FAQs

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• What tax benefits are available in an IF-ISA

  Investors do not pay any tax on any of the income they receive from ISAsavings and investments. Nor do they pay any tax on capital gains arising on ISA investments. However, losses on ISA investments cannot be allowed for Capital Gains Tax purposes against capital gains outside an ISA.

• How much can I invest in an IF-ISA?

  You can invest up to £20,000 every tax year which can be split into your various ISA’s (including your cash ISA, stocks and shares ISA, innovative finance ISA and Lifetime ISA.)

• Can I transfer my existing ISA to Cur8?

  Absolutely. All IF-ISA eligible deals on the platform provide a link to our ISA Transfer form. Just submit that and the team will take care of the rest and keep you updated on all progress along the way. For any further questions, you can reach out to our team at team@cur8.capital

• How do I submit an ISA transfer out instruction to Cur8?

  ISA managers should submit any ISA transfer instructions to our team inbox at team@cur8.capital. If this is being submitted by post to our correspondence address – IFG.VC Limited, Floor 4, 1 Dane’s Yard, London, England, E15 2QL.

• How can I open an ISA with Cur8?

  To sign up for an ISA with Cur8 Capital all you have to do is complete one simple form on our platform and your ISA will be ready to us in less than 24 hours. If you need any assistance you can reach out to us at team@cur8.capital

• What is the IF-ISA?

  An ISA stands for Individual Savings Account, which is a tax-efficient way to save and invest money in the UK.
  ​

  ISAs allow you to earn interest, dividends, and capital gains without paying UK income tax or capital gains tax.
  ​
  To be eligible for an ISA you must be at least 18 and a resident in the UK for tax purposes.

  Cur8 Capital offer an IF-ISA, or Innovative Finance ISA. This is a “flexible ISA” which means that if you withdraw an amount from your ISA wrapper and redeposit it within the same tax year, it won’t affect your annual allowance.

• What is the difference between an IF-ISA and the other types of ISA?

  There are many different categories of ISA that exist including:

  • Cash ISA
  • Stocks and Shares ISA
  • Lifetime ISA
  • Junior ISA
  • Innovative Finance ISA

  Whilst these all benefit from the tax wrapper, here are some key differences:
  ​
  ​Cash ISA:
  You are holding cash in a savings product.
  ​
  ​Stocks and Shares ISA:
  You hold shares in an investment product.
  ​
  ​Lifetime ISA:
  You can hold cash, stocks and shares, or a combination of both.
  ​
  ​Junior ISA:
  There are two types of Junior ISAs: cash and stocks and shares.
  ​
  ​IF-ISA:
  You can hold a variety of assets, including: Peer-to-peer (P2P) loans, Debt-based securities, Mini bonds and cash.

• What is the annual allowance that I can pay into my ISA?

  The maximum you can contribute to an ISA in a tax year is £20,000.
  ​

  You can split the allowance across multiple ISA accounts, or save it all in one.

• When does the year begin and end for the IF-ISA?

  The ISA allowance resets at the end of each tax year, which is 5 April. You can’t carry any allowance over into the next year, it will reset to the limit again once the new tax year starts on 6 April.

• How do I open an IF-ISA with Cur8 Capital?

  To open an IF-ISA, please submit this form.
  ​
  You will receive an email once this has been set up and then be able to connect your IF-ISA to eligible deals.
  ​
  The registration form is also linked on each deal page for eligible investments.

• Can I transfer an existing ISA to Cur8 Capital?

  Yes, you can. To transfer an existing ISA to Cur8, submit this form.
  ​
  The transfer form is also linked on each deal page for eligible investments.
  ​
  Please note that when it comes to transferring any ISA which is not an IF-ISA, the manager legally has 30 days to make the transfer of funds – the amount of time this takes does vary depending on the provider.
  ​
  As for IF-ISAs, the timing is at the ISA managers discretion due to the illiquid nature of IF-ISA investments.
  ​
  If unsure, it is worth contacting your provider to ask them when they will process your request. Until the funds are received by Cur8 Capital, you are considered the account holder and therefore will need to contact your provider for any updates.

