Latest news with #Alpaca
Fashion Network
7 hours ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Erevan rethinks strategy with expanded offering and multiple projects
After a dazzling start, Erevan is consolidating its position by rethinking its strategy. Founded in Saint-Tropez in 2021 by Evan Morello-Boghossian, the women's and men's ready-to-wear and fragrance brand has multiplied its projects in recent months, reorganizing in depth. It has redefined its silhouette, enriched its offer with knitwear and leather goods, moved production to Italy, relocated to new premises in Paris, and is preparing to open a boutique in Courchevel. First and foremost, the company has refocused on its fundamentals, namely creation. The factory opened last year in Pantin, on the outskirts of Paris, where it also produced for other houses such as Patou and Charles de Vilmorin, was closed at the beginning of the year. It now relies on a network of Italian craftsmen and workshops between Treviso and Mestre, in the Veneto region, led by a former Bottega Veneta product manager. "He handles all product development and production follow-up in Italy," said Morello-Boghossian. This link with Italy has enabled Erevan to diversify, with, among other things, a line of leather pieces. The label offers, for example, a Camargue jacket in grained nubuck or another with four pleated leather pockets inspired by Matisse paintings. "The wardrobe is expanding, but always in keeping with Erevan's codes, with a casual yet refined feel in terms of materials, structures, and volumes," stressed the entrepreneurial designer. The company has also launched a collection of evening shirts and, over the past year, has developed a line of sweaters and knitwear in fox fur and cashmere. The range also includes Alpaca jackets made in Peru, small combed-hair jackets, more structured cardigan-vests, and cashmere polo shirts. Another project is the launch of a hat designed with master milliner Sébastien Tessier. These new product categories have led Erevan to redefine its silhouette. The sunny elegance and slightly vintage aesthetic of the early days, inspired by the nautical world with a French Riviera spirit mixed with military influences, remains. But the emphasis is now on a slightly rockier style designed for "a dandy with no hang-ups," like "Mick Jagger in Saint-Tropez." In the colors, patterns, and lightness of the cuts, one also finds the spirit of the New Wave films of the 1960s-70s. From transparent shirts in devoured volumes to pleated silk shirts, embroidered shirts, and loose-fitting artist shirts in white cotton, shirts take the lion's share of the spotlight, available in a variety of fabrics and models, all in comfort and fluidity. Japanese featherweight cottons with a silky touch are particularly popular. There's no shortage of strong pieces, like this tapestry jacket woven in Japan, these striped canvas pants with openwork embroidery details, or this black officer's overshirt with white embroidery. "The average shopping basket has risen from 350 euros in 2021 to 1,000 euros. Today, we sell a silhouette, whereas before, customers would come looking for pieces. Sales have continued to grow, and now stand at around 1.3 million euros. We now have around fifteen retailers, including Tomorrowland in Japan and Handsome in South Korea," continued Morello-Boghossian. The brand is also sold via its own e-commerce site and boutique in Saint-Tropez. "Distribution is concentrated on prestige brands around the world. After Japan and Korea, where our partners have successfully established the brand, we are targeting New York and Paris," he added. As for the direct sales network, the strategy is now to target exclusive destinations. The Paris address on Rue des Saints-Pères was closed at the end of 2024. The brand prefers to concentrate on a new opening in Courchevel, scheduled for December: a 50-square-meter space in the heart of the town, on Rue de l'Eglise. The interior, designed by interior architect Lika Korsounskaya, features a yachting universe transposed to the mountains, with exotic woodwork, metal, and light effects. Another destination under consideration is Saint Barthélémy in the Caribbean. As for fragrances, Erevan has continued to develop its collection, which is sold in its boutiques and at Printemps. It now includes ten fragrances, including the two new ones "Bonjour" and "Bonsoir." The company, which employs a dozen people with an average age of 25, is as dynamic as ever. It has just moved to new premises in Paris, on Rue du Pré aux Clercs, in the very chic 7th arrondissement, where it has installed a photo studio in addition to its offices and showroom.
