MEDIA CENTER

Crowdfunding Industry to Unite Behind Regulatory Organization to Protect Investors

WASHINGTON, DC and NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Mar 23, 2012) - With the passage of the JOBS Act, the Crowdfunding Industry is uniting behind a Self Regulating Organization (SRO) to monitor and oversee this new marketplace and ensure investor protection. The Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Association will commit to providing investor protection and market integrity through effective and efficient regulation of those within the crowdfunding industry. CFIRA will create rules, oversight and a united voice for the CrowdFund Investing platform companies as the industry is formed. CFIRA announced today that the founding partners will be:

• Startup Exemption, The CrowdFund Investing authors that wrote the framework for the Crowdfund legislation passed by Congress.
• The SoHo Loft Capital Creation (TSLCC) Events, the definitive event platform for the private markets aimed at facilitating capital formation and job creation.
• Gate Technologies & GATE Impact, a platform and electronic marketplace and that provides regulatory compliant private market transactions.

CFIRA is a membership organization that includes members of the CrowdFund Investing and donation-based crowdfunding community as well as representatives of related industries including angel and venture capital firms. CFIRA will provide intermediaries with regulation, reporting, and compliance oversight and will provide investors with educational tools to help make more informed decisions about the opportunities and risks of CrowdFund Investing. CFIRA is committed to working with the SEC to create reasonable and appropriate regulations and oversight to reduce fraud and protect investors.Read More

GATE Technologies launches impact investment infrastructure with $2.5 million investment from Prudential

NEWARK, N.J. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GATE Technologies announced today its entrance into the impact investment market with the pilot launch of GATE Global Impact LLC (GATE Impact), which was made possible with a $2.5 million lead investment by Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) through its Social Investment Program.

“To meet the dual goal of positive social impact and satisfactory market return requires an infrastructure that can measure the performance of these types of investments. GATE Global Impact provides that missing element.”

GATE Global Impact utilizes an innovative, new technology platform to create an automated infrastructure to monitor impact investments – public and private investments designed to generate a financial return and address social and environmental needs. The platform – called GATEWAY – provides research, analytics, trading, settlement, and clearing and reporting functions for socially and environmentally responsible investments.

“We’re delighted to partner with Prudential in paving the way for this new investment practice,” said Vincent Molinari, co-founder and chief executive officer of GATE Technologies. “Prudential is one of the first companies to have a devoted impact investment portfolio. Its long history in this market will help us define this growing area.”Read More

GATE US Integrates With Portware to Amplify Distribution and Access

$3.5 Million Dollar Investment Shows Continuing Confidence in Growth of Secondary Markets

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - May 18, 2011) - GATE Technologies, LLC, the first provider of an electronic transaction platform for trading global alternative assets and illiquid securities, today announced that they have integrated with Portware, the leading provider of highly integrated electronic trading solutions, to create the first electronic Indication of Interest (IOI) to standardize non-public securities for greater distribution and access. The integration will provide increased connectivity to participants, while offering an audit trail for regulators that will bring more transparency to the market.

"Engaging with Portware marks a key development in our global connectivity," said GATE CEO Vincent Molinari. "As we look to deliver increased liquidity and transparency to the trading of alternative and illiquid assets, this integration enables us to offer a whole new level of access to secondary market participants."

As a pioneer in the electronic trading of restricted stock, the GATE Pro platform employs FIX connectivity to deliver transparency, efficiency and liquidity to a traditionally opaque market. Access to Portware's network will enable dark pools to find better alpha and offer participants better distribution and increased liquidity.Read More

John Pappajohn Leads New Funding for GATE Technologies, Joins Board

$3.5 Million Dollar Investment Shows Continuing Confidence in Growth of Secondary Markets

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – Apr 20, 2011) – GATE Technologies announced today the successful closure of $3.5 million in funding led by legendary venture capitalist John Pappajohn. GATE plans to use the capital to expand its market infrastructure, which provides an end-to-end solution for buying and selling illiquid and alternative assets.

Pappajohn will also join the GATE Technologies executive board, providing strategic advice and oversight as the company continues to grow.

GATE plans to roll out additional GATE Developing Marketplaces (GDMs) in 2011. In November 2010, GATE launched its U.S.-based broker-dealer subsidiary, GATE US. In February 2011, the company launched GATE Global Impact, providing market infrastructure for impact investing — investments that provide a social and/or environmental benefit as well as a financial return.

“We are honored to have John join our team,” said GATE Technologies co-founder and CEO Vincent Molinari. “With his guidance and backing, we are better prepared to respond to growing market demand for transparency in secondary markets.”Read More

GATE Hires Veteran Markets Executive to Expand Market Technology Footprint

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – April 4, 2011) – GATE Technologies, a global financial technology company creating market infrastructure for buying and selling illiquid and alternative assets, announced that Sam Aizenberg has joined the company in the newly created position of Director of Application Development.

Aizenberg will join GATE in creating technology to open previously closed and illiquid markets, in the same manner as GATE’s first marketplaces, which are focused on the United States and Global Impact Investing. More new markets, which the company calls GATE Developing Markets (“GDMs”), are planned across multiple asset classes and geographies.