• Do I have to be a member to open/transfer an ISA with Cur8 Capital?

  No, membership is not required to open/transfer an ISA. You simply need to complete your onboarding onto the Cur8 Capital platform.

• How can I tell if a deal if IF-ISA eligible?

  You can identify which deals are ISA eligible by referring to the Tax Benefits label in the live deals tab:

  

• How do I connect my ISA to an eligible deal?

  Once your ISA has been set up, it will be available as an entity to connect to your investments:

  

  Note: if you set up your investment before your ISA has been registered, you will need to reach out to a member of the Cur8 Capital team via the chat icon at the bottom right corner of the app to request that your ISA is connected.

• How can I check if my investment is connected to my ISA?

  When you navigate to My Portfolio, you can switch view between entity and individual investments in the top left corner:

  

  If your ISA is connected , the investment will reflect under the entity view.

• My funds are not in my ISA wrapper and I want to move them into it

  Please reach out to a member of the Cur8 Capital team via the chat icon at the bottom right corner of the app to request that your ISA is connected. Note that your ISA needs to be set up before we can proceed.
  ​
  There are two scenarios:

  1. The funds have not been invested yet
     In this circumstance, we can connect the ISA before the funds are deployed
     ​
  2. The funds have been invested
     We may be able to withdraw and redeposit the funds so that they are held in your ISA wrapper at the next available window. This is dependant on the liquidity terms for the relevant deal.
• Can I open an IF-ISA with Cur8 Capital if I have an ISA elsewhere?

  Yes, you can hold multiple ISA accounts – but please note that your annual £20k allowance stretches across all of the ISA accounts that you hold.

• Can I put the annual limit in every ISA I have or is it per ISA?

  he annual allowance stretches across all of the ISA accounts that you hold.

• If I reinvest my dividends, does it affect my ISA allowance?

  Any income generated from within your ISA does not count towards your annual ISA allowance if you choose to reinvest it.
  ​

• Can I open an IF-ISA for children?

  Junior ISAs are for children up to the age of 18. The money in a Junior ISA is locked away until the child’s 18th birthday, when it becomes their cash.
  ​
  This is not currently an option with Cur8 Capital, however it is something that we hope to offer in the future.

• What is KYC?

  KYC, or Know Your Customer, is the process where investment platforms like Cur8 Capital verify the identity of their users. This process is a regulatory requirement designed to prevent illegal activities such as money laundering, fraud, or financing terrorism. By understanding who our customers are, we ensure a secure trading environment for all users.

• What is Yoti, and how does it work?

  Yoti is a digital identity service that offers a secure, convenient way for individuals to prove their identity online and in person. It employs biometrics (like selfies or fingerprints) and cross-references with official IDs (such as passports or driver’s licenses) to verify personal identities. This system enhances security measures, deters fraudulent activities, and safeguards users from potential identity theft.

• Why has Cur8 Capital chosen Yoti for KYC processes?

  We’ve adopted Yoti for our KYC processes to enhance the security and efficiency of our platform. Yoti helps in speeding up the onboarding process, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, reducing the risk of identity fraud, and providing a seamless user experience without the cumbersome need for switching apps or using an external system.

• What personal information do I need to provide to Yoti, and how will Cur8 Capital use it?

  During the Yoti process, you’ll be required to scan a government-issued ID and depending on your jurisdiction, 1 or 2 proof of address documents such as a bank statement or utility bill.
  
  The proof of address document(s):
  

  • Must be dated in the last 3 months
  • Cannot be a mobile or cable TV bill
  • Cannot be a digital copy (i.e. a photo of a screen)
  • Can be a PDF or photo of a hard copy
  • Must display your name, address, and the date.

  Do note that Yoti encrypts and verifies your information. Cur8 Capital accesses only the data required for KYC compliance.

• Is my sensitive personal information safe?

  Absolutely. Yoti and Cur8 employ stringent data security and privacy measures, encrypting your data and using advanced security protocols.

• What happens if I face issues while doing the Yoti KYC check?

