UVF is designed to seek capital appreciation opportunities.
The Universal Ventures Fund, SCC. (the Company) is a segregated cell Company incorporated on April 19, 2010, under the provisions of the Companies Act, Chapter 308 and licensed as a Mutual Fund under the Mutual Funds Act, Chapter 320B under the laws of Barbados, as an open-ended mutual fund. Its structure allows for the creation of several segregated cells which may each constitute a separate fund, with its own unique investment objectives represented by a distinct cell of assets.
The Company is designed to seek capital appreciation opportunities for each Fund by investing primarily, but not exclusively in securities issued by privately held or quoted industrial or commercial companies throughout the world with emphasis on emerging markets. The company does not engage in the pursuance of capital appreciation opportunities related to United States companies or securities. However; its aim in the selection of assets is based on extensive research on and communication with the current owners of such assets. The fund focusses on acquiring assets, which are expected to generate an appreciation in its value within five to ten years.
The investment objectives and strategies in respect of each Fund as detailed in the Offering Memorandum represent the Investment Manger’s intentions. Depending on conditions and trends in the securities markets and the economy in general, the Investment Manager may pursue any strategies, employ any investment techniques or purchase any type of security that it considers appropriate to achieve the objectives of a Fund, subject to any applicable law or regulation and investment restrictions as per the Offering Memorandum.
About Barbados
Since its independence in 1966, Barbados has grown from strength to strength and was first ranked as a developed nation, in the 2010 United Nations Human Development Index. It currently ranks 47th in the list of countries with “Very High Human Development”, making it the only Caribbean nation to be so ranked. This small island, of only 166 square miles and an estimated population of over 275,000 people, boasts a literacy rate of approximately 98%. The vision of years of successive democratic governments, partnered with that of the private sector has seen shifts in the focus of the Barbados economy away from dependency on any one industry as the bedrock of the economy. The initial shift from the sugar export industry towards tourism is long over. A new paradigm shift is under way as the island aims to drastically reduce its dependency on the tourism market and instead move towards a more diversified economy. The expansion of the offshore financial sector and the increasing export of financial services are evidence of efforts of such diversification. Today the international business sector is the second largest contributor to the Barbadian economy.
Barbados is one of the fastest growing investment centers in the Caribbean. Due to its flexible yet prudent regulatory system, Barbados is currently ranked 11th in the world with respect to the soundness of its banks, notably ahead of the US and the UK, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index 2011-2012. The primary factors that influenced the development of Barbados’ international business sector were the shared vision and goal of the private and government sectors. This led to an approximate increase from 1000 to 4000 international businesses over the last 20 years. Additionally, Barbados’ status as an Offshore Financial Centre (OFC) geared towards attracting businesses of substance, making it an outstanding location for housing corporate headquarters. Further incentives are Barbados’ stable political, social and economic environment, supported by a tax system that provides numerous benefits through a wide-ranging and ever-increasing double taxation treaty network.
