IPO Village

IPO Village Elects a Crowdfunding Mayor

 

New York City, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/06/2012 -- IPO Village, ipovillage.com, announced today that Howard Orloff has been appointed as Managing Director, or “Mayor” of IPO Village.

“Howard brings a suite of skills to this position that is hard to find in one person. He was one of the pioneers in crowdfunding and has remained active in the field. He has a deep knowledge of Web 2.0 and how online communities run,” Mr. Erblich said. “That he was willing to accept the task of running the village is just amazing.”

For his part, Mr. Orloff said he was surprised, honored and humbled to even be considered for the task.

“When Simon first called me to discuss the opportunity, the first thing I thought of was ‘who can I recommend for the job?’ I was genuinely surprised when he asked if I’d serve,” Mr. Orloff said.

Mr. Orloff said his decision was not immediate because it required some serious thinking. Among the matters influencing his decision were: How it would affect the crowdfunding world; how other crowdfunding websites were likely to react; and what could he bring to the job that would make a real difference.

“I’m not the kind of person who says ‘I’ll do it’ just because I’m asked,” Mr. Orloff said. “I have to see a need which I can meet. I have to know that I’m being asked to contribute in a substantial and meaningful way. I’m not just going to be around to occupy space. I have to do something.”

Mr. Erblich said these are the very reasons he asked Mr. Orloff to take the position.

“I have watched Howard for a long time. I’ve seen how he works and the results he produces. When Howard puts his mind to something, he’s going to push until something happens. He has a razor sharp vision and the ability to execute” Mr. Erblich said.

IPO VILLAGE BRINGS IPO TO THE MASSES
A company’s IPO, initial public offering, is generally a very closely held and tight knit event. Unless a buyer is connected, geting stock in an IPO is next to impossible. Most often an IPO is underwritten by a bank, which takes the stock and flips it to a select group of investors. So, by the time an IPO stock actually reaches the masses, it has changed hands three times and had a price adjustment each time.

IPO Village is changing this. Working with First Line Capital LLC, IPO Village is allowing anyone who wants to buy stock at the pre-IPO price, to get in on a first-come first-served basis. The website has a no-risk, no-obligation form to sign up to buy IPO stock.

“This is something very important to me,” Mr. Orloff said. “I believe everyone should have the chance to participate in front-line investing. This is why I am so involved in crowdfunding. IPO Village takes crowdfunding to the next logical step in direct investing by the general public.”

Mr. Orloff said as the “mayor” his first priority is to use some new technologies to be announced within the next three months to increase IPO access to the general public. He said the new task before him will help bring the crowdfunding world even more mainstream.

“The ’99 percent’ now have access to first-round IPO pricing on deals. This is not based on past investments or the ‘old boys network’ but on a first-come, first-serve basis,” he said. “A few of the improvements - I don’t like to call them changes because I’m not changing anything, just making it better - coming down the line will make IPOs even more accessible to anyone who wants to invest in an IPO. This is the way I believe business should operate.”

If the stock sells out before everyone on the list has had a chance to buy, the person’s name and contact information will automatically roll over to the next IPO. For more information about IPO process through IPO VIllage, please visit http://ipovillage.com/Crowdfunded_IPO_Process.html.

“We believe everyone should have a chance, but we also believe those who move first should be served first,” Mr. Erblich said. “But missing one doesn’t mean missing everything. Everyone who didn’t get to buy shares will be kept on the list.”

FIRST LINE PARTNERSHIP
First Line Capital LLC has more than 20 years in investment banking experience. Their work across the globe is recognized as quality financial investing. The company has satellite offices in Israel and China. First Line has directed dozens of IPOs and more are on the way. Mr. Erblich said the specific company names of cannot be announced right now because of SEC “quiet” rules.

“We firmly believe that our affiliation with IPO Village will bring some excellent investment opportunities to people who’d otherwise not have a chance like this,” Mr. Erblich said.

“First Line’s excellent reputation for sound investment banking was definitely a factor in my decision to join IPO Village,” Mr. Orloff said.

The two men said they are looking forward to a healthy and prosperous working relationship. They said they are particularly happy about letting the average person be able to participate in an IPO from the beginning.

For more information visit IPOVillage.com

About First Line Capital
Founded in 1995, First Line Capital is a boutique investment banking firm. First Line’s focus is implementation of early-stage public strategies for a diverse range of hi-tech companies internationally. First Line’s portfolio companies are all publicly traded. Therefore, our public offerings provide shareholders with liquidity and a clear exit strategy.