  For issues specifically related to the Cur8 Capital platform, you can reach out to our customer support for assistance at team@cur8.capital and we will assist you as soon as possible. If you encounter any problems specifically with Yoti’s platform, they offer detailed support through their app and website

• Can I use international IDs to sign up? How does it handle international investors?

  Yoti supports a wide range of identity documents from 207 different counties, making it an efficient system for international investors on the Cur8 Capital platform. If we don’t accept the passport from your country then get in touch. We might be able to start accepting your passport in the future, however we believe in most cases we should already have you covered.
  
  The full list of supported countries is as follows:
  Algeria, Albania, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Overseas Territories*, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China**, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland (Passport and Passport Card), Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of the Congo, România, Russia****, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Elena, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States ***, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
   *British Overseas Territories: Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Jersey, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Turks & Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands
  ** Includes Macau and Hong Kong
  *** Includes Puerto Rico
  **** International Travel passport only

• Will Cur8 Capital share my information with other parties?

  No, Cur8 Capital strictly follows privacy regulations. We use your information only for internal processes, such as KYC and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance. We do not engage in selling or sharing your data with third parties.

• What happens after I submit my KYC details?

  After you send us your KYC info, we start checking it. Usually, we finish this in 24 hours. Sometimes, it might take 24 to 72 hours. Once we confirm everything is good, you can start using Cur8 Capital for your investments.

• What if I fail my KYC check?

  If your KYC check doesn’t go through, we’ll let you know. It might be because some info was wrong or hard to read. You’ll be able to try again, and our team will contact you directly. If you have other problems with KYC (such as errors, or files not uploading) our support team is here to help you sort things out, so you can get started with investing on Cur8.

• What happens if I’m found ineligible under KYC rules?

  If KYC rules say you can’t use Cur8 Capital, we’ll tell you. This might be due to rules about age, location, or other reasons. If this happens, we can’t let you start investing with us. You can reach out to our support team. They’re here to explain more and talk about what you can do next.

• I am not a UK based investor. Can I still invest in a Cur8 deal?

  Yes! We have investors from all over the world that are part of the platform. There is no difference in our offering between UK and international investors.

  You may however face some additional onboarding checks as part of our regulatory duties.

• Can I invest via my company or trust?

  Investing via a limited company, trust, partnership, charity etc. is all possible. To do so, all you need to do is sign up to the platform using your personal details and then speak to a member of the team at the time of investment. 

  We will request further information from you in relation to the company and assuming all is in order, you’re ready to invest.

• Are your deals UK based only?

  While most of our deals come from the UK, we invest globally and frequently review projects in North America, South America, East Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 

• Are my investments Sharia-compliant?

  Yes, all investments we bring to our investors are sharia-compliant.

  We cover 3 main types of investment: investments into businesses, real estate and fixed income.

  Investing in businesses is by its nature is Sharia-compliant as it is a pure equity based investment. We screen companies to make sure they are not operating in any non-Sharia compliant industries such as alcohol or gambling. We also ensure that our startups are not in sectors where they are very likely to require debt finance at a later date. We carefully negotiate legal terms to navigate around some of the less obvious sharia-compliance issues as well.

  On the real estate side we partner with sharia-compliant providers who use only Islamic financing if necessary.

  On the fixed income side we partner with sharia-compliant providers who invest only in Islamic  investments.

  One of our founding partners, Ibrahim Khan, has a masters degree in Islamic Finance as well as an Alimiyyah degree, and so he does majority of the screening. In addition to Ibrahim, we currently have two other Muftis that we engage with when needed. You can find out more about them on our forum.
  
  Since Cur8 itself invests and/or gets a profit share from deals, we’re as concerned about sharia compliance as you are. We regularly turn down interesting investments before because of sharia-compliance issues.

• I’m not eligible to onboard due to not meeting the onboarding criteria. What can I do?

  If you’re unable to meet our current onboarding criteria, there is an alternative that could enable you to invest with us.

