Investment Tribe is a B-Corp founded with the mission to make property investment simple.
We provide a fully managed property investment service to investors through fractional ownership. Our goal is to open up property investment to investors who have been historically excluded from the market.
Our idea is simple. We create a property fund that buys income generating properties for our investors. A fund could consist of 3 or 4 properties with a specific theme or geographical location. Clients receive returns in two ways – quarterly dividends from the rental income and a lump sum from the sale of properties after a 15-20 year term.
Property investment via funds has been done before. As a FinTech company, we are always looking for technology advancements. We have dedicated substantial time and capital to develop a world-leading, state-of-the-art, blockchain-driven platform.
Investment Tribe is shaking things up and approaching property investment differently. We are aiming to be the UKs first tokenised fund manager. This innovative approach sets us apart and we are aiming to become the first firm in the UK to deal in security tokens within a regulated environment.
We ensure a streamlined, transparent journey, optimising returns for investors and prioritising comfort for tenants. Our platform has been engineered to provide an end-to-end solution for property investment. We handle everything from legal structuring, property acquisition, renovation and interior design, to letting management.
Investment Tribe is a B-corp founded with the mission to make property investment simple.
Investment Tribe was founded in 2019 by James Grant. The primary problem we wish to solve is market accessibility: rising property prices and soaring mortgage costs mean investment in property is now only accessible to those with substantial capital or via traditional property funds where investors have limited choice of underlying assets yet face full management fees irrespective of performance.
Since its formation, Investment Tribe has partnered with Saltire Scotland to place interns within the business. Many of these interns contributed to the early success of the business bringing fresh and innovative ideas to the table during their university studies.
Investment Tribe would have to be a regulated business and we identified a number of different ways we could get to market.
Initially, we looked to go down an Appointed Representative route where a Principal would bear the regulatory responsibility. Although this would have been the quickest route to market utilising a whitelabel platform, it also meant having many third party relationships carrying out regulated activities on behalf of Investment Tribe.
As we all know business is never a smooth ride. We had highs like being awarded B-corp Status but we had a number of challenges with finding the right principal firm. A standardised cookie cutter approach and an aversion to technological innovation meant we decided to go back to the drawing board and look to bring our regulation and tech in house.
We decided to build our own MVP platform using some local developers; but there was a better, more efficient way. James always had a great interest in technology and has been an investor in the crypto sphere over the last 5 years. Using his experience in crypto, James looked at how fractional investment and blockchain technology could be used within property investment.
We applied for an Innovate UK Grant to incorporate blockchain into our platform. We were successful and have completed the full integration. As part of that Grant we hired Brian Gray as Chief Compliance Officer, an experienced compliance professional with over 30 years experience in financial institutions. Having Brian in place allowed Investment Tribe to push forward with direct authorisation.
Investment Tribe submitted an application to the FCA’s Regulatory Sandbox. This initiative allows firms to test innovative propositions in the market with real customers. The benchmark for acceptance into the Sandbox is very high as FCA only allows firms with a truly innovative idea to go forward.
In July 2023, Investment Tribe was selected for inclusion in the Sandbox and we are currently going through the authorisation process to be regulated. All going well, we hope to start testing in early 2024 with a view to going live shortly after.
During this time, Investment Tribe has grown and we now have 12 members of staff which includes 4 interns. All employees are kept in check by Ted who is James dog. Ted also carries out the role of Chief Entertainment Officer.
Tribe headquarters is in Edinburgh and we encourage hybrid working with employees travelling in from Dundee, Glasgow and surrounds. We truly are an international bunch with 7 different nationalities represented.
Investment Tribe is all about doing business the right way. We’re proud to be recognised for our hard work in making a positive impact, earning us a BCorp certification in March 2022. This means we’re really serious about being transparent, responsible, and doing good in the world.
We scored a whopping 96.6 on the B Impact assessment, while most companies usually score around 50.9. We are proudly positioned in the Service with Minor Environmental Footprint sector of B Corp certified companies.
Even cooler, in 2022, we were named one of the Best for the World BCorps. That puts us in the top 5% of BCorps worldwide, out of 5,000! We’re super proud, but we’re not stopping there. We’re on a mission to do even better, in every way we can.
James Grant – Chief Executive Officer
Founder of Investment Tribe, has always been passionate about property investment and the opportunities it presents. With the dream of making property investment more accessible to a wider audience.
Brian Gray – Chief Compliance Officer
Seasoned professional with three decades of financial services experience. Before joining the Tribe, Brian set up his own consultancy firm and spent two years as an Ombudsman at the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Ansab Waseem – Head of Finance
Financial expert with a wealth of experience gathered from his tenure in several large investment and finance companies. An ACCA qualified professional, who recently achieved the status of Fellow.
Colette Grant – Non Executive Director
Seasoned professional with over 40 years of experience in the property industry. Founder of her own property investment and management company, Grant Property. Colette has also held executive director positions in various companies.
Stuart Adams – Non Executive Director
Business developer with a solid track record of establishing, leading, and providing strategic guidance to companies and brands across new markets.
Douglas Boyce – Non Executive Director
30 years experience in both start up businesses and established investment platforms providing strategic direction to senior management teams. In-depth knowledge of fund operations and business processes.
The Investment Tribe and Chief Entertainment Officer
