Mitigating the Current Crisis by Increasing Efficiency in the Investment Industry

We talked to Martin Signer, Managing Director of SmartMoneyMatch about the platform that connects the global investment community and here is what he said about it.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Martin Signer: Thanks for asking. Fortunately, we are currently not too badly affected but want to help with some initiatives with SmartMoneyMatch, the ones that have less fortune.

Tell us about you, your career, how you founded SmartMoneyMatch.

Martin Signer: I grew up in Zug (what is now known as the crypto valley), and after high school, I studied quantitative finance at the economic faculty of the University of Zurich. Prior to founding 4Finance, I was responsible for the market risk management at the Clariden Bank. Besides, I also have been active as a university lecturer and author of several publications. In my leisure time, I like sports (tennis and golf), chess, and music.

How does SmartMoneyMatch innovate? 

Martin Signer: We have built the product and social media platform for the investment industry.

On the platform, you can browse and list investments, find investors and indicate your investment interests and create a request for proposal, search service providers or offer your services, connect with and message other users, search for and announce relevant events (we also do media partnerships), find jobs, post vacancies or publish articles. In addition, all users have a profile page where their activities—as an investor, asset manager, or service provider—can be described and can be listed in the searchable business directory. Membership comes at no charge.

How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?

Martin Signer: For us, as an online business, we see more demand.

We launched the online digital platform SmartMoneyMatch in January 2015 and have made great strides in rolling it out to supplement the buy-side discovery and due diligence process and connect the stakeholders in the investment industry.

The platform was designed to conform to the rigors of a busy life, not knowing that people would be further hindered by COVID-19. 

The past 12 months have accelerated the growth in a way we couldn’t have imagined! 

The platform uses investor preferences and deal-highlights to make a market in all kinds of investments with the mission and vision of being the world’s leading marketplace for investment matching in compliance with any online promotion laws.

Additionally, it also allows you to search service providers or offer your services, connect with and message other users, search for and announce relevant events, find jobs, post vacancies, or publish articles. Furthermore, all users have a profile page where their activities—as an investor, asset manager, or service provider—can be described and can be listed in the searchable business directory.

Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?

Martin Signer: An open mindset. And I also studied decision analysis. It’s though always important to be open-minded and listen to people with experience.

What specific tools, software, and management skills are you using to navigate this Martin Signer: crisis?

Martin Signer: We develop the software SmartMoneyMatch as SaaS with a PHP Symfony framework.

Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?

Martin Signer: We are currently a clear market leader with our offering (no direct competitor). E.g., LinkedIn is not specific, but also a professional network.

Your website?

https://www.SmartMoneymatch.com