  You can join the Cur8 Investor Club and our syndicate community here and learn more about investing through our investor club. At the end a six month waiting period you can qualify as a self-certified sophisticated investor. You can catch old meetings of the Cur8 Investor Club here.

  Alternatively, if you own shares in a business you’ve set up, you could qualify as a self-certified investor. Recent amendments to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order have updated the annual company turnover threshold for this category, taking effect January 31st 2024. Meeting these revised criteria makes you eligible to onboard with us.

  Please note that the previous pathway for qualification through nominal investments in any AIM index company has been discontinued. We recommend contacting us directly to explore other potential avenues for qualifying on our platform.

  As always, for further inquiries or assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

• What fees does Cur8 charge to investors?

  Please refer to our Fees page.

• How do I invest in a Cur8 deal?

  See our How it Works page.

• How do I claim SEIS and EIS relief?

  We’ve written an article that breaks down every step of making your claim. Check it out here: https://www.islamicfinanceguru.com/articles/investment/how-to-claim-back-seis-eis-tax-relief-the-complete-2021-guide

• Do you charge a fee to buy/sell on the secondary market?

  Yes – all buyers and sellers who are not Cur8 members will be charged an upfront admin fee of £100. This will be free to members selling.

  The buyer will then continue to pay any recurring management fees as listed on our fees page.

• My bank limits how much I can transfer in one go. What can I do?

  If your bank has a limit on the amount of funds you can transfer in a single transaction, we recommend making multiple transactions until you reach your desired investment amount. Please ensure to check with your bank regarding any fees or charges that may apply for multiple transactions. 

  Please note, you may only receive one transfer receipt from our system, because each payment is going towards one transaction. However, if you check your account details you will see the full amount registered. 

• My bank limits transfers in foreign currencies. How can I work around this?

  If you’re facing restrictions on foreign currency transfers, we recommend that you contact our able and eager team at team@cur8.capital so they can assist you with the exact details of your situation. 

• What do you offer to ultra high net worth investors?

  For those looking to invest over £1m, please contact us. There are some broader options we can discuss.

• What is the Cur8 Membership?

  The Cur8 Membership is an annual subscription that:

  1. Gives you fee discounts on investments.
  2. Gives you access to a range of educational and personal finance material for free.

  It makes a lot of financial sense to become a Member if you are planning to invest over £30,000 with us.

  You can find out more about how to become a member and when it becomes cost effective here.

• What is your complaints policy?

  Here is our complaints policy.

• How can I receive updates about my investment more directly?

  If you’re looking for direct updates about your investment, consider becoming a Cur8 member. Our members, who either pay for a Cur8 Membership annually, or invest £100,000 or more, receive access to private coaching calls from our team as part of their membership benefits. These calls can provide you with personalized updates and insights about your investments.

  For more information on the benefits of Cur8 Membership and how to become a member, please click here.

  For Non-Members:

  If you’re not a Cur8 member, you can still get in touch with our capable and supportive team for updates about your investment and your account. You can email us at team@cur8.capital. Additionally, you can request a 10-minute call with our team, subject to limited availability. We’re here to help you navigate your investment journey.

  We also regularly update all our investors via email and our investor group chat on Telegram, so keep an eye out for updates on those platforms. 

• What if I need to access my funds in an emergency?

  For some products we offer a liquidity pool where you are able to access your funds early. This can be accessible within the deal detail documentation for each individual deal.

• What happens if you go bust?

  All of your money is held by a third party custodian account meaning it is ring fenced and safe in the event that anything happened to IFG. 

• How much should I invest?

  We don’t give financial advice but we can guide you on how to think about portfolio construction.

  1. Investing in startups is a higher risk investment and also illiquid (so you can’t freely exit the investment). As such, it would be sensible for only a minority of your portfolio to be allocated to startup investing, with the majority allocated to more liquid, mainstream investments.
  2. Investing in real estate is less risky as it is asset backed and yields a return from much earlier.  However it too does come with some risks and you should make sure you diversify your overall portfolio across a range of asset classes.
  3. Investing in fixed income through govt. sukuk is also relatively low risk.

  Once you have signed up to the platform you will be offered a complimentary financial coaching call where you can think through these points.

