Konvi: Diversifying your portfolio with luxury goods
Meet Ioana, Lena and Eran. Together they founded Konvi — an extraordinary crowdfunding platform, where they democratized access to luxury assets
“How can I protect my money in this crisis?” This was the question many people asked themselves in early 2020 when COVID-19 turned the whole world upside down. Ioana Surdu-Bob also talked about it with her fiancee and now CTO Eran Peer about various options: ETFs, cryptocurrency, or stocks — so far so clear. But the stock market had been shaken by COVID-19 and, in fact, nothing seemed clear anymore. That’s why Ioana came up with an interesting idea: handbags. For example, world-famous designer pieces like Hermès Birkin Bags: Why not buy such a bag and let it increase in value over the years? Eran was skeptical, but Ioana explored the market further.
“Up to that point, I had bought a few bags, including some expensive ones, but none has been valuable enough to be considered an investment, an asset that can easily be sold for significantly more than the price it was purchased,” Ioana explains. “But my research revealed: Bags like that do exist. And not just bags. Cars, art, wines or watches can also be investments that pay off after a while.” So — in collaboration with Eran and strategy and growth expert Lena Sonnen, Konvi was born.
Konvi is a crowdfunding platform where interested parties can expand their financial portfolios. The entry sum is 250 euros. A lot less than buying a whole painting. The platform makes it possible for anyone who wants to diversify their portfolio to put their money into rare luxury goods and other alternative assets. Experts from cooperation partners such as The Watch Fund select the right products where investment might be worthwhile.
Konvi helps diversifying your portfolio through alternative assets such as watches, wine or art
“Of course, the most important thing is that the supply is less than the demand” says Ioana. “That’s the case, for example, with extreme limited-editions that only go to VIPs and that money can hardly buy. Or provenance pieces that were worn by historical figures, for example, like Napoleon’s carriage clock made by Breguet.” With decades of experience in watch purchases and sales, and a track record of these watches returning 20% average profits per annum, Konvi’s partner The WatchFund is trusted by their customers to manage millions in assets.
The founders’ goal: to establish a platform that democratizes access to alternative assets. Through the crowdfunding structure, several people can co-own a part of a watch. CMO Lena says: “I was shocked when I realized how much money wealthy people earn just by being able to access financial strategies that normal people can’t. Since then, I am strongly driven by our vision to democratize the access to alternative assets.”
The first assets, worth more than 250,000 euros, are sold already — and more assets are coming
To achieve this, the three founders, Ioana, Eran and Lena, joined forces and left their previous employers. While Ioana and Eran both worked in software development, Lena worked as a growth strategist at Facebook. “Even as a kid, I was very interested in technology,” says Ioana, “But I also always liked setting up business ideas, and I wanted to make a big impact.” Therefore she started Konvi.
Their first products, worth a total of 250,000 euros, are already fully reserved. “We’re happy that our idea has been so well received,” says Ioana. From November, Konvi will then offer wines as well as watches.
