investment
The university made its investment by purchasing COSIMO X Tokens. These tokens are representative of economic interest in the fund. They can be accessed via the COSIMO X website that is powered by Securitize. Those who can purchase the tokens are accredited investors, international investors, and institutions such as RIT.
According to the CEO of Securitize, they were excited to provide the issuance technology for the tokens. Carlos Domingo, the Securitize CEO, noted that the COSIMO team had revolutionized how capital investing worked by enhancing liquidity, increasing transparency, and generating incentives for long-term holders. The CEO added that COSIMO X investors would have access to innovative tech that enables the instant trading of security while being compliant.
The Goal of COSIMO X
COSIMO X focuses on investing in companies that use blockchain protocols and digital assets to advance the rapidly growing emerging digital sector. The fund focuses on financial technology as a way to enter the digital economy. It has exposures to firms with the sector of new digital asset creation, regulatory technology, and market infrastructure platforms.
Robert Frasca, the COSIMO Ventures Managing Partners noted that decentralized software protocols represented a multi-trillion-dollar growth opportunity. He added that they aimed to capture this market. Frasca stated that while tokenized vehicle were exciting, the growth they could foster as an investment firm would be what resonated with investors. According to him, once the market realizes the benefits of tokenization, the structure adopted by COSIMO X would become the market standard.
The COSIMO X tokenized fund is a new and interesting concept. As Robert Frasca noted, tokenization and the use of the blockchain is still growing. However, it could soon become the standard in the future, replacing all existing models.
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