“Sam will help us refine and improve our current product offerings, find synergies between products and help expand into new areas,” said GATE CEO Vince Molinari. “Sam’s lifetime of work on innovative financial products will support us in our effort to continue to grow faster, farther and better."Read More

Angels in Action Announces GATE Technologies Acquires Controlling Interest

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – March 23, 2011) – GATE Technologies, LLC, announced today that it has acquired controlling interest in Angels in Action (“AIA”), an operating division of Angel Acquisition Corp. (OTCQB: AGEL) (PINKSHEETS: AGEL), enhancing the offerings of its subsidiary, GATE Global Impact (“GGI”). Angels in Action is a Carlsbad, California based company focused on providing microfinance services in the U.S. marketplace. AIA’s platform enables eligible American entrepreneurs to secure quick-and-ready financing through peer-to-peer loans and microloans. The terms and conditions of the sale will be announced and fully disclosed in the near term.

This acquisition enables Steve Bonenberger, CEO and Founder of AIA, to extend the mission and reach of his Microfinance Platform by increasing its exposure to leading Impact Investors. “American entrepreneurs in need of financing have come to us with their dreams when they have nowhere else to turn. Traditional banking and lending platforms have shut out entire sectors of the population due to the economic downturn. The GATE Global Impact strategic partnership and teaming involvement now enables us to deploy our vision for a new era of financing in America.”

Angels in Action brings together entrepreneurs and investors in the underserved markets in the United States. AIA provides an opportunity to help America fill the financial void that has not been adequately addressed by the U.S. banking system. Mr. Bonenberger states, “There is a strong desire for Americans to assist entrepreneurs in creating their American dream. AIA will play its part in helping rebuild the financial infrastructure needed to restore the U.S. economy.” Micro lending platforms have achieved incredible success in the international marketplace, and AGEL.PK and GGI collectively believe that Americans will embrace this platform domestically.Read More

GATE Technologies launches impact investment infrastructure with $2.5 million investment from Prudential

NEWARK, N.J. & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GATE Technologies announced today its entrance into the impact investment market with the pilot launch of GATE Global Impact LLC (GATE Impact), which was made possible with a $2.5 million lead investment by Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) through its Social Investment Program.

GATE Global Impact utilizes an innovative, new technology platform to create an automated infrastructure to monitor impact investments – public and private investments designed to generate a financial return and address social and environmental needs. The platform – called GATEWAY – provides research, analytics, trading, settlement, and clearing and reporting functions for socially and environmentally responsible investments.

“We’re delighted to partner with Prudential in paving the way for this new investment practice,” said Vincent Molinari, co-founder and chief executive officer of GATE Technologies. “Prudential is one of the first companies to have a devoted impact investment portfolio. Its long history in this market will help us define this growing area.”

The Prudential Social Investment Program manages more than $500 million in portfolios comprised of private placement debt, equity and various tax credits, including those for low-income housing and new markets.

GATE Technologies Acquires InfoEx to Extend Its End-to-End Solution for Alternative Asset Transactions

NEW YORK, NY-(Marketwire – February 7, 2011) – GATE Technologies today announced the acquisition of InfoExchange Inc. (“InfoEx”). The acquisition is yet another move on GATE’s part to build a world class electronic environment for the trading of alternative assets, extending the reach of its platform to include relevant content for transactions. Additionally, the acquisition deepens the GATE Technologies management team with seasoned financial services executives.

GATE users will now have access to InfoEx’s thousands of real-time data streams which are already in use by institutional clients worldwide. InfoEx analyzes investment and trading behavior and how users interact with the system, presenting highly relevant information feeds and tailor-made data sets to serve clients.

“The combination of InfoEx’s powerful profiling and relevance technology in conjunction with the ability to deploy relevant third party information to investment professionals through InfoEx’s patent-published Indicast product will create the first actionable information trading forum,” said GATE Technologies CEO Vincent Molinari. “It has always been both firms’ positions that trading tools do not generate trades. Ideas do. We believe that through this transaction we are redefining the words ‘end-to-end’ by incorporating idea generation into the process.”Read More

Gate Technologies Announces New Funding

NEW YORK, NY-(Marketwire – January 25, 2011) – GATE Technologies announced today the successful closure of $3.6 million in funding from a group of private investors. GATE plans to use the capital to expand its market infrastructure for providing an end-to-end solution buying and selling illiquid and alternative assets.

GATE has already launched a U.S.-based broker-dealer subsidiary, GATE US LLC, and the company plans to roll out at least two additional GATE Developing Marketplaces (GDMs) in 2011.

“This additional capital is also a validation of interest in the electronic trading of illiquid and alternative assets,” said GATE Technologies co-founder and CEO Vincent Molinari. “This successful raise provides us with the tools to respond to a high level of demand from the market.”

The investments were booked using GATE Pro, the trading platform of GATE US.

GATE Technologies Acquires Global License to Transfer Online’s Stock Transfer Agency and Settlement Software

NEW YORK, NY-(Marketwire – January 19, 2011) – GATE Technologies announced today the acquisition of an exclusive license to use Transfer Online’s stock transfer and record-keeping software for the trading of alternative and impact investments globally.

