The latest product and service offerings, including funds, in the wealth and asset management sector.

Union Bancaire Privée
Union Bancaire Privée, the Geneva-based private bank, has launched the UBAM – Biodiversity Restoration fund.

UBAM – Biodiversity Restoration aims at identifying and investing in the solution providers that, through their products and supply chains, protect and restore species and natural habitats on the planet, the Swiss firm said. The new fund is the third fund launched on UBP’s impact investing platform. 

This global portfolio holds 45 to 55 stocks of all market capitalisations, and invests in seven industrial areas such as the sustainable management of natural resources, green cities and sustainable food production. The strategy will follow the same selection process and engagement approach that UBP applies to its other impact funds.

The fund is co-managed by Victoria Leggett, head of impact investing, Charlie Anniss, senior portfolio manager and Adrien Cambonie, fund manager and impact analyst.

UBP has teamed up with the Cambridge Conservation Initiative and the Peace Parks Foundation, and will invest a quarter of the management fee directly in their on-the-ground conservation and academic and policymaking skills. 

The bank has also added a new biodiversity committee to its impact team’s oversight structure. Chaired by Tony Juniper (chair of Nature England and executive director for Advocacy and Campaigns for WWF-UK) and supported by members of our two partner NGOs, this group will provide the investment team with strategic guidance and set out clear biodiversity objectives and performance indicators. The committee will report to the existing Impact advisory board.

The fund is registered in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

UBP is one of Switzerland’s leading private banks, and is amongst the best-capitalised, with a Tier 1 ratio of 25.3 per cent. The bank, which specialises in the field of wealth management for both private and institutional clients, employs 1,808 people in over twenty locations worldwide, and holds CHF 161.1 billion in assets under management (all figures as at 30 June 2021).

VP Bank, Utopia Music
Liechtenstein-based VP Bank is investing in the music industry, teaming up with a Switzerland-based fintech business called Utopia Music.

VP Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding with Utopia Music, building an “investment solution [which] is expected to achieve a high level of diversification in combination with a low probability of default and the lowest possible correlation with other investments,” the bank said.

The partnership offers investors an opportunity to invest in an asset with an “attractive risk/return profile,” the bank continued, while creators are given the means to produce new music more quickly.

VP Bank said it is expanding its services in the ORBIT ecosystem – an open investment and structuring platform that connects participants with carefully curated private market products.

Professional investors will gain new access to the service sector of the music industry. ORBIT is part of VP Bank’s open wealth strategy, which combines traditional banking with the benefits of digital ecosystems.

Wealthface
Wealthface, an investment management firm licensed in the United Arab Emirates as well as the US, is launching its Invest App for clients in the US and Middle East. 

The App is available on Android and IOS, the firm said in a statement. 

The firm offers a blend of investment options, fintech, and professional human expertise. It is licensed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and Abu Dhabi Global Market's Financial Services Regulatory Authority. 

The Wealthface platform offers investors different accounts related to their financial objectives such as “retirement”, “education”, “building wealth” and multiple selections of portfolios based on the client risk level. 

“We have made sure to develop something simple, safe, and easy to use, so that any user can open an account within minutes and start investing at a low cost. We exist to solve the problems that users have faced for many years and make sure to create awareness and education for investors during their investment journey,” Bilal Majbour, founder and chief executive of Wealthface, said.

Wealthface, founded in 2018, recently announced its new product, Face X. This came in response to user demand for more accessible and smoother transfer services, allowing local free transfers in AED, without wire transfer charges or any transfer fees.

The company has a proprietary robo-advice platform.