Sara Hanks to Help Upstream Bring Secondary Market Liquidity to the $1B Equity Crowdfunding Market

CrowdCheck CEO & securities law attorney joins to introduce Upstream to equity crowdfunding issuers seeking exit-liquidity potential for investors

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 2, 2023 / Upstream, the blockchain-based trading app for digital securities powered by Horizon Fintex (Horizon) and MERJ Exchange Limited (MERJ), announced that Sara Hanks, securities law attorney and CEO of CrowdCheck, has joined Horizon's Advisory Board to focus on Upstream and its goal of unlocking liquidity in the global equity crowdfunding market.

$1B has been invested in early-stage companies in 2022 with limited venues for liquidity available.[1] Upstream offers the solution for investors to have liquidity. Upstream is accepting listing applications from issuers who have completed offerings on crowdfunding platforms around the world that are looking to provide exit liquidity to their shareholders on a real-time secondary market and trading app.

On Upstream, initial shareholders gain the opportunity to exit their positions in what has primarily been an illiquid market, while issuers have the opportunity to introduce their shares to a whole new set of global investors who can trade early-stage opportunities using digital currency and USD on a user-friendly app.

"Investors have been backing crowdfunded companies without a clear exit strategy for years," says CrowdCheck CEO Sara Hanks. "Upstream's innovative blockchain-based trading app offers a unique solution to this challenge, and I'm thrilled to help usher in a future of equity crowdfunding that includes access to a diverse investor pool and real-time secondary trading."

"We are pleased to add Sara Hanks to our team as we welcome equity crowdfunding issuers from the U.S. and internationally to apply to list on Upstream," says Upstream Co-Founder Mark Elenowitz. "Sara is a pioneer and leader in the crowdfunding space. Her 30 plus years' experience working directly with issuers on online capital formation will be invaluable in our efforts to make Upstream the select secondary market for crowdfunded securities."

Upstream is accepting listing applications from existing issuers who have completed their offerings on crowdfunding platforms around the world, and who are looking to provide exit-liquidity to their shareholders and offer their shares to a whole new set of fans, investors, and traders. Register interest at https://upstream.exchange/getlisted/.

Sources: 1 Crowdwise

About Upstream: Upstream, a MERJ Exchange Market (merj.exchange), is a fully regulated global stock exchange for digital securities and NFTs. Powered by Horizon's proprietary blockchain-powered matching engine technology, the platform enables users to trade NFTs, and invest in securities for IPOs, crowdfunded companies, U.S. & international equities, and celebrity ventures using the Upstream app. For more information, please visit https://upstream.exchange/. Upstream is currently accepting applications to dual list at https://upstream.exchange/getlisted.

Press contact:

Vanessa Malone
[email protected]

Disclaimers: This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell securities or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation is not permitted.

*If you are a U.S. or Canadian-based citizen or permanent resident that has invested in a company that's listed on Upstream, you may transfer your shares to Upstream and sell them on Upstream's trading app for liquidation purposes only. You are not permitted to purchase shares of other companies listed on Upstream at this time. Anyone may buy and sell NFTs on Upstream.

Upstream is a MERJ Exchange market. MERJ Exchange is a licensed Securities Exchange, an affiliate of the World Federation of Exchanges, and a full member of ANNA. MERJ supports global issuers of traditional and digital securities through the entire asset life cycle from issuance to trading, clearing, settlement, and registry. It operates a fair and transparent marketplace in line with international best practices and principles of operations of financial markets. Upstream does not endorse or recommend any public or private securities bought or sold on its app. Upstream does not offer investment advice or recommendations of any kind. All services offered by Upstream are intended for self-directed clients who make their own investment decisions without aid or assistance from Upstream. All customers are subject to the rules and regulations of their jurisdiction. By accessing the site or app, you agreed to be bound by its terms of use and privacy policy. Company and security listings on Upstream are only suitable for investors who are familiar with and willing to accept the high risk associated with speculative investments, often in early and development stage companies. There can be no assurance the valuation of any particular company's securities is accurate or in agreement with the market or industry comparative valuations. Investors must be able to afford market volatility and afford the loss of their investment. Companies listed on Upstream are subject to significant ongoing corporate obligations including, but not limited to disclosure, filings, and notification requirements, as well as compliance with applicable quantitative and qualitative listing standards.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "intends," "may," "will," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "projects," "predicts," "estimates," "aims," "believes," "hopes," "potential," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and cannot be predicted or quantified, and, consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (ii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iii) loss of one or more key executives or brand ambassadors; and (iv) changes in legal or regulatory requirements in the markets in which we operate. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE: Horizon Fintex