“This transaction continues GATE’s commitment to developing the best end-to-end solution for the electronic trading of these assets,” said Vincent Molinari, co-founder and CEO of GATE.

Transfer Online was founded in 1999 as the first online-only stock transfer agent in the United States, and currently provides stock transfer services to approximately 400 companies. In 2001, the company created the first private trading board (“PTB”) for shareholders of Portland Brewing to trade shares with each other, requiring a no-action letter from the SEC to do so. In 2005, Transfer Online built a PTB for Restricted Class B shareholders of Mastercard, Inc., which preceded Mastercard’s initial public offering a year later.

Gate Technologies Launches Gate Pro Trading Platform For Restricted Equity Assets

Gate Technologies, a global financial technology company creating market infrastructure for buying and selling illiquid and alternative assets, announced the launch of Gate Pro, the US-based trading platform of its subsidiary, Gate US.

GATE US, LLC is a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, and features the first fully electronic trading platform specialising in illiquid assets. The first securities to be offered for trading on GATE Pro will be private company stock and private investments in public equities. GATE Pro’s launch follows its recent approval of ATS status for Rule 144A securities.

By bringing liquidity, transparency and price discovery to a traditionally opaque marketplace, the GATE Pro platform will – for the first time – bring buyers and sellers of these securities together electronically.

Gate Technologies Expands, Challenges SecondMarket’s Model

Gate Technologies is looking to shake things up in the booming field of secondary markets, announcing the acquisition of Infoexchange yesterday.

Companies like Sharepost and SecondMarket, Gate’s most well known New York competitor, rely on privately managed auctions, brokerages and trading specialists to set prices and transact the share of tech companies like Facebook.

Gate is attempting to build an end-to-end electronic trading platform that will provide customers with neutral research and a more liquid market.

“We fundamentally believe that in the end, this will provide better price discovery, and thus better opportunity for everyone,” Gate CEO Vince Molinari told The Observer. “We’re taking it out of the backroom where brokers get phone calls and giving the buyers and sellers a platform to negotiate without a middleman, so the power goes to the participants.”Read More

Gate Buys InfoEx as Private-Trading Rivalry Grows

Gate Technologies LLC, owner of an electronic platform that plans to compete with venues where privately held companies trade, bought data provider InfoExchange Inc. to provide investment research to customers, Chief Executive Officer Vince Molinari said.

Gate, which aims to help centralize trading in illiquid securities, will compete with SecondMarket Inc. and SharesPost Inc. to facilitate transactions of private companies such as Facebook Inc. Adding InfoExchange lets Gate provide research reports and related analytics about products such as restricted shares or private equity to potential investors. The amount paid for InfoEx wasn’t disclosed. Both companies are in New York.

Investors flocked to the secondary market last year to seek growth after a two-year slump in initial public offerings and a 0.3 percent gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index between the end of 2003 and 2009. Trading in privately held companies such as Facebook is likely to surge 51 percent to almost $7 billion this year, according to Nyppex LLC, a New York research and advisory services firm.Read More

As Market For Private Tech Shares Booms, New Players Emerge

With the trade in private shares of tech companies expected to grow by fifty percent this year, new players are joining established exchanges like SharePost and SecondMarket.

Gate Technologies, based out of New York, is one such challenger. It offers an electronic trading platform and claims to provide faster, less expensive transactions for investors.

According to Bloomberg, these companies are competing for more than $200 million in sales of private stock, a figure that is expected to rise as more tech firms opt out of the IPO market.”Read More

Facebook, Twitter Valuations Fuel Trading Surge to $7 Billion

Trading of privately held companies such as Facebook Inc. is likely to surge 51 percent to almost $7 billion this year, drawing new exchanges such as Xpert Financial Inc. and Gate Technologies LLC to vie for commissions.

Xpert and Gate will be competing with SecondMarket Inc. and SharesPost Inc., which gained popularity last year as investors poured billions of dollars into Facebook, Twitter Inc. and Groupon Inc. The value of the transactions may almost triple to $6.9 billion in 2011 from $2.4 billion in 2009, according to Nyppex LLC, a New York research and advisory services firm.

Investors flocked to the secondary market last year to seek growth after a two-year slump in initial public offerings and a half decade of muted gains in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. With fees of about 3 percent a transaction, these exchanges are vying for upwards of $200 million in sales this year, a number that may grow as more technology startups stay private longer.Read More

GATE Technologies Launches Trading Platform for Illiquid Assets

GATE Technologies announced the launch of GATE Pro, a U.S.-based trading platform specializing in illiquid securities.

GATE U.S. LLC, the subsidiary of GATES Technologies bringing out the electronic trading platform, is a FINRA-registered broker-dealer, which it says is the first fully electronic trading platform specializing in illiquid assets. The first securities to be offered for trading on GATE Pro will be private company stock and private investments in public equities. GATE Pro’s launch follows its recent approval of ATS status for Rule 144A securities.

By bringing liquidity, transparency and price discovery to a traditionally opaque marketplace, the GATE Pro platform will – for the first time – bring buyers and sellers of these securities together electronically.Read More