What is Token Planet: How Startup Equity Is Tokenised Under a Compliant Framework
Token Planet is a startup equity tokenisation issuance arrangement launched by EX.IO Group. Its positioning: the equity of early-stage companies, on the premise of complying with Hong Kong rules, is packaged into RWAs that can be issued to Professional Investors, with circulation on licensed virtual asset trading platforms being explored.
It is not another “Launchpad open to anyone”, nor a trading zone for already-listed stocks. It addresses the two most painful stages of traditional venture capital — the cost of screening projects, and investors being locked in for years without being able to exit.
Understanding what it does in three steps
1. Projects come in.
Founding teams submit materials on the team, the model, the market and the fundraising.
2. AI pre-screening and matching.
The platform integrates EX.IO Group’s AI community assistant (publicly introduced as Samantha), using voice interviews and other means to carry out initial assessment and investor matching. The public description is that it turns a large volume of manual initial screening into scalable front-end filtering, and excludes projects whose business models or regulatory pathways are clearly immature.
3. Demo Day and subsequent issuance.
Projects that pass pre-screening present to Professional Investors. After investors express interest, any subsequent issuance would need to leverage the securities dealing and VATP capabilities of the licensed institutions to complete tokenisation and listing within the permitted scope. In an interview with Ming Pao, EX.IO Deputy Chief Executive Toya Zhang said that the first batch of tokenised RWA equities was at the time expected to be issued and begin trading in September 2026; whether they have in fact been listed is as per the then-current official announcements.
The inaugural Demo Day: what has happened
On 8 July 2026, Token Planet held its inaugural Demo Day (online). Public disclosures include:
– Approximately 9 to 10 pre-screened projects presented, covering industries including AI, DeFi and healthcare
– Investors in attendance included Waterdrip Capital, CAI Corp. and others
– Expressions of interest after the presentations were non-binding and do not amount to completed subscriptions
A successfully held Demo Day and “tokens already trading continuously on the secondary market” are two separate things, separated by regulatory approvals and legal documentation.
The venture capital problems it seeks to solve
Traditional early-stage equity:
– Investors are locked in for 6 to 10 years
– Transfers require company consent and pre-emption rights (right of first refusal/second refusal), with layers of restriction under the shareholders’ agreement
– Valuations are discontinuous, and exits depend on the next round or an IPO
Token Planet’s proposition is: place early-stage equity into a tokenised structure that can be transferred compliantly, so that Professional Investors can see secondary liquidity on a licensed venue, without necessarily interrupting the company’s future path to an IPO. Legally, this depends heavily on whether the structure properly handles the existing shareholders’ agreement and securities law exemptions.
Who can participate
Public materials repeatedly state Professional Investors only, and subject to the relevant approvals. Founder applications and investor subscriptions are two separate qualification tracks:
– Project teams: must be able to provide company documents that can be subjected to due diligence, and accept tokenisation fees and listing review
– Investors: must satisfy the Hong Kong definition of Professional Investor, and complete account opening and suitability procedures on the licensed platform
Public statements cited by Ming Pao include: platform registration and the application process are free; pre-issuance costs are on the order of approximately US$100,000; and the listing fee is priced under the review arrangement. Those figures reflect the interview at the time and are subject to the formal issuance documents.
What Token Planet is not
– It is not a guarantee that every project presented at the Demo Day will be listed
– It is not an “IPO subscription” open to retail investors
– It is not a mechanism that automatically turns a company’s valuation into secondary liquidity
– It is not a magic substitute for the Companies Registry or the register of members
Relationship with EX.IO
Token Planet’s circulation layer is designed around the Type 1 and VATP capabilities of EX.IO (EXIO Limited, BUT670), a licensed Hong Kong platform. Without licensed distribution and a trading venue, equity tokenisation is nothing more than an on-chain commemorative badge. And with a licensed venue, neither does every Demo Day project automatically become a tradable security — legal structuring, disclosure and regulatory approvals still stand in between.
FAQ
Q: Can general investors buy startup tokens on Token Planet?
A: Public materials show that it is aimed at Professional Investors and is subject to the relevant approvals. Retail investors should not assume they can participate.
Q: If I voted at the Demo Day, does that mean I have bought in?
A: No. The letters of intent described in the public statements are non-binding; issuance and listing are subsequent steps.
Q: After tokenisation, can the company still go for an IPO?
A: The platform publicly maintains that the two are not necessarily in conflict, but it depends on the shareholders’ agreement, the share exchange mechanism and the rules of the listing venue. This is a legal question, not a marketing one.
Q: When is the next Demo Day?
A: As per the official announcements of Token Planet and EX.IO.
Disclaimer
Arrangements related to Token Planet are for Professional Investors only and are subject to the relevant regulatory approvals. This article does not constitute an offer of, or investment advice on, any startup project or token. Early-stage equity may be wholly lost and may remain untransferable for a long period.