ACE Group Rolls Out New Online Platform for Private Placements

NEW YORK, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning this week, placement agents and qualified investors can apply to be Members of ACE, the Accredited Capital Exchange (www.ACEportal.com).  Viewed as the next step in the evolution of the private placement market, ACE provides placement agents with innovative tools to manage and market primary offerings of private securities, including PIPEs, private placements and limited partnership interests.  In addition, qualified investors can, for the first time, seek out and identify private investment opportunities through a convenient portal on their own.

The current process for marketing private securities is constrained by limits on time and resources, often leading to sub-optimal results for issuers.  By creating an efficient market backbone, ACE allows for greater communication, expanded access and more comprehensive tracking of information.  As a result of ACE's community features and improved management tools, issuers of private securities are positioned to secure better terms and achieve greater success when raising capital.

"Our business model is based on our own personal experiences in raising capital for issuers.  We are familiar with the process and have specific, first-hand knowledge of how it can be improved," said Peter Williams, ACE Group's CEO.  "We already have significant interest from the banking and investment communities and we see ACE becoming the hub for all private placements."

ACE Group's founders, former investment bankers, recognize the value investment banks bring to private placements and, as such, all transactions on ACE must be sponsored by an approved placement agent. ACE Group is committed to partnering with placement agents and will not disintermediate them in the capital raising process.  Rather, ACE provides them with the deal management tools, compliance features and investor sourcing capabilities necessary to achieve greater success in raising capital for clients.

"We recognize the value ACE brings to the private placement process and view the platform as a key addition to our toolkit in serving our clients," said Paul Rapello, Senior Managing Director of Focus Capital Group, Inc., an investment bank with offices in New York and Minneapolis (www.focuscgi.com). "We have signed up with ACE and are excited to be one of the first adopters of this innovative new platform."

Qualified investors can apply to ACE by completing a detailed investor questionnaire to verify they have the proper financial qualifications to invest in private placements.  These qualifications must be confirmed each time a deal is viewed, ensuring proper distribution of deal information.

For placement agents and investors who are interested in joining ACE, please contact Brendan Cahill at [email protected] or 646.213.1458.

About ACE Group, Inc.

ACE Group, Inc. ("ACE Group") operates the Accredited Capital Exchange ("ACE"), a secure online securities portal.  ACE provides Qualified Institutional Buyers, Qualified Purchasers and other Accredited Investors with comprehensive access to primary private placements, private investments in public equity ("PIPEs"), as well as limited partnership interests in private equity funds, venture capital funds and hedge funds.  As members of ACE, placement agents can efficiently manage marketing processes, increase investor demand and track information flow for regulatory and compliance purposes.  Qualified investors can seek out private investment opportunities on their own and make contact with placement agents. ACE Group was founded by a team of professionals with extensive experience in structuring and marketing private placements.

For more information about ACE, visit www.ACEportal.com.

SOURCE ACE Group, Inc.