From investment banker to fintech entrepreneur, Kelvin Lee of alternative investment platform Alta discusses making the switch to entrepreneurship and how he is democratising wealth creation opportunities
During his tenure as an investment banker, Kelvin Lee was faced with the glaring inefficiencies pervasive in the private capital markets. While investors sought diversification and higher returns through private assets, the reality was that access to these opportunities remained limited to a select few, leaving many potential investors on the sidelines.
This realisation, coupled with the fact that companies were increasingly opting to remain private for longer periods, sparked an idea in Lee’s mind. He saw an opportunity to change the way private markets operated, making them more accessible and transparent for a broader range of investors.
Together with his co-founders, Sng Khai Lin and Benjamin Twoon, Lee embarked on a mission to build a digital exchange to transform the landscape of alternative investments. This led to the creation of Fundnel, which would later be rebranded as Alta.
Read more: Private equity secondaries: What are they and how do you invest in them?
From its inception, Alta aimed to provide liquidity and accessibility to private companies while offering liquidity options for early employees and investors. The fintech startup has since expanded its offerings to include a fund management arm and creating innovative products for investors that don’t fall into the conventional investment categories, such as stocks, bonds or cash.
One of the most significant challenges Lee faced in the early days was overcoming the barriers to accessing the alternative investment market. Information opacity, high costs, illiquidity and lengthy transaction times were just a few of the hurdles that had to be addressed. However, instead of simply bridging the gap between private and public markets, Lee envisioned a new paradigm—one that aligned with the aspirations of innovators, game-changers and investors shaping the future. The Alta team asked themselves, “What would private markets look like with the capital market infrastructure they deserve?”
Read more: Basslines to blockchain: One musician’s journey to the financial frontier
The company chose to adopt blockchain technology for asset tokenisation. This approach aimed to improve speed, accessibility, liquidity and transparency in private markets. It also attracted a new generation of digital-native investors drawn to the concept of trading digital securities.
We spoke to Lee to learn about his investment philosophy, the impact of the company’s name change and the lessons learned along the way.