National Post
2 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Manzil Expands Shariah-Compliant Investment Solutions to American Muslims with Alpaca
Article content NEW YORK & DALLAS — Manzil Investment Advisors LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor and subsidiary of Manzil, a Canadian Islamic fintech startup, recently announced the launch of Manzil Invest USA, a new digital platform offering Shariah-compliant investment solutions specifically tailored for the American Muslim community. The platform is powered by a strategic partnership with Alpaca, a self-clearing broker-dealer and brokerage infrastructure API offering Shariah-compliant financial products. Article content With this launch, Manzil provides customers with access to a wide range of pre-determined halal investment strategies, furthering their mission to simplify investing and saving for Muslims across North America. Article content 'There are several million Muslims in the USA, many of whom feel excluded from the financial tools and advantages that their peers have access to,' stated Dr. Mohamad Sawwaf, Group CEO of Manzil. 'Muslims want to invest, but only about a third of the stocks in the S&P 500 are compliant with our beliefs. In the absence of a platform like Manzil Invest USA, many Muslims may sit out of the public stock market entirely.' By offering expertly managed and diversified portfolios that align with their customers' investment goals and risk tolerance, Manzil aims to remove any complexities for customers who are new to public equities. To ensure compliance with both Islamic and ethical investing principles, all securities are pre-screened by Manzil using the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) standards and further filtered through the American Friends Screening Committee (AFSC) criteria. Article content 'Our partnership with Manzil underscores Alpaca's commitment to fostering financial innovation and accessibility,' said Yoshi Yokokawa, CEO and Co-founder of Alpaca. 'We are excited to support Manzil's vision for inclusive finance by providing the infrastructure they need to deliver Shariah-compliant investment opportunities to millions of Muslims in the United States.' Article content Additionally, the platform provides educational resources to help users make informed financial decisions and plan for the future. Article content The Manzil Invest USA platform is now available for download in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Article content About Alpaca Article content Alpaca is a US-headquartered self-clearing broker-dealer and brokerage infrastructure for stocks, ETFs, options, fixed income, and 24/5 trading– raising over USD170 million in funding. Alpaca is backed by top-tier investors globally, including Portage Ventures, Spark Capital, Tribe Capital, Social Leverage, Horizons Ventures, Unbound, SBI Group, Derayah Financial, Elefund, and Y Combinator. Article content About Manzil Article content Manzil is Canada's first AAOIFI-member Islamic FinTech company, providing Shariah-compliant mortgages, investments, wills, and savings solutions. Founded on the principles of financial justice and community empowerment, Manzil is committed to delivering inclusive, ethical financial alternatives tailored to Muslim consumers. Article content Alpaca does not make any representation that its products or services are Shariah-compliant. Customers are solely responsible for determining whether any offering meets their own Shariah requirements. Options trading is not suitable for all investors due to its inherent high risk, which can potentially result in significant losses. Please read Article content / Article content Article content Article content Article content
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Alpaca to acquire wealthtech company WealthKernel
US-based self-clearing broker-dealer Alpaca has unveiled plans to acquire WealthKernel, a wealthtech company focused on digital investment infrastructure and tax-advantaged products. This strategic acquisition aims to enhance Alpaca's capabilities in the UK and European Union (EU) markets, aligning with its mission to make financial services accessible worldwide. The acquisition is pending regulatory approval from the UK Financial Conduct Authority and Spain's Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores. WealthKernel focuses on delivering investment and savings infrastructure for regulated businesses, emphasising modern wealth products and scalable digital investment solutions. Its expertise in wealth management, including individual savings accounts (ISAs) and self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), will strengthen Alpaca's existing trading infrastructure. By integrating WealthKernel's regulatory licences, Alpaca will operate as a fully authorised broker-dealer in these regions, further supporting its partners. The acquisition combines a team with knowledge in brokerage operations, compliance, and financial technology, according to the company/ This move is expected to enhance Alpaca's position as a comprehensive provider of brokerage infrastructure, enabling banks, brokers, and fintech companies to launch trading, custody, and wealth management products in compliance with regulations. WealthKernel CEO Karan Shanmugarajah said: 'Joining forces with Alpaca will allow us to scale our mission faster, while maintaining the high standards our clients expect.' Alpaca's newly appointed chief financial officer, Nadia Asoyan, who has held senior roles at Robinhood and Square, will bring her fintech expertise to the merged entity. The organisation will maintain its global presence with operations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Earlier this year, Alpaca formed a strategic partnership with Kraken, allowing the cryptocurrency exchange to offer commission-free US equities trading to its American clients. Alpaca CEO Yoshi Yokokawa said: 'The acquisition of WealthKernel is a major step for Alpaca in becoming a truly global brokerage infrastructure. 