• Is a return on my investment guaranteed?

  No. Startups are high risk investments that frequently fail.

  When we invest in startups, we look for the companies that could really become quite big. The way startup investing works is that doubling or trebling your investment is not really that attractive given the high failure rate.

  We only invest in companies where the best case scenario is extremely profitable.

• How does Cur8 review startups?
  1. Startups submit their applications to us either through the website or through an introduction by a mutual connection. Every startup starts off with a pitch deck. Once we review the pitch deck and are interested in finding out more, we organise a call with the founder of the startup. Most startups that approach us are rejected at the pitch deck stage.
  2. On the first call we have with the founder, we try to understand as much as possible about the business and try to get to know the founder(s). If we are comfortable with both the business and the founder, and believe this startup has the potential to reach suitable scale, we would ask the startup to send us further documents to review.
     These documents include financial forecasts, past financial accounts, customer agreements, any patents the startup has and other relevant documents. This is the stage where we will do in depth due diligence into the startup, the technology the startup is building, the industry the startup is operating in, and any competitors the startup has. We would also bring in an industry expert at this stage for their point of view if we think that is needed. We go away and do this deep work to bring objectivity to the process.
  3. After this deep dive, if we are still happy with the startup and we are interested in investing, we will then organise another call with the founder to ask any follow up questions that arose from our deep dive.
  4. We’ll do some more deep work based on the second call and knock our heads together to make our final decision. If it’s a yes, we’ll then start negotiating the terms of our investment with the startup.
  5. Once everything is agreed upon, we then send the deal out to our investor list to give our Angels the chance to invest alongside us. We also give give investors the opportunity to request the original deal documentation to help them make the decision to invest or not.
• How many startups should I invest in?

  As startups are risky investments, your startup investments should only comprise a relatively small element of your portfolio.

  It is important to build a portfolio of startups you invest in to mitigate your risks. It is recommended startup investors build a portfolio of 10-30 startup investments over the course of 3-5 years.

  Most startups fail (and that’s expected) so you need to have enough skin in the game to ensure you get the big winner.

• How do I make a return on my investment?

  Startup investors don’t normally receive dividends from the startup. Instead, investors make their returns through the value of the shares they own in the startup. The return is made once a startup exits. In a successful deal, a startup exit is usually when the startup is either acquired by another company, or lists on a public stock exchange.

  In a loss making scenario, a startup exit is when the startup folds and investors are entitled to whatever assets (usually little) are remaining of the startup. A startup could also be bought out at a discount by another company – this would also result in a loss for investors who paid more than the buyout price when they bought the shares.

  An exit event normally happens between 5-10 years after investment, although startups typically fund-raise every 12 – 18 months and so investors may see the value of their shares change as the startup’s valuation changes. This will also mean you own less of the company over time as more shares are issued, however, which is a process known as dilution. There are occasionally exit opportunities at these fundraising rounds. Startups are however usually accommodating where you find your own buyer to your shares – though buyers are not typically easy to find.

• What is the difference between Cur8 and Wahed?

  Wahed Invest is another prominent Islamic investment platform. We are different to them in a few key ways:

  1. There are public markets (stocks and shares) and private markets.
     We only deal with private markets as the data shows that this is where the higher return is.
  2. Wahed is more mass market and caters for tickets as low as £100, we deal with only sophisticated and HNW investors.
  3. What we invest in are hard to access funds with minimums of £1m+. So you pay Cur8 for access, structuring, and deal-picking.
     What Wahed invests in you can get hold of directly on any stockbroker app. So you pay Wahed for ease, convenience and portfolio construction. 
• Why is Cur8 Capital separate to IFG?

  Why Cur8 Capital?

  Islamic Finance Guru is our parent company and it is the leading English-language Islamic investment education platform. It primarily focuses on creating resources, courses and educational materials for investors.

  Cur8 Capital is our investment arm where you can invest into various opportunities.

• What is the difference between you and Wahedx?

