Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce that Velocity Trade has received a significant investment from Wedbush Financial Services (“Wedbush”). Origin Merchant Partners was a financial advisor to Velocity Trade with respect to this transaction.
Velocity Trade is a global brokerage firm offering access to global over-the-counter (OTC) and exchange listed markets, as well as customized Wealth Management solutions via its WealthTech product suite. Through its global network of wholly owned regulated and registered subsidiary companies, Velocity Trade employs over 170 professionals that provide corporate and institutional clients competitive execution and custody services.
Wedbush is a diversified financial services holding company. Its primary subsidiary, Wedbush Securities, was founded in 1955 and has been a leader in the financial services industry, providing its clients, both private and institutional clients, with a wide range of securities brokerage and processing, wealth management, and investment banking services. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California with over 100 registered offices and nearly 900 colleagues, the firm focuses on bespoke client service and the utilization of advanced technology.
Origin Senior Leads: Alain Miquelon.
Origin Merchant Partners (“Origin”) is pleased to announce that Coinsquare Ltd. (“Coinsquare”) has completed its previously announced combination with Wonderfi Technologies Inc. (TSX: WNDR) (OTCQB: WONDF) (WKN: A3C166) (“Wonderfi”) and CoinSmart Financial Inc. (NEO: SMRT) (FSE: IR). (“CoinSmart”). Origin was the exclusive financial advisor to Coinsquare on this transaction, which will create one of the largest regulated crypto asset trading platforms in Canada.
Coinsquare provides customers with a proprietary platform engineered to deliver a robust, secure, and intelligent interface for trading Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other digital assets. Since the privately owned company was founded in 2014, Coinsquare has grown to become Canada’s oldest operating digital asset firm, trading on behalf of over half a million Canadians. Coinsquare has successfully executed trades in excess of $8 billion to date.
Wonderfi creates access to digital assets through its two Canadian owned and operated, fully registered crypto-trading platforms Bitbuy and Coinberry. Bitbuy is Canada’s first registered digital asset marketplace, boasting over 400,000 registered users, and serving both beginner and advanced traders, institutions, and corporate clients. Coinberry, with a user base of over 200,000, is designed for crypto novices and retail traders.
CoinSmart is a leading Canadian-headquartered crypto asset trading platform for digital assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. CoinSmart is one of the few crypto asset trading platforms in Canada to be registered as a securities dealer and marketplace with the Ontario Securities Commission. CoinSmart is also one of the first Canadian headquartered trading platforms to have an international presence, accepting customers across 40+ countries. The company’s offerings include instant verification, industry leading cold wallet storage, advanced charting with order book functionality and over-the-counter premium services.
Origin Senior Leads: Jim Osler, Tedi Gjoleka.
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce that it provided a Fairness Opinion and advice to the Special Committee of ICPEI Holdings Inc. (“ICPEI”) with respect to the acquisition of ICPEI by a consortium led by Dejardins General Insurance Group Inc (“Desjardins”).
ICPEI was founded in 1998 and operates in the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry through its wholly owned subsidiary, The Insurance Company of Prince Edward Island, which provides commercial and personal lines of insurance products exclusively through the broker channel.
Desjardins, a subsidiary of Desjardins Financial Corporation Inc., is a Canadian leader in P&C insurance. The company offers automobile insurance, home insurance and business insurance products through agents in the Desjardins caisse network in Quebec, through several Client Care Centres, through Dejardins’ websites and, in some cases, through smartphone technology.
Origin Senior Leads: Charles Pennock.
Origin Merchant Securities Inc. is pleased to announce that Clik2Pay has successfully completed its Series A Financing. The investment round includes a lead investment by Celina Capital Corporation, as well as several of the company’s existing investors and additional private individuals. With this financing, Clik2Pay has raised over $7 million of seed and early stage capital to fund the completion of its pilot projects and commercial launch of its product. The Origin Merchant Principals Fund was a seed round investor and Origin Merchant Securities Inc. acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Clik2Pay with respect to the Series A financing.
Clik2Pay is Canada’s first real-time payments service delivering low cost, real-time payment solutions to businesses of all sizes. Clik2pay’s innovative service lets customers easily pay from their bank account by text, e-mail or QR code. The company provides a long-awaited alternative to expensive options like credit card and cheque, and legacy systems such as the existing bill pay network and pre-authorized debits.
Celina Capital Corporation was established in 2017 to make direct investments in entrepreneurial companies and diverse real estate assets. The firm invests its proprietary, long-term capital in growth-driven management teams that need an experienced financial partner to support their strategic objectives.
Origin Senior Leads: Mark Ernst, Jim Osler
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce that Walter Global Asset Management (“Walter GAM”) has acquired a majority interest in Bonnefield Financial Inc. (“Bonnefield”)
Bonnefield is a leading Canadian farmland investor and is the foremost provider of land-lease financing for farmers in Canada. The firm’s investors are individuals and institutional investors who are committed to the long term future of Canadian agriculture.
