Hedge Connection Awarded Second U.S. Patent for Business Methodology of Matching Hedge Funds and Investors Online

The heightened threshold for business-method and software patent eligibility, as determined by the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2014 “Alice” decision, accentuates the importance of Hedge Connection’s second patent issued June 30, 2015.

July 27, 2015, New York, NY – Hedge Connection, the alternative investment industry’s patented platform connecting private fund investment managers with asset allocators, announced the issuance of United States Patent #9,070,165 for the firm’s business methodology utilizing dual online search engines and detailed databases accessible by qualified investors and hedge funds.  Awarded as of June 30, 2015, this second patent not only provides a continuation of U.S. Patent #8,468,078 issued to Hedge Connection in 2013, but also strengthens this financial technology firm ’s leadership position offering private placement matching efficiencies and ease of use within a controlled secure online environment.

“As a Fintech innovator, we are very proud that our pioneering solution to stimulate overall hedge fund investing within an efficient, low cost and compliant framework has been recognized with this patent award,” noted Hedge Connection CEO Lisa Vioni. “Particularly in the aftermath of increased regulatory barriers presented by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2014 decision in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International, we consider our second patent truly exceptional and a tribute to the industry benefits of our innovative platform.”

“A business method patent issued in the post-Alice world carries with it the cachet of obtaining approval by the U.S. Patent Office during a remarkable time, especially given the skyrocketing number of rejections asserted by patent examiners and challenges to the validity of business method patents,” noted Mark D. Schneider, patent attorney and partner of Gifford, Krass, Sprinkle, Anderson &Citkowski, P.C.  In the four months following the Supreme Court’s decision, lower courts – citing Alice – invalidated patents in 14 out of 18 cases.  Defendants accused of infringing business method patents now routinely cite Alice as part of a strategy to immediately challenge a patent’s validity.

About Hedge Connection: www.hedgeconnection.com or @hedgeconnection.

Launched in 2005, Hedge Connection’s patented marketing platform for alternative investment managers integrated with its robust information portal for accredited investors and industry professionals combines virtual introductions with live meetings.  Hedge Connection has grown to become the most widely recognized and innovative, yet compliant solution of its kind.  Video: https://youtu.be/JzyB3_vl3_A

Hedge Connection’s fund database provides investors with access to over 7,000 hedge funds, funds of funds and CTAs. The Capital Cluballows fund managers to request introductions to allocators based on matching investment profiles. The manager is only charged when an introduction request is accepted and a phone call is scheduled between the two parties.  The Boardroom, the industry’s leading online community, is woven into the fabric of the fund database and facilitates relationship building, networking, and the free-flow of information. Hedge Connection’s online ecosystem is complemented by premier one-on-one networking events, including the Global Fund Forum. Since 2005, investors and hedge funds have participated in numerous related events, resulting in thousands of direct meetings.