Registration Process & Procedures

Related: What is the difference between “retail” and “qualified” investors?

🏛 Institutional or 🙆🙆‍♂️ individual investors who wish to receive their Qualified Investor designation, as well as exemption from regulatory limits on annual investments on our platform may do so by either:

• 1) Submiting previous certification of their QB status issued by any other domestic registrars or;
• 2) Submitting equivalent certification issued by a foreign entity/institution licensed to provide such certification or;
• 3) Registering as a Qualified Buyer (QB) with Round One's parent intermediary ESDC*

*(ESDC) Eastern Securities Development Corporation is a duly authorized registrar licensed to issue and maintain records of Qualified Buyer certifications. QB Certification issued by ESDC may be recognized by other entities that require such designation or certifications. 

When the Round One team is able to verify your Qualified Investor designation, we are free to lift any investment limit restrictions on your Round One account. 

Account Opening Requirement

1) Prior to submitting your request for Round One Qualified Investor designation, we will first require you to complete the account opening process:

• Input your personal (or company) and financial data 
• Submit identification verification & other documentary requirements
• Read, understand and accomplish your account's legal agreements 

2) When you have completed this process, you may simply upload any previous QB certification that you have obtained from other authorized registrars, to your Profile, for review by our account opening team. 

For non-Filipino citizens and foreign investors, you may upload an equivalent certification, for example, an Accredited Investor document or Qualified Purchaser designation. We will review if such certification meets domestic stipulations regarding your QB status. The investor undertakes to ensure that their certification status is always valid in accordance with their QB eligibility.

QB Registration through ESDC

For investors who wish to be certified by Round One/ESDC as a Qualified Buyer please note the following steps.

• 1) Complete the Round One account opening process
• 2) Read, understand and accomplish the QB Certification undertaking form
• 3) Upload the following QB qualifying documents:

• 🏛 Qualified Institutional Buyers; submission of documents evidencing any of the following:
  • Minimum two (2) years annual gross income of Php 100 million or more
  • Total portfolio of SEC-registered securities totalling Php 60 million or more
  • Net worth of Php 100 million or more

• 🙆‍♂️ For Qualified Individual Buyers; submission of documents evidencing any of the following:
  • Minimum two (2) years annual gross income of Php 10 million or more
  • Total portfolio of SEC-registered securities totalling Php 10 million or more
  • Personal net worth of Php 30 million or more

• The following is considered acceptable documentary requirements
  • 📑 Certified true copies of Income Tax Returns, 
  • 📑 Audited Financial Statements 
  • 📑 Statements of Account and Certificates of Deposit issued by the applicant's bank
  • 📑 Statements of Portfolio investments issued by the applicant's securities brokers or investment managers
  • 📑 Certificates of Employment with Statement of Income issued by the applicant's employer
  • 📑 Other sources of information which are equally objective, reliable and verifiable
  • 📑 Any equivalent certification issued by a similarly, duly authorized registrar of QBs

Registration Renewal with ESDC

Registered applicants shall renew their certification by providing the updated documentary requirements listed for Qualified Individual or Institutional Buyers (QBs). 

Registered applicants shall be required to resubmit an undertaking for renewal of their qualification if: 

• They have not renewed within the three (3) year period of validity.
• There are material changes to the applicant’s eligibility for qualification, especially if changes disqualify the applicant's eligibility.

Previously registered applicants whose eligibility has changed or lapsed the three (3) year effectivity period must resubmit a signed undertaking and reapply for QB status.