UK-based financial services provider Apex Group and BITE Investments, a Fintech company providing high net worth investors ("HNWIs") access to alternative investments, today announced the launch of a partnership to deliver enhanced solutions to the Asian asset management market.
BITE provides high net worth investors access to alternative asset funds and their underlying, direct co-investment opportunities, in smaller more manageable sized amounts and has recently closed a pre-Series A Funding Round backed by Apex.
The BITE solution was developed in response to demand from HNWIs who are typically "under-allocated" to alternative asset classes including private equity, despite the class historically outperforming the S&P 500, particularly during "bear markets."
Apex delivers a single-source solution covering the full spectrum of financial services products to asset managers, capital markets and private clients via over 45 offices and 3,500 employees worldwide.
Apex' partnership with BITE provides an offering for Chinese and other Asian investors globally, and those across the broader APAC region, to build an USD Alternatives investment portfolio, according to the announcement.
Shift towards online wealth management
The collaboration supports the market trend of a shift by HNWIs towards online wealth management solutions and diversification of their investment portfolio using alternative assets which has been underway in recent years and is being accelerated by the current market environment.
"The opportunity to partner with BITE comes at an ideal time for Apex as we focus our APAC strategy on addressing this underserved space and market opportunity. The combination of our fund, financial and corporate services and longstanding presence in the region, enables us to partner with BITE to provide a technology enabled distribution platform to build Asia's premium online alternatives investment platform for high net worth investors,” Peter Hughes, founder and CEO of Apex Group said in a statement.
"We look forward to working with William and their experienced management team who bring and excellent track record of building and running fintech and financial services firms," he added.
William Rudebeck, founder and CEO of BITE Investments noted that there are many financial 'supermarkets' for high net worth individuals in Asia, but no truly dedicated, trusted, online source of premium alternative investments, and yet, given the performance of some alternative investments, BITE sees huge demand for such a platform.
