of hedge funds more accessible to the general public.

A division of Bermuda-based HedgeWorld Limited, HedgeWorld.com plans to launch the first online supermarket for hedge funds in the first quarter of next year.

HedgeWorld's FundSelect platform promises to provide investors with a solution to buy and sell hedge funds online.

According to the company, the supermarket will offer access to more US and non-US hedge funds than has ever been previously available in one website.

In addition to providing seamless access to third-party offerings, the supermarket also will provide accredited investors with advanced analytical tools and unique ancillary services and solutions designed to meet the needs of accredited investors and their intermediaries, regardless of their level of sophistication.

"The development of HedgeWorld FundSelect(SM) is a direct result of the structural supply and demand constraints that face the industry today,'' said Johann Wong, president of HedgeWorld.com.

"Within the global asset management industry, the hedge fund marketplace is often described as fragmented and highly inefficient,'' he continued.

HedgeWorld plans website "We will leverage off of our existing market leadership position in content creation, content aggregation and industry specific electronic commerce initiatives to provide a total investor solution.'' Recognising that the tools needed to make investment decisions for each market participant are inadequate in the hedge fund industry today, HedgeWorld.com will offer accredited investors access to the secure, password-protected HedgeWorld FundSelect(SM) platform, making it easier and more cost-effective to conduct research and due diligence on managers, as well as provide an ability to buy and sell hedge fund products directly online.

"This model has enjoyed extraordinary visibility and has successful parallells in the mutual fund industry,'' said Steven Vestbirk and Jeff Joseph,co-managing directors of FITX Capital Markets, the financial services affiliate of HedgeWorld.com.

" Many mutual fund supermarkets exist today that provide a combination of a funds trading platform with the necessary fund performance information and screening tools which allow investors to buy and sell funds directly online.'' Hedge for all: Johann Wong