True Wealth: On the road to success for five years

Proven process, rethought

When you become a client with us, we first assess your risk tolerance. This results in your investment mix, diversified according to asset classes and individual instruments. This is how you are used to investment advice. True Wealth is no different – but it's completely online and totally transparent.

With banks, you traditionally had to talk to an advisor. With us, that's not necessary. Not even if you want to adjust the investment proposal in detail. We do that online too. Our system then executes all trades automatically: From the initial creation of the portfolio to rebalancing.

It was clear from the outset that we wanted to offer you a tried-and-tested investment solution – only much cheaper. This means that we must never set up cumbersome structures. We must be able to automate all processes. We wanted to think consistently online and offer you, the customer, the best possible experience: Convenient. Easy to understand. And easy to use.

Founded with attitude

It's actually quite obvious when you know where we come from. My co-founder Oliver Herren comes from an e-commerce background. He helped make Digitec and Galaxus the largest online store in Switzerland. After selling some shares to Migros, he would have had a need for private banking – but expected a fully digital solution. However, this did not yet exist on the market at the time.

I myself worked there for a long time before True Wealth: at banks and other asset managers. There, too, everyone only cooks with water. So I know that good performance can also be achieved in a much leaner way. Especially if you cleverly automate scientifically sound passive investment strategies and focus on selecting safe and cost-efficient instruments.

Growth with direct clients

Since our launch in 2014, we have grown rapidly year-on-year with True Wealth. Especially in the big cities. However, our digital solution has also attracted new customers in smaller towns and rural areas right from the start. And across all regions, not just in German-speaking Switzerland, but also in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. Because, of course, online is everywhere.

Today, over 3'000 people have their assets managed by us – a total of over 200 million Swiss francs. Not only because satisfied clients are investing more and more of their assets with us. But also because new clients are constantly joining us. Such growth is only possible with strong partners. We would like to thank our custodian banks Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank and Saxo Bank (Switzerland) and look forward to further growth together. And here you can see in more detail who our clients are.

These 3'000 are only our direct clients: People who have concluded an asset management mandate directly with True Wealth. However, many more people in Switzerland are now benefiting from our pioneering services.

Success model for banks too

When we launched, we were still aimed exclusively at end clients. Back then, the young fintech sector was an alternative to banks. Today, fintech is firmly established and banks are keenly interested. No wonder: progress should not be an alternative to them. Technology can also lead them to success – and of course their customers.

BLKB and True Wealth therefore decided on a strategic partnership in 2016 – thanks in part to the latter's support as an investor, we were able to accelerate our growth at True Wealth even further and establish a second business area: cooperation with other banks that also want to rely on our platform. After a project lead time of just nine months, BLKB is the first bank to go live with its robo-advisor based on our technology: it has been offering its customers the investment solution under the name Digifolio since July 2017.

Soon also internationally

It was clear from the outset that the partnership with BLKB would not be the only one. We deliberately designed the interface to be open and developed standard interfaces for Finnova and Avaloq – the two leading software solutions for banks.

This allows us to offer many banks a robo-advisor. Since June 2019, customers of Regiobank Solothurn have also been able to benefit from effective and transparent wealth management. Several other Swiss banks are waiting in the wings.

This concept is not only popular in Switzerland. Together with a large banking group, we are currently working on offering online wealth management in numerous European countries as well – we could be ready as early as 2020.

Sustainable growth

It was clear to us: we want growth. And we can't do that with just two people. So our team has grown steadily – into a colorful mix of bankers with a passion for innovation and techies with a love of finance. Today, just five years after the start, there are already 16 people on the team.

Soon there will be even more. At the end of 2019, six new positions were advertised at True Wealth: a regulatory manager and five more software developers. The direction is clear. Our growth should be sustainable and long-term. The best way to achieve this is through our own efforts.

One technology, many investment strategies

Only if we remain lean can we offer you our solution in an easy-to-use and affordable way. That's why we offer exactly the same technology for everyone. There is only more choice where it makes sense – for your individual investment strategy.

We started out with just a single investment universe. We covered all relevant markets globally with low-cost exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Since October 2018, we have also offered you a sustainable investment universe to choose from. In this, you only invest in ETFs that meet the strict SRI criteria in terms of sustainability.

You will find other investment strategies at our partner banks. We deliberately allow our B2B partners to decide the strategy and the funds in their customers' portfolios.

Testing without real money

We are convinced that everyone benefits from professional asset management that is efficient, intuitive, and transparent. That's why we'd be delighted if you're already on board. And if not, you should definitely try us out.

With us, you can take care of everything online – without having to forego personal contact. Because if you want, we are also there for you on the phone.

See for yourself – you can try everything out at your leisure. With a test account, even without investing a franc of your own money.