Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 12, 2022) - Brane Inc. ("Brane"), a leading fintech company recently named by Canadian Business as one of Canada's 10 Best and Brightest New Innovators, announced today that it will lease a 6,300-square foot office space in downtown Calgary as the headquarters of Brane Trust Company Ltd.
The commercial office space at 635 8th Ave SW, owned by Cadillac Fairview, is a former BMO Bank of Montreal facility equipped with high-security vault infrastructure - enabling Brane Trust, following regulatory approval, to offer state-of-the-art, insured cold storage solutions for digital assets including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and NFTs.
Brane's renovation of this street-level headquarters location will contribute to the revitalization of Calgary's downtown commercial core, in addition to the jobs and investment in Alberta's technology and financial sectors represented by the establishment of Brane Trust.
The agreement between Brane and Cadillac Fairview, brokered by CBRE, includes the option for Brane Trust to expand into additional office space in the building as the company grows. Brane Trust has been supported by Invest Alberta and Calgary Economic Development staff since its inception.
"The Brane team is pleased to be investing in downtown Calgary, and we look forward to contributing to Alberta's economic momentum as an innovative, sustainable enterprise," said Adam Miron, Interim CEO of Brane Inc. and Chairperson for both Brane and Brane Trust's boards of directors. "With the opportunities of Web3 and digital assets growing rapidly, we're proud to have Brane Trust based in Calgary as we help secure the world's transition to blockchain."
Granted letters patent in October 2021, Brane Trust is now progressing toward a certificate of registration from Alberta's Ministry of Treasury Board and Finance that will enable the company to open for business as Canada's first and only independent, carbon neutral, regulated Web3 financial institution.
"Brane's decision to establish this head office in Calgary is a testament to the forward-looking regulatory environment that Alberta is developing to attract innovative financial businesses and empower them to scale," said the Hon. Travis Toews, Alberta's Minister of Treasury Board and Finance. "We welcome this investment by Brane, which is more good news for Alberta's economy."
"As we work to grow and diversify our economy, Alberta is rapidly becoming a global destination for the blockchain and DeFi sectors," said the Hon. Doug Schweitzer, Alberta's Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation. "Brane's investment in Calgary is another vote of confidence in our regulatory environment, one that will create well-paying jobs and opportunity for Albertans."
Brane Trust's board of directors includes:
- Patricia McCunn-Miller - Lawyer, energy executive and corporate director with extensive experience in regulatory and environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters, President of Blue Bridge Energy, and past member of the National Energy Board and National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy.
- Stephen Buffalo - Chair of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, President and CEO of the Indian Resource Council, Governor of the Canadian Energy Executives Association, Senior Fellow of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, and former Regional Manager, Southern Alberta of Peace Hills Trust.
- Nick Facey - Digital technology solutions expert, Lead, Industry Solutions with Unity Technologies, and Vice Chair of Digital Alberta.
- Shree Govindarajan - Community leader and digital marketing expert at Edmonton-based Paper Leaf.
- Riyaz Virani - Co-founder of acclaimed Calgary-based homebuilding and property management company Sarina Homes.
- Melanie Pump, CPA, CGA - Financial management and operations executive and Chief Financial Officer for Brane Inc.
- Adam Miron (Chairperson) - Entrepreneur, author, and Interim CEO of Brane Inc.
For more information
About Brane
Founded in 2017, Brane Inc. is a carbon neutral Canadian fintech company, helping institutional clients unlock the opportunities of blockchain and digital assets. Brane Vault, its core digital asset custody technology, is third-party certified to stringent global standards including ISO 27001, ISO 27017, and NIST CSF Tier 4, and insured against theft and crime. Brane has been recognized as one of Canada's Best Workplaces in Financial Services and Start-Ups categories by Great Place to Work®, and one of Canada's 10 Best and Brightest New Innovators by Canadian Business magazine.
About Alberta's Financial Services Sector Concierge
Alberta's government is committed to diversifying the economy and bringing more jobs to Alberta by making it easier for financial services companies to develop new products and services and set up shop here in our province. Alberta's Financial Services Concierge works closely with Invest Alberta to save job creators time and money by guiding them through our province's regulatory environment and providing the information needed to operate in Alberta's financial sector. For more information or to connect with the concierge, visit: https://investalberta.ca/financial-services-concierge/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflect Brane's current expectations regarding future events, including statements relating to: the ability of Brane to become carbon neutral, the ability of Brane and other market participants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words or phrases such as "create", "continue to", "expand", "accelerate", "enhancing", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Brane's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Brane does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/119719
