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After raising €4.8 million by fundraising and receiving almost a million euros in a grant from the Ministry of Economy, Investify, a German fintech-regtech, now expects to expand its activities and client base in Luxembourg. Photo: With this new financing, Investify aims to gain footing in Luxembourg, in addition to the German market / Credits © Shutterstock
Investify , a fintech-regtech specialized in digital solutions and expertise aimed at financial institutions “is intending to accelerate its growth and further expand its scope of services” in 2021, read its recent press release. The German-Luxembourgish company operates a SaaS-based platform that provides solutions to asset and fund management firms, such as strategy, product, fees,customer management, and support, in addition to portfolio and sales analysis. In order to meet its targets, the Cologne and Wasserbillig-based startup raised €4.8 million in December 2020, half of the funding being from existing shareholders and the rest from new investors. “At the same time, an existing shareholder converted a nominal € 800,000 from a bond into shares in the company. This means that Investify is now fully financed by equity,” said Christian Kratz, founder and managing director of the company. “When it comes to implementing pioneering end-to-end investment solutions which also directly minimize regulatory requirements, we are now the only game in town.”
With this new financing, Investify aims to gain footing in Luxembourg, in addition to the German market. Last November, in order to increase its presence in the Grand Duchy region, the company took on Georges Bock , former CEO of KPMG and current CSO of Governance.com, as a board member. The company secured an additional € 800,000 in funding in 2020, which was granted by Luxembourg’s Ministry of Economy, as part of the Young Innovative Enterprise innovation advancement program. The Fintech added that it increased the number of its B2B customers last year, with a client portfolio including financial institutions, a technology provider , and a finance and consumer portal, all based in Germany. “When it comes to implementing pioneering end-to-end investment solutions which also directly minimize regulatory requirements, we are now the only game in town,” claimed Harald Brock, one of the managing directors of the company. Launched in 2015, Investify TECH positions itself as an innovative financial technology and regulatory provider that helps digitize the investment business of its B2B partners. Initially based in the Technoport, the company recently moved its Luxembourg office closer to the German border. Share

With €5.6 Million Secured In Funding, What’s Next For Investify?

Georges Bock To Join Investify’s Management Board
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Photo: Georges Bock gives back to regtech companies / Credits © investify TECH
investify TECH , a Luxembourg-based technology and regulatory service provider, has appointed Georges Bock as a member of its board of directors. The former CEO of KPMG Luxembourg and now Chief Strategy Officer of Governance.com is expected to further increase investify’s RegTech expertise and help the company to expand its B2B activities. “Georges Bock will not only move us forward in terms of content, but will also help us to become stronger and solidify our roots in Luxembourg,” the company said in a press release. The appointment still needs the approval of Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), Luxembourg’s financial regulator. Bock will remain Chief Strategy Officer at Governance.com. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Wasserbillig at the German-Luxembourg border, investify provides technology and regulatory services and operates a branch in Cologne with a representative in Austria. It focuses on digital asset management, robo advisory, investment advice and saving tools. The company serves banks, asset managers and insurers as well as finance portals and technology organizations based in Germany. Bock is expected to help investify expand within the Luxembourg market. Born in May 1968, he has worked for 27 years at KPMG Luxembourg holding positions ranging from head of tax and head of banking to managing director. In 2018, the Luxembourg-born independent director and entrepreneur was appointed chief strategist at Governance.com, a digital platform that specializes in business processes (see our article “ Georges Bock joins Governance.com “). He has been a supervisory board member at the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI) and at the Luxembourg Bankers Association (ABBL). Share