Walter GAM is a globally diversified private equity firm with a best-in-class business platform. The firm builds customized, long-term partnerships with a select group of portfolio companies that operate within the asset management industry and share the goal of sustained and profitable growth.
Origin Merchant Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to Bonnefield with respect to this transaction.
Origin Senior Leads: Andrew Muirhead, Rob Penteliuk
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce that Mogo Inc. (Mogo) has executed a definitive agreement to acquire 19.9% ownership of the outstanding common shares of Coinsquare Ltd. (Coinsquare), with the option and warrants to increase its interest to 43% at valuations for Coinsquare ranging from $250-350 million. Origin Merchant Partners is the exclusive financial advisor to Coinsquare’s Independent Committee on this transaction.
Coinsquare Since 2014, Coinsquare has provided digital asset traders a proprietary trading platform engineered to deliver a robust, secure, and intelligent interface for trading Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and other digital assets. Coinsquare’s products and services also include Coinsquare Wealth for qualified individuals and institutions.
Mogo (NASDAQ:MOGO) (TSX:MOGO) empowers its more than one million members with simple digital solutions to help them manage their financial health. Through the Mogo app, consumers can access a digital spending account with Mogo Visa* Platinum Prepaid Card featuring automatic carbon offsetting, easily buy and sell bitcoin, and get free monthly credit score monitoring, ID fraud protection, and personal loans.
Origin Senior Lead: Jim Osler
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce Automotive Finco Corp. (“Auto Finco”) has reported that under the terms of its substantial issuer bid, it expects to take up and purchase for cancellation approximately 3.3 million common shares representing approximately 14.3% of its issued and outstanding common shares. Origin Merchant Partners provided a Liquidity Opinion to the Board of Directors with respect to this transaction.
Auto Finco (TSX-V: AFCC) is a finance company focused exclusively on the auto retail sector. Through its investment in Automotive Finance LP, Auto Finco has exposure to a business providing long term, debt- based acquisition financing to auto dealerships across the globe, with an initial focus on Canada. In addition to its interest in Automotive Finance LP, Auto Finco may also pursue other direct investments and financing opportunities across the auto retail sector.
Origin Senior Leads: Charles Pennock, Jim Osler
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce that Dealnet Capital Corp. (“Dealnet”) has been acquired by Simply Group Capital Corp (“Simply Group”) in a transaction valued at $243 million. Origin Merchant Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to Dealnet with respect to this transaction.
Dealnet is a specialty finance company servicing the $20 billion Canadian home improvement finance market through both dealer-based and direct homeowner-based originations of secured finance assets.
Simply Group provides industry leading, high-efficiency, home comfort equipment and financing solutions to customers, to modernize their residential, commercial and industrial properties.
Origin Senior Leads: Jim Osler, Lindsay Adam Weiss, Shaun Quennell
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce that Integrated Asset Management (“IAM”) has entered into an Arrangement Agreement with Fiera Capital Corporation.
Origin Merchant Partners acted as the exclusive financial advisor to IAM with respect to this transaction.
Integrated Asset Management is one of Canada’s leading alternative asset management companies with approximately $3.1 billion in assets and committed capital under management in private debt, infrastructure debt and real estate as of February 28, 2019. IAM’s common shares trade on the TSX under the ticker symbol IAM.
Fiera Capital Corporation (“Fiera Capital”) is a global independent asset management firm with approximately C$136.7 billion in AUM as at December 31, 2018 delivering customized multi-asset solutions across traditional and alternative asset classes to institutional, retail and private wealth clients across North America, Europe and key markets in Asia. Fiera Capital trades under the ticker FSZ on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Origin Senior Lead: Rob Penteliuk
Origin Merchant Partners was retained by Brookfield Business Partners LP (“Brookfield” or the “Fund”) to provide financial advisory services with respect to a confidential portfolio company transaction.
Brookfield is a business services and industrials focused investment company, with a flexible investment mandate and an overall goal of long term capital appreciation. As of Q1 2019, the Fund had $28 billion under assets, with ~45,000 operating employees and investments diversified across the globe.
Origin Senior Leads: Glenn Shyba, Jim Osler
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce that Economical Mutual Insurance Company (“Economical”) has filed its circular in connection with the demutualization of the Company.
Origin Merchant Partners acted as the independent financial advisor to the Board of Directors of Economical in connection the demutualization of the Company.
Economical Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1871, is one of Canada’s leading property and casualty insurers, with more than $2.3 billion in annualized premium volume and approximately $5.7 billion in assets as at September 30, 2018. Headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, this Canadian-owned and operated company services the insurance needs of more than one million customers across the country. Economical conducts business under the following brands: Economical Insurance, Economical, Western General, Economical Select, Perth Insurance, Sonnet, Petsecure, Economical Financial, and Family Insurance Solutions.
