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April 2017

Smartkarma Reaches News Heights

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20170424-everest-with-Dr.-Paul-Kitney

The way we work and interact with each other is arguably the most profound revolutionary change any of us will experience in our lifetimes. It promises to reshape cities, transportation systems, communications, entertainment and workplaces.  The seed of this revolution was planted more than 25 years ago now, perhaps when the public first started to “get connected”.

We would suggest that the real impetus for the most profound change of all, the change occurring all around us right now, is much more recent, requiring the birth of high speed wireless data transfer (4G and beyond) to really kick it in.

Suddenly, access to, and the creation of, sophisticated online shared software and services, available “anytime & anywhere” became possible.

It was against this backdrop that we started to imagine Smartkarma as research analysts and their clients would be natural users of such technology. We knew from experience that they are constantly on the road, searching out and investigating the most compelling investment ideas, meeting companies and kicking tyres. Analysts surely needed to be able to work flexibly and their clients surely need seamless “anywhere” access to their most compelling ideas?

At its core, that is exactly what Smartkarma does. Our cloud based platform provides analysts all the tools they need to research, collaborate, communicate and publish their work. It provides our subscribers a way to discover, read and interact with this work and with the analysts, providing them instant and seamless access to the most relevant insight, as, when and where needed.

Dr. Paul Kitney, the former head of Strategy for Blackrock, and now publisher of the esteemed “Animal Spirits” report on Smartkarma, has surprised us all by taking Smartkarma to new heights…literally!

He just published his latest work “Animal Spirits Report: Dodd-Frank, Corporate Bond Market Liquidity & Macro-Financial Stabilization from Mount Everest base camp as he prepares for his ascent of the famous peak in the coming weeks.

This lead to a real moment of reflection for all of us at Smartkarma.  The realisation that we have developed a whole new career path for top analysts: an easy and efficient way to build an independent research business; the flexibility to do so in a way that fits around our personal dreams and aspirations, whether mundane or truly remarkable, like the ascent of the world’s highest mountain, Everest.  Amongst the constant schadenfreude laden news of shrinking research budgets and big bank layoffs this is a glimpse of the future. The dawn of a new and better industry designed from the ground up for tomorrow.

We at Smartkarma are excited to play a small part in Paul’s journey to Mount Everest. Almost 65 years after the first successful ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norway, it’s hard to imagine that our modern age now allows for wifi connectivity in the remote Himalayan mountains.  Smartkarma is proud to provide a platform that supports flexible working and the achievement of lifelong dreams. 

Onwards and Upwards!

Smartkarma at the Top: Publishing the World’s Highest Investment Research from Mount Everest

By | Smartkarma Press Releases

Smartkarma’s cloud based platform enables independent research analysts to embrace flexible working

Singapore, Mt Everest – April 21, 2017 – Smartkarma, the leading online ecosystem for independent investment insight and analytics, today announces research published from Mount Everest basecamp using the Smartkarma platform. Dr. Paul M. Kitney, previously the head of strategy for Blackrock, who now publishes his highly respected “Animal Spirits” report on Smartkarma, has just released, “Animal Spirits: Dodd-Frank, Corporate Bond Market Liquidity & Macro-Financial Stabilization” from Mount Everest, while preparing for his ascent to the summit.

Between 2012 and 2016, the top 12 global investment banks saw a 10% reduction in research analyst headcount (Source: Coalition, Quinlan & Associates analysis). As this shrinkage of research teams continues, many top analysts are choosing to start their own independent research firms and look to platforms like Smartkarma to publish, distribute and monetise their services. For Insight Providers, the Smartkarma platform offers an easy, intuitive way to create and distribute research efficiently and flexibly. Smartkarma’s technology enables direct interaction across the network, ensuring that no matter where they are, analysts are engaged with their colleagues and clients.

Smartkarma unlocks the true value of independent insight, uniting a fragmented marketplace and providing investors with a selection of best-in-class research on Asia, all in one convenient portal.  Smartkarma supports Independent Insight Providers in all aspects of their business, allowing them to focus on what they do best, create great research and insight, from anywhere, anytime and on any device. Smartkarma’s rapidly growing platform currently provides global investors access to over 140 independent investment insight firms, including analysts, data scientists, academics and legal professionals. Its community has written on more than 1600 companies across 15 Asian markets, offering unconflicted, on the ground coverage including small and mid-caps stocks in frontier and emerging markets, and in-depth special situations and IPO analysis. On average, 25 insights are published daily with active minute by minute discussions, where themes and ideas are debated, discussed and questioned among a community of experts, in real time.

Dr. Kitney, Insight Provider at Smartkarma says, “Publishing to the Smartkarma platform strengthens the insight I create for the market. The tools and interaction with peers and investors ensure that my research is timely, appropriate and useful for the investor community. In addition, my company and my personal brand benefit extensively from access to the global investor community that uses my research. With the flexibility that the Smartkarma platform provides, I am finally able to combine work with fulfilling a lifelong dream.”

Jon Foster, co-founder of Smartkarma continues, “We are always thrilled to see how the Smartkarma platform enables flexible working for Insight Providers so that they can choose how and where to work. We can only commend such high-altitude publishing, taking Smartkarma to the top of the world, and we wish Paul every success in his ascent.”

About Smartkarma:

As a trusted information source, Smartkarma provides unconflicted and unmatched analysis, transparency and context into the Asian markets, helping global institutional investors confidently drive their investment strategies. Unlike traditional research companies, Smartkarma combines intelligence from the world’s premier analysts, academics, data scientists and strategists in one unique ecosystem. This customizable platform helps investors optimize research spending and enhance returns while accessing the widest range of global analysis of the Asian markets available.

We are on a bold mission to change the way market participants engage with research. By creating a new model for investors to collaborate, add and extract value from our tested and uniquely positioned global community, we are changing the research landscape for global investors. For more information visit us at www.smartkarma.com.

Media Contact:

Articulate Communications for Smartkarma
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 212 255 0080