  Wahedx is a Wahed subsidiary. There are a few key differences between them and Cur8:

  1. Wahedx just does individual startup deals. We offer individual startup deals and venture capital funds. So you can pool your investments and get exposure to multiple fund managers globally.
  2. Wahedx just does venture. We are a comprehensive private funds platform and offer investment opportunities across real estate, fixed income, private equity and more.
  3. Wahedx has just started its journey. We have done 70+ deals, exited 2 deals, and built up a reputation and track record in the private investment ecosystem.
• What products can I invest in?

  You can invest in:

  1. Real estate 
  2. Start ups (also called venture capital)
  3. Fixed income (also called sukuk or Islamic bonds)

  There are 2 ways to do this: 

  1. Deal by Deal – this is where you choose the individual deal that meet your needs 
  2. Fund – this is a portfolio of investments so you don’t have to do the choosing and get instant diversification.
• How do I re-invest into a deal?

  If you’ve previously completed an investment into a deal, you can re-invest. Simply go to the deal you would like to invest into and click ‘add money’. You can choose to re-invest as either a one-off payment or through a recurring instalment plan.

• How can I invest in venture capital through Cur8?

  There are two ways you can invest in venture capital through Cur8:

  1. Deal by deal. We will offer individual startup deals as opportunities to invest in regularly on our platform.
  2. Funds. We offer our own EIS-eligible fund on the platform every quarter. We also offer up other VC funds from all over the world on our platform as well. 
• Where does Cur8 find startups to invest in?

  Access to great deals may be one of the hardest thing about investing in startups. The hottest startups never struggle for money. They can raise quickly and only a few people will know about them in the early days.

  Over the years, we’ve built up deep connections within the venture world including VC funds and startup founders. These trusted contacts share opportunities with us as we’ve built up great relationships over the years and we are known for being genuinely founder-friendly. We’re startup founders ourselves, so we completely get it.

  We review dozens of startups every month in our search for the next big thing and present the ones we are investing in.

  As the platform grows and we start making a name for ourselves through the investments we make, we are also seeing an increase in the number of startups that approach us directly for investment.

  The quality of our deals is indicated, in part, by the investors we are co-investing with. They are almost always tier-one venture capital funds and leading angel investors. You can see a full list on our home page.

• How many startups do you invest into each month?

  We typically invest into 0 – 2 startups a month depending on the quality of startups we see. This is around 1-2% of the startups we review every month.

• What legal documents do I get to evidence my investment?

  We use a nominee structure for your shareholdings which is typical of large syndicates. This basically means that the shares in the startup are held by a company, known as a nominee. The actual share certificates will be held securely by a trusted and regulated third-party firm whom we work with. The nominee will then in turn provide you with a document which certifies your individual shareholding in the startup. This is known as beneficial ownership.

  This is very standard and ensures that the startup has less administration to deal with as there is technically only one shareholder. HMRC also recognises this structure as being consistent with claiming SEIS and EIS so you don’t need to worry about that.

• Can I sell my shares before a startup exits?

  Startups are both long term and illiquid investments. This means you are unable to liquidate your investment before a startup exits. You may be able to find a private buyer who is willing to buy over your shares but there is no guarantee of this. We have previously facilitated exits for some of our investors.

• Are there any tax benefits to my investment?

  We try to invest in the best deals around the world, regardless of the tax benefits that come with them.

  That being said, many of our investments are SEIS or EIS eligible. SEIS and EIS is a UK government scheme to encourage more investment into early-stage companies. This tax scheme is only available for UK taxpayers and gives investors 30% to 50% of their investment back in the first year of investment in the form of a tax rebate. You can read our full guide to SEIS and EIS.

  Our Real estate fund also benefits from being established in Guernsey, and as such can be advantageous for those investing via their limited company.

  We are also shortly about to roll out our Innovative Finance ISA product for our fixed income investments. Any investments through this ISA will be tax-exempt.

  Cur8 are not tax advisors or accountants and this is not tax advice. For tailored advice suited to your individual circumstances please do consult with an expert if unsure.

• What is an ‘Advanced Subscription Agreement (ASA)’?

