FIRSTavenue drives innovation within the private markets by making strategic investment in Frictionless Markets

November 2023

LONDON & LUXEMBOURG; NOVEMBER 22, 2023 – FIRSTavenue Partners, a globally regulated placement agent focused on private funds, is excited to announce its strategic investment and partnership with Frictionless Markets. This collaboration signifies a notable shift and focus towards the expansion and democratization of the private markets through the use of digital securities, providing a digital-first issuance and investment experience.

The Luxembourg based, Frictionless Markets offers MiFID 2 compliant fund tokenization services, including issuance, distribution and settlement of digital securities in the private markets. The firm is a pioneer in digital securities and atomic settlement under the blockchain and securitization laws of Luxembourg.

"At Frictionless Markets, our regulatory first and digitally native approach to broadening access to the private markets is a natural fit with FIRSTavenue’s long-term track record. Our combined strengths will unlock huge efficiencies, broadening access for private fund GPs/ Managers, while providing global investors with a venue to invest in the world’s best private credit and infrastructure funds." said Pat Hourigan, CEO & Co-Founder of Frictionless Markets.

"We are delighted to come together and lead the way in the realm of financial technology," stated Paul Buckley, Founder and Managing Partner of FIRSTavenue. "This collaboration perfectly complements our dedication to innovation, and we eagerly anticipate offering our clients access to the state-of-the-art solutions provided by Frictionless Markets."

As part of the strategic investment, Mr Kaz Yasuda, will transition to Frictionless Markets and become Head of Institutional Sales. Mr Yasuda has 26 years of experience in the institutional investment field having most recently served as Managing Director at FIRSTavenue.

The partnership will initially focus on tokenized fund administration services to institutional clients.

For media inquiries, please contact media@frictionless.markets and rpickering@firstavenue.com.

About FIRSTavenue: FIRSTavenue is a leading independent global placement agent and advisory firm specialising in private credit, real assets, private equity and associated capital solutions. Since the firm’s inception in 2006, it has raised more than $30 billion of capital commitments on behalf of its clients. The firm maintains a global presence via its headquarters in London and offices in New York, Hong Kong and Hamburg, and today consists of over 40 professionals. FAP USA, L.P. is a member FINRA/SIPC. Learn more at firstavenue.com.

About Frictionless Markets: Frictionless Markets the pioneer in the issuance digital securities on the Avalanche blockchain and is fully compliant under the Luxembourg Law of 10 August 1915 on commercial companies (as amended), the Securitisation Law of 22 March 2004 (as recently amended) and the Blockchain II Act 2021 as approved by the Luxembourg Parliament on 21 January 2021. Learn more at www.frictionless.markets.

FIRSTavenue drives innovation within the private markets by making strategic investment in Frictionless Markets

FIRSTavenue Awarded 2024 Excellence in Private Funds Advisory (UK) by CFI.co

FIRSTavenue Announces Expansion of Capital Solutions Group with Key Hires from Tradition Private Markets Secondaries Team

FIRSTavenue Congratulates Impax Asset Management on €459 Million Final Close of Impax New Energy Investors Fund IV

Promotions 2024

FIRSTavenue drives innovation within the private markets by making strategic investment in Frictionless Markets

FIRSTAVENUE ELEVATES TALENT WITH A SERIES OF STRATEGIC PROMOTIONS

FIRSTavenue appoints John Crocker as Head of Project Management in North America

FIRSTavenue supports Vision Blue Resources in their $650 million fundraise

Barry Wilson joins FIRSTavenue’s North American private credit team

FIRSTavenue Appoints Fahim Imam-Sadeque as Managing Director to Strengthen European Sales Team

Planet First Partners Announces €450 Million Final Close of Growth Impact Fund

FIRSTavenue Announces Launch of Social Mobility Programme

FIRSTavenue Strengthens Global Client Advisory and Marketing Capabilities with Five Senior Appointments

FIRSTavenue Appoints Nick Chronias to Lead Capital Solutions Group Serving the Growing Private Funds Secondaries Market

Key Note Interview

Expert Q & A

Evergreen Thoughts - by Francesca Lloyd

UBS O’CONNOR ANNOUNCE FINAL CLOSE OF CLOVER PRIVATE CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES II STRATEGY RAISING USD1.7 BILLION