Origin Senior Leads: Rob Penteliuk, Charles Pennock
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce that Dealnet Capital Corp. (TSXV:DLS) has completed the sale of Impact Mobile to IMImobile Canada Inc. (AIM:IMO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of IMImobile plc, in a transaction valued at approximately $27.5 million.
Origin Merchant Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to Dealnet Capital Corp. with respect to this transaction.
Dealnet Capital Corp. (“Dealnet”) is a specialty finance company servicing the $20 billion Canadian home improvement finance market through both dealer-based and direct homeowner-based originations of secured finance assets.
Impact Mobile Inc. (“Impact”) is Canada’s leading provider of mobile messaging aggregation solutions. Impact’s JumpTXT® platform is a messaging infrastructure that allows its clients to reach mobile subscribers using SMS, MMS and mobile web.
Impact was founded in 2002, with offices in Toronto and New York City.
IMImobile Canada Inc. (“IMI”) is a UK-based global software and solutions company that enables organizations to use mobile and digital technologies to communicate and engage with their customers.
Origin Senior Leads: Jim Osler, Lindsay Adam Weiss, Shaun Quennell
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce the partnership between Desjardins Group, five credit union centrals and The Cumis Group Ltd. to form Aviso Wealth.
Origin Merchant Partners acted as valuation advisor to Credential Financial Inc, Qtrade Canada Inc. and NEI Investments with respect to this transaction.
Aviso Wealth will be a Canadian financial services leader with notable strengths in wealth management, asset management, online brokerage and digital advice, mutual funds and correspondent services. Through its subsidiaries, Aviso Wealth will offer a wealth management platform with the necessary scale and resources to meet the evolving needs of its credit union partners and their members. It is jointly owned by Desjardins and a limited partnership comprised of the Centrals / CUMIS, with each holding a 50% stake.
Origin Senior Leads: Rob Penteliuk, Charles Pennock
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce that Nest Wealth Asset Management Inc. (“Nest Wealth”) has received a strategic minority investment of $6 million from National Bank of Canada (“National Bank”).
Origin Merchant Partners acted as financial advisor to Nest Wealth with respect to this transaction.
Nest Wealth is an automated wealth management solutions provider that offers both direct-to-investor solutions and advanced business solutions through its Nest Wealth Pro product. Nest Wealth’s consumer solutions make it easy for investors to obtain sophisticated wealth management focused on their long-term goals without high fees, large minimums or lack of transparency. Nest Wealth’s white-labeled B2B solutions allow wealth management firms to offer simple onboarding, greater transparency and fully integrated back office and compliance functionality.
National Bank of Canada is one of Canada’s leading integrated financial groups. The Bank has more than 21,000 employees.
Origin Senior Leads: Mario Di Pietro, Rob Penteliuk
Origin Merchant Securities Inc. is pleased to announce that Berkeley Payment Solutions (“Berkeley”) has successfully completed its Senior Secured Debenture Offering.
Origin Merchant Securities Inc. acted as Agent to Berkeley with respect to this transaction.
Berkeley Payment Solutions (“Berkeley”) delivers MasterCard and Visa prepaid card programs for corporations, governments, and financial institutions. As a trusted managed services provider, Berkeley helps clients navigate the payments industry ecosystem and offers an extensive suite of services including program management, product development, accounting and reporting, IT consulting and integration, processing, card design, and card fulfillment. Berkeley also partners with leading financial institutions to accelerate revenue growth opportunities and profitability by reducing the cost, complexity, and risk of developing and launching new payments products. Berkeley serves over 500 corporate and government clients in North America spanning all industries and business functions, providing a variety of prepaid Visa and MasterCard solutions that are simple, flexible, and effective.
Origin Merchant Securities Inc. (“OMSI”) is a wholly-owned affiliate of Origin Merchant Partners. OMSI is an exempt market dealer that will agent private placements of debt and equity securities to finance the acquisition capital, growth capital or recapitalization needs of our clients. OMSI is registered as an Exempt Market Dealer with the Ontario Securities Commission.
Origin Senior Leads: Mario Di Pietro, Jim Osler
Origin Merchant Partners is pleased to announce that Integrated Asset Management Corp. (“IAM”) and Arrow Capital Management Inc. (“Arrow”) have completed the previously announced sale of of IAM’s wholly-owned subsidiary, BluMont Capital Corporation (“BluMont”), to Arrow.
Origin Merchant Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to IAM with respect to this transaction.
Integrated Asset Management is one of Canada’s leading alternative asset management companies, with approximately $1.9 billion in assets and committed capital under management in private corporate debt, real estate, managed futures, private equity and retail alternative investments.Arrow Capital Management Inc. was founded in 1999 and is an employee-owned company focused on alternative asset management and manager selection. Its strong, diverse platform provides access to a global selection of outstanding investment funds across a range of asset classes, strategies and both single- and multi-manager portfolios.
Origin Senior Lead: Rob Penteliuk