  An Advanced Subscription Agreement is a standard equity agreement used by startups, and is normally used when a startup does not want to set a valuation for the company at present. It may, for example, be waiting for a “lead” investor to set the terms of the round.

  The intention behind an ASA is to pay for shares that will be issued in a subsequent funding round. Typically that round will close within the next 6 months.

  The idea is that the valuation of the company is not set at the current moment, but rather when the round closes. Investors in the ASA are normally given a discount to whatever valuation is set in the subsequent round.

  It’s helpful for startups because they can get investors to sign on a dotted line while momentum is there. It’s also helpful for investors because they get the certainty of their investment and can also make introductions to help the startup close the rest of their round.

  An ASA is sharia-compliant and where there are any novel cases we always run by a Sharia expert and get certification.

• Is a return on my investment guaranteed?

  No. Startups are high risk investments that frequently fail.

  When we invest in startups, we look for the companies that could really become quite big. The way startup investing works is that doubling or trebling your investment is not really that attractive given the high failure rate.

  We only invest in companies where the best case scenario is extremely profitable.

• How do I claim SEIS and EIS relief?

  We’ve written an article that breaks down every step of making your claim. Check it out here: https://www.islamicfinanceguru.com/articles/investment/how-to-claim-back-seis-eis-tax-relief-the-complete-2021-guide

• How does Cur8 review startups?
  1. Startups submit their applications to us either through the website or through an introduction by a mutual connection. Every startup starts off with a pitch deck. Once we review the pitch deck and are interested in finding out more, we organise a call with the founder of the startup. Most startups that approach us are rejected at the pitch deck stage.
  2. On the first call we have with the founder, we try to understand as much as possible about the business and try to get to know the founder(s). If we are comfortable with both the business and the founder, and believe this startup has the potential to reach suitable scale, we would ask the startup to send us further documents to review.
     These documents include financial forecasts, past financial accounts, customer agreements, any patents the startup has and other relevant documents. This is the stage where we will do in depth due diligence into the startup, the technology the startup is building, the industry the startup is operating in, and any competitors the startup has. We would also bring in an industry expert at this stage for their point of view if we think that is needed. We go away and do this deep work to bring objectivity to the process.
  3. After this deep dive, if we are still happy with the startup and we are interested in investing, we will then organise another call with the founder to ask any follow up questions that arose from our deep dive.
  4. We’ll do some more deep work based on the second call and knock our heads together to make our final decision. If it’s a yes, we’ll then start negotiating the terms of our investment with the startup.
  5. Once everything is agreed upon, we then send the deal out to our investor list to give our Angels the chance to invest alongside us. We also give give investors the opportunity to request the original deal documentation to help them make the decision to invest or not.
• How many startups should I invest in?

  As startups are risky investments, your startup investments should only comprise a relatively small element of your portfolio.

  It is important to build a portfolio of startups you invest in to mitigate your risks. It is recommended startup investors build a portfolio of 10-30 startup investments over the course of 3-5 years.

  Most startups fail (and that’s expected) so you need to have enough skin in the game to ensure you get the big winner.

• How do I pay Zakat on my investments?

  We have written a great guide on how you can calculate Zakat on your startup investments which you can read here.

  We will send round calculations for our own portfolio around Ramadan every year so that your zakat calculations are easy.

• How do I make a return on my investment?

  Startup investors don’t normally receive dividends from the startup. Instead, investors make their returns through the value of the shares they own in the startup. The return is made once a startup exits. In a successful deal, a startup exit is usually when the startup is either acquired by another company, or lists on a public stock exchange.

  In a loss making scenario, a startup exit is when the startup folds and investors are entitled to whatever assets (usually little) are remaining of the startup. A startup could also be bought out at a discount by another company – this would also result in a loss for investors who paid more than the buyout price when they bought the shares.

  An exit event normally happens between 5-10 years after investment, although startups typically fund-raise every 12 – 18 months and so investors may see the value of their shares change as the startup’s valuation changes. This will also mean you own less of the company over time as more shares are issued, however, which is a process known as dilution. There are occasionally exit opportunities at these fundraising rounds. Startups are however usually accommodating where you find your own buyer to your shares – though buyers are not typically easy to find.