New Joiners to First Avenue - February 2022

STAR AMERICA ANNOUNCE FINAL CLOSE OF INFRASTRUCTURE FUND II RAISING USD700MN

Infrastructure & Private Debt Awards 2021

2021 Promotions!

FINAL CLOSE OF SIGNAL ALPHA II FUND AT EUR 900MN

FINAL CLOSE OF NOVO TELLUS PE FUND 2 AT USD 250MN

Still Committed to Credit - Expert Q&A with Tavneet Bakshi for Private Debt Investor's 2021 Perspective Report

Making the Case for African Infrastructure - Expert Q&A with Paul Buckley for Infrastructure Investor's 2021 Perspective's Report

FINAL CLOSE OF TRITON DEBT OPPORTUNITIES II

FIRST AVENUE ANNOUNCES NEW PROMOTIONS

EQUITIX’S EUROPEAN INFRASTRUCTURE FUND I RAISES EUR 558MN

FINAL CLOSE OF CRESCENT’S EUROPEAN SPECIALITY LENDING FUND II RAISES EUR 1.75BN

GRANT DAVIS JOINS FIRST AVENUE

Keynote Interview

Expert Q&A

FIRSTAVENUE RECEIVES RECOGNITION FROM TWO INDUSTRY-LEADING PUBLICATIONS FOR 2019

Seeking out new strategies

Preparing for fundraising challenges

A coming of age for the energy transition

FINAL CLOSE OF WESTBRIDGE II RAISES £140M (US$182m) OF FIREPOWER

How direct lending's growth is changing returns

Anatomy of a fundraise

FIRSTAVENUE HAS BEEN NOMINATED ACROSS ALL REGIONS AS PLACEMENT AGENT OF THE YEAR IN THE PRIVATE DEBT INVESTOR 2018 AWARDS

INFRAVIA CAPITAL PARTNERS EXCEEDS TARGET AGAIN

Judo Capital raises A$140 million to build Australia's first challenger bank

FIRSTavenue hosts KOFIA Investment Conference in London

Dry powder and diversity

DEREK DIETRICH RETURNS TO FIRSTAVENUE

Real Deals explores the private debt market with Tavneet Bakshi

Real Deals In Profile with Firstavenue

FIRSTAVENUE ADDS COLLIS KLARBERG TO THE GLOBAL TEAM

Crescent Mezzanine Fund VII Closes More Than $4.6 Billion

FIRSTavenue hires Caroline Weir as Chief Financial Officer

Freeport Financial Secures $500 million of Capital for Fund III

INFRAVIA III HITS ITS HARD CAP IN CLOSING AT EUR 1 BILLION

FIRST AVENUE HUNTING FOR THE NEXT BIG THING

Rockefeller Brothers Fund confirms investment in Mainstream Renewable Power Africa power generation platform

Mainstream Renewable Power Signs Landmark Africa Clean Energy Equity Funding

Actis raises over $500m for new African real estate fund

FIRSTavenue hires Stefan Sarles as Group General Counsel

SMA’S WITH BEN SCHRYBER

FIRST AVENUE RECEIVES PDI’S 2014 CREDIT PLACEMENT AGENT OF THE YEAR AWARD

FEE STRUCTURES MOVE FOR PRIVATE DEBT FUNDS WITH BEN SCHRYBER

OUR VIEWS ON THE ART OF BENCHMARKING

FIRSTAVENUE OPENS AUSTRALIAN OFFICE AND ADDS PARTNER

M&G INVESTMENTS HOLDS FINAL CLOSE ON OVERSUBSCRIBED FUNDS WITH FIRSTAVENUE AS GLOBAL PLACEMENT AGENT

MEZZVEST HOLDS FINAL CLOSE ON €585 MILLION FOR FUND III

ACTIS HOLDS FINAL CLOSE ON OVERSUBSCRIBED THIRD ENERGY FUND WITH FIRSTAVENUE AS SOLE PLACEMENT AGENT

OUR LATEST VIEWS ON THE PRIVATE CREDIT MARKETS

STONEPEAK INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS HOLDS FINAL CLOSE ON OVERSUBSCRIBED DEBUT FUND WITH FIRST AVENUE AS SOLE PLACEMENT AGENT

FIRST AVENUE BRINGS IN FORMER GOLDMAN EXEC

BREOF II

M&G REAL ESTATE DEBT FUND

PORTILLION

SVEAFASTIGHETER FUND III