Start-up investor backs Guernsey as base for fund
Eric Martineau-Fortin, pictured, is the man behind White Star Capital, an early-stage investment fund focused on social media, gaming and e-commerce. He has some 20 years of experience in investment banking and venture capital investment, and recently shifted White Star Capital from an angel investment vehicle into an active investment team across North America and Europe.
White Star Capital had been Mr Martineau-Fortin's family vehicle for angel investing on both sides of the Atlantic since 2007.
'Around 2012 it became clear to me that was definitely the type of activity I wanted White Star to do more of as an institutional fund,' he said. He domiciled the fund in Guernsey, where it is administered by Ipes. Fundraising is continuing, and the fund has recently made its first investments in the US.
He said he had no hesitation in selecting Guernsey, both 'personally and professionally'.
'Guernsey has probably one of the highest standards of regulation in the sector, it has £280bn of assets under management, and when you're talking about offshore fund investing in multiple jurisdictions, Guernsey has a good reputation on a worldwide basis,' he said.