• What is the Cur8 VC Fund?

  The Cur8 VC Fund is managed by us entirely. We choose the startups to invest into. The fund is EIS eligible and primarily focuses on UK investments – with a smattering of overseas deals as well.

• How many startups are in the EIS fund?

  There are at least 20 startups within the fund and can be more. We believe that this is a good amount of diversification.

• When can I get my money back from the EIS fund?

  Current liquidity is around 5-10 years. There may be exits prior to this but you should mentally expect to be in for the long term.

• Can I top up my investment in the fund?

  Yes – we will be opening up the fund every quarter so you can top up into the fund again.

• Are there any tax benefits with the fund?

  Yes there are! UK investors benefit from up to a 30% – 50% tax rebate through the S/EIS scheme.

• Do I have to pay the full investment all at once?

  You can choose to split up your investment into four quarterly payments.

  This does not cost you more to do.

• Can I also invest in individual deals?

  Yes! And if you are a fund investor you will be eligible to a 50% discount on your admin fee for any additional investments into  individual deals.

• What are the fees?

  Fees include an initial fee of 2.5% and 2% per annum management fee, with 3 years taken initially.

  Total fees are capped at 12.5%.

  Profit share on exits is 20%.

  Members benefit from a 1% discount on the initial fee. For a fully worked example see the Investment Memo.

• How do I invest in Cur8 VC fund?
  1. You register on the Cur8 platform here.
  2. Once you are registered you will be able to see our funds that are open for investment at that particular time.
  3. Review the details about the fund in the fund page and access the webinar recording about the fund.
  4. Fill in the application form to the Fund and follow the instructions to wire your money over to our custodian account.
  5. Sit back and relax. We’ll take it from here (and keep you in the loop as we deploy!)
• Why should I invest in real estate?

  Investing in commercial real estate is less risky as it is asset backed and yields a return from much earlier. 

  However it too does come with some risks and you should make sure you diversify your overall portfolio across a range of asset classes.

• How can I invest in real estate on Cur8?

  There are two ways you can invest in venture capital through Cur8:

  1. Deal by deal. We will offer individual real estate deals as opportunities to invest in regularly on our platform.
     
  2. Funds. We have partnered up with top real estate fund managers to offer Cur8 investors a ticket into these hard-to-access funds. 
• Can I invest as a standing order?

  Yes – with our flagship UK real estate fund you can set up a standing order and we will deploy the investment every quarter.

  You can also choose to invest on a one-off basis.

• Who operates your funds?

  With our flagship UK real estate fund the manager is Rasmala Investment Bank. They manage $1.6bn of real estate and have extensive experience in this space.

• How can I exit my investment?

  You can either exit early through our liquidity facility, of £150k (offered on most real estate deals and funds), or by selling back to the Rasmala fund (at a discount).

  Alternatively, you can wait the full investment period of the deal or fund you have invested in. Typically at this point the asset is sold and monies are returned to investors.

• How can I invest in fixed income through Cur8?

  There are two ways you can invest in venture capital through Cur8:

  1. Deal by deal. We will offer individual startup deals as opportunities to invest in regularly on our platform.
  2. Funds. We offer our own EIS-eligible fund on the platform every quarter. We also offer up other VC funds from all over the world on our platform as well. 
• What is fixed income?

  Fixed income investing is any investment product that gives you a fixed return. It can include:

  • Sukuk (Islamic bond) products
  • Islamic savings accounts
  • Higher yield property finance products
  • Higher yield SME finance products
  • Higher yield trade finance products
• Who are the fund managers for your fixed income offering?

  We are partnering with a number of leading institutional fund managers. Our inaugural sukuk fund is managed by Gulf Finance House, a $16bn asset manager based in Bahrain.

• What are your terms and conditions?

  You can view our terms and conditions here.

• What are your terms and conditions for the Cur8 IF-ISA?

  You can view and download the terms and conditions for the Cur8 IF-ISA here.