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Staybrook, a newly formed hedge fund with directors from corporate backgrounds, needed to move fast. They came through a long-standing director relationship and needed a foundation that could scale: from startup to FCA regulation. AppSphere delivered a two-phase digital transformation in 3 weeks: Phase 1 built a structured Microsoft 365 foundation the founders knew well. Phase 2 made them FCA-ready, meeting technical requirements from investors and external bodies. We took them from fragmented startup operations to a corporate setup with SME flexibility, including custom backup/encryption solutions, business continuity planning, and a complete wiki of processes positioning them for a future buy-out.
As a newly formed hedge fund, the directors of Staybrook (all from corporate backgrounds) knew they could not operate like a scrappy startup; they needed corporate-grade infrastructure from day one. Phase 1 required a structured foundation that could grow with them. Phase 2 required FCA regulation readiness, meeting strict technical requirements from investors and external regulatory bodies. They were fragmented at the start, needed to move fast (3 weeks), and had specific custom requirements around backup and data encryption that standard setups could not address.
This was not a typical startup; it was corporate talent building a hedge fund that needed to scale quickly. The directors came through a long-standing relationship and trusted us to understand what "regulation-ready" actually meant. We needed to balance speed (3 weeks) with structure (corporate-grade systems), choose technology the founders knew well (Microsoft 365), and build in flexibility so they could operate like a dynamic SME while meeting corporate/regulatory standards. Custom backup and encryption workflows were non-negotiable for investor and FCA requirements. The business continuity plan was not just compliance theatre. It was about understanding external body requirements and translating them into operational reality. They also needed documentation (process wiki) that would position them well for a future buy-out.
AppSphere managed the entire digital transformation across two phases in 3 weeks. Phase 1: Built a structured Microsoft 365 and Entra ID foundation with SharePoint libraries designed for Funds, Assets, and Corporate departments, giving them corporate structure with SME flexibility. Phase 2: Made them FCA-ready by implementing custom backup and encryption solutions, structured onboarding/offboarding for regulatory compliance, company-wide email signatures, and security controls (MFA, HTTPS-only access, endpoint monitoring). We created a comprehensive business continuity plan by working directly with external bodies to understand their requirements. We built a complete wiki documenting all processes and workflows, positioning them for future buy-out due diligence. Finally, we helped them select the right ongoing support partner to maintain the foundation we built.
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