'WealthKernel has gained a highly regarded reputation in the UK and EU through working closely with a number of financial institutions.' Alpaca, headquartered in the US, provides infrastructure for trading stocks, ETFs, options, cryptocurrencies, and fixed income, having secured over $170m in funding from notable investors including Portage Ventures, Spark Capital, and Y Combinator. "Alpaca to acquire wealthtech company WealthKernel" was originally created and published by Private Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Alpaca to acquire wealthtech company WealthKernel
US-based self-clearing broker-dealer Alpaca has unveiled plans to acquire WealthKernel, a wealthtech company focused on digital investment infrastructure and tax-advantaged products. This strategic acquisition aims to enhance Alpaca's capabilities in the UK and European Union (EU) markets, aligning with its mission to make financial services accessible worldwide. The acquisition is pending regulatory approval from the UK Financial Conduct Authority and Spain's Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores. WealthKernel focuses on delivering investment and savings infrastructure for regulated businesses, emphasising modern wealth products and scalable digital investment solutions. Its expertise in wealth management, including individual savings accounts (ISAs) and self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), will strengthen Alpaca's existing trading infrastructure. By integrating WealthKernel's regulatory licences, Alpaca will operate as a fully authorised broker-dealer in these regions, further supporting its partners. The acquisition combines a team with knowledge in brokerage operations, compliance, and financial technology, according to the company/ This move is expected to enhance Alpaca's position as a comprehensive provider of brokerage infrastructure, enabling banks, brokers, and fintech companies to launch trading, custody, and wealth management products in compliance with regulations. WealthKernel CEO Karan Shanmugarajah said: 'Joining forces with Alpaca will allow us to scale our mission faster, while maintaining the high standards our clients expect.' Alpaca's newly appointed chief financial officer, Nadia Asoyan, who has held senior roles at Robinhood and Square, will bring her fintech expertise to the merged entity. The organisation will maintain its global presence with operations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Earlier this year, Alpaca formed a strategic partnership with Kraken, allowing the cryptocurrency exchange to offer commission-free US equities trading to its American clients. Alpaca CEO Yoshi Yokokawa said: 'The acquisition of WealthKernel is a major step for Alpaca in becoming a truly global brokerage infrastructure. 'WealthKernel has gained a highly regarded reputation in the UK and EU through working closely with a number of financial institutions.' Alpaca, headquartered in the US, provides infrastructure for trading stocks, ETFs, options, cryptocurrencies, and fixed income, having secured over $170m in funding from notable investors including Portage Ventures, Spark Capital, and Y Combinator. "Alpaca to acquire wealthtech company WealthKernel" was originally created and published by Private Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Finextra
7 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
US fintech Alpaca to acquire WealthKernel
US fintech Alpaca is to acquire the UK's WealthKernel, a provider of digital investment infrastructure and tax-advantaged products for businesses. 0 Alpaca will lean on WealthKernel's EU and UK licences with the ambition of creating a global brokerage API for the wealth management industry. WealthKernel brings wealth management capabilities, including ISAs, SIPPs, and other tax-advantaged accounts, complementing Alpaca's trading infrastructure. The firm has helped the likes of Claro Money, Wahed, and Wealth8 to enter underserved areas of the wealth services market, covering areas from halal and ethical investment to ESG. It last raised £6 million in a Series extension round in Janary 2024. "The acquisition of WealthKernel is a major step for Alpaca in becoming a truly global brokerage infrastructure. WealthKernel has gained a highly regarded reputation in the UK and EU through working closely with a number of financial institutions," says Yoshi Yokokawa, CEO of Alpaca. "With WealthKernel joining us, we're directly entering the UK and EU, enhancing our support of global institutions that desire regulated investing across borders." The deal reinforces Alpaca's position as a full-stack, global brokerage infrastructure provider, enabling brokers, banks, and fintechs to launch trading, custody, and wealth products quickly, compliantly, and at scale. Earlier this year, Kraken partnered with Alpaca to deliver commission-free US equities trading to their US clients and joined as one of their 200+ global partners.
