LUXURY INVESTMENT INDEX
The cells themselves are more structurally sound than those found in cord blood and the minimally invasive nature of harvesting the cells means that they can be obtained much more easily, aside from the legal, and ethical problems involved in the harvesting of fetal stem cells which has (for all intents and purposes) derailed stem cell research in the United States. Grace Century offers investors the opportunity to cash in on what is shaping up to be one of the most important medical discoveries of the last century. According to Scott Wolf the attractions of investing in the storage and cultivation of tooth sourced stem cells is something that investors looking for above average returns should be evaluating right now.
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More information on Grace Century can be found at their home page: www.gracecentury.com
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2013
“It’s the only way we believe you can make money now, without having to wait for 10 years and picking the right therapy and the right company bringing that therapy to market. We are happy to let science catch up, as we are certain the key are stem cells…they just haven’t opened the lock,” he added. He uses the cord blood company, Viacord as an example, of the types of returns that are possible for those who are open to the possibilities of stem cells and the positioning used by companies like Provia. Wolf feels the Dental Stem Cell Bio Banking businesses is exactly like the beginning of the Cord Blood Bio Banking business, with the exception that the science and people’s perceptions are further along and far more accepted than 15 years ago. “The Viacord investors saw a 15 fold return on their initial investment, which is way above the returns for investors in any similar technology. Using the technology that Provia
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A business is in the business of making money; no matter what the field.
is employing, and the timing in science, we believe that investors in the banking of cultured and stored stem cells sourced from teeth will do significantly better than this.” Looking at the track record of Provia, a company formed only in 2010, Wolf ’s optimism about these potential returns seems to be based firmly on the success of Viacord’s business model. He cites numerous scientific studies about the technology involved and is optimistic, while remaining conservative in his estimation of potential returns. “I believe Provia can match or even exceed the return on investment demonstrated by Viacord. 95%+ Margins are more than attainable, given that there is history of customer drop off rates lower than 1% per annum and backed by the thorough due diligence and continued strategic oversight provided by Grace Century. We are not asking our clients to invest in something that we ourselves aren’t excited by – as an organisation we have taken a considerable stake in Provia, ” says Wolf. Grace Century strives to bring only two projects to its client base per year; a business model that Wolf believes delivers exceptional value to clients. “Vetting these opportunities is quite a process. We can tell pretty early on if the project has legs. That’s one of the advantages of looking at hundreds of proposals and selecting only those that meet rigorous criteria.” There can be no doubt that the field of stem cell therapy is tremendously exciting. Grace Century has a reputation for providing its members with opportunities for returns that exceed industry norms by any stretch of the imagination. The combination of these two factors provides a select group of investors with opportunities that have the potential to provide exceptional returns on investment. “Grace Century provides clients with a double return - all our projects are designed to be both growth and income producing. Our clients earn interest from 5 - 8% and are provided with ongoing returns, while the project concerned has access to the capital supplied by investors.” In the words of Wolf, “we refuse to let people use our money without providing income for our clients while they use that capital.” Wolf concluded that projects like Provia are not usually on the radar of most investors due to the fact that participation is restricted – hidden behind a “velvet rope”… so to peak. It is possible that this company has succeeded where numerous others have failed – in the design of a better mousetrap – and one that can deliver exceptional returns.
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decide at the time of birth to store the cord in a “Bio-Bank” approved for storage. This industry called the “Cord-Blood” industry and has been growing at a rate of 25%/year. Recently, it was discovered that powerful Stem Cells can be found in a child’s first set of teeth and also in wisdom teeth. These Dental Stem Cells have the ability to grow cartilage, cardiovascular tissue, dental tissue bone, and even neural cells. This has created an unprecedented new opportunity to provide Stem Cell banking services to families, especially those who might not have taken the opportunity to store umbilical cord blood at birth. Provia uses Cryogenic technology to culture, verify and preserve stem cells that are harvested from a child’s ‘milk teeth’ for future, personalised, regenerative therapies. The Store-a-Tooth concept is similar to the cord blood stem cell banking services from other companies like Viacord and Cord Blood Registry – both based in the United States. The difference is that these cells can be potentially used for a much wider range of therapies and even for the own child, where in Cord blood it usually cannot. Given the above, why has biomed not lived up to its promise? Wolf is of the firm opinion that the most glaring reason is because of a dearth of management skills, rather than any problem with the technology itself. Of course, these companies often lack capital and the time to engage in an adequate research and see out the often extended approval cycle by regulatory agencies, like the FDA. “Although the people working in biomed are incredibly gifted and they have the best interests of the numerous donors and those requiring stem cell therapy at heart, the fact of the matter is that these people lack the essential business skills to successfully bring these products to market. We have seen time after time, incredible projects brought to us by scientists and other similarly gifted individuals, which we passed on simply because, at the end of the day, a business is in the business of making money; no matter what the field,” says Wolf.” The Dental Stem Cell research market is today delivering results. These cells, unlike the cells harvested from umbilical blood have recently demonstrated the ability to produce pancreatic-like islet cells that can produce insulin – a huge leap forward which holds the promise of enhanced treatment for diabetes. Unlike cord blood the Dental Stem Cells can grow into large enough volumes to treat adults, and can be collected numerous times - a telling advantage for the treatment of adult ailments.