Georges Bock To Join Investify’s Management Board

Born2Invest
Investify and Aixigo team up with Sparda banks
B2B collaborations can reach many more end customers than the tedious and expensive B2C marketing. A cooperation between Investify and a second B2B fintech company (namely Aixigo from Aachen) with the core banking specialist Sopra Financial Technology (SFT) is to be announced this week. Sopra Financial Technology is the old SDV-IT, the former central IT service provider of the Sparda banks. 0
One of the many local Robo Advisors that never really took off is Investify. Although the German-Luxembourg fintech company always performs very well in comparative tests. However, that did not lead to a significant inflow of end customer money. “No statements” about the assets under management in the B2C sector, said managing director Harald Brock – industry experts doubt that the $118.6 million (€100 million) mark has already been broken. So last year followed what had to follow, namely the pivot. In other words, the pivot of the business model. Investify, the “Robo Advisor”, became Investify, the “Software and Regulatory Provider for Financials and Non-Financials.”
An act of desperation? Apparently not! Recently, Investify already attracted attention with two smaller B2B mandates . As a technology supplier, the startup is behind the new robotic solution of the financial portal Biallo as well as the digital asset management of the International Bankhaus Bodensee. Read more about the collaboration between Investify and Aixigo, and be the first to find the most important financial headlines of the day with the Born2Invest mobile app. These two rather microscopic collaborations are now followed by the first really exciting deal 
As Finanz-Szene.de found out in advance, a far-reaching cooperation between Investify and a second B2B Fintech (namely Aixigo from Aachen) with the core banking specialist Sopra Financial Technology (SFT) is to be announced this week. The accompanying announcement states that the consortium of Investify and Aixigo will equip SFT with “sales and processing lines for investment advice,” with “end-to-end solutions for asset management” as well as with special applications, for example on the subject of Riester. This may sound a bit cryptic. But it becomes immediately understandable, if one recalls who is behind said Sopra Financial Technology. Nuremberg-based Sopra Financial Technology is the old SDV-IT, the former central IT service provider of the Sparda banks. It is well known that the Sparda sector was broken in 2018/2019: Several large Sparda banks switched their IT to the cooperative Fiducia & GAD, while the remaining seven Sparda banks (these were Augsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Munich, Nuremberg, Eastern Bavaria and West) brought the old SDV-IT into a 49-51 joint venture with the French technology giant Sopra Steria. “For Sopra Steria, this cooperation offers excellent opportunities to expand our business in Germany and thus in an important, currently still very fragmented European core market. It is our declared goal to gain additional institutions from the German banking sector as customers with a modern and attractive range of products and services,” said Sopra Germany manager Eric Guyot at the time. B2B collaborations can reach a larger number of end customers than B2C marketing
Indeed, SFT is currently in the process of fundamentally modernizing the core banking system for the aforementioned Sparda banks. However, what Sopra technology is still missing, according to industry experts, is a module for digital investment solutions. And this is exactly what Investify/Aixigo is now coming up with. First of all, only for the seven Sparda banks mentioned. However, if one takes what Guyot said last year seriously, the Sopra/Sparda system will soon be promoted beyond the Sparda group. From Investify/Aixigo’s point of view, this sounds lucrative. After all, B2B collaborations can reach many more end customers than the tedious and expensive B2C marketing. However, there is also one truth to the story: if the Fintech robots do not reach the end customer directly, and not even indirectly via the banks, but only very indirectly via the core bank providers of banks, then their own share of the value creation necessarily remains manageable. Whether and how this pays off remains to be seen. For now, however, the pivot of Investify seems to have been successful. The own B2C offer still exists. But rather as a showcase. __
DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Born2Invest, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information. This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures . First published in finanz-szene.de , a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail. Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Born2Invest assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Born2Invest is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us.

Investify and Aixigo team up with Sparda banks

Von Heinz-Roger Dohms
Einer der vielen hiesigen Robo Advisor, die nie wirklich abhoben, ist Investify. Zwar schneidet das deutsch-luxemburgische Fintech in Vergleichstest immer sehr ordentlich ab. Zu einem signifikanten Zustrom von Endkundengeldern führte das aber nicht. Man mache „keine Angaben“ zu den Assets under Management im B2C-Bereich, sagt Geschäftsführer Harald Brock – Branchenkenner bezweifeln, dass die 100-Mio.-Euro-Marke schon durchbrochen ist. So folgte letztes Jahr, was folgen musste, nämlich der Pivot. Also der Dreh des Geschäftsmodells. Aus Investify, dem „Robo Advisor“, wurde Investify, der „Software- und Regulatorik-Provider für Financials and Non-Financials“. Eine Verzweiflungstat? Offenbar nicht! Zuletzt ließ Investify bereits mit zwei kleineren B2B-Mandaten aufhorchen. So steht das Startup als Technologielieferant hinter der neuen Robo-Lösung des Finanzportals Biallo genauso wie hinter der digitalen Vermögensverwaltung des Internationalen Bankhauses Bodensee. Diesen beiden eher mikroskopischen Kooperationen folgt nun der erste wirklich spannende Deal. Wie Finanz-Szene.de vorab erfuhr, soll diese Woche eine weitreichende Kooperation zwischen Investify und einem zweiten B2B-Fintech (nämlich Aixigo aus Aachen) mit dem Kernbank-Spezialisten Sopra Financial Technology (SFT) bekanntgegeben werden. In der zugehörigen Mitteilung heißt es, das Konsortium aus Investify und Aixigo statte SFT mit „Vertriebs- und Abwicklungsstrecken für die Anlageberatung“, mit „End-to-End-Lösungen für die Vermögensverwaltung“ sowie mit Spezialanwendungen etwa zum Thema Riester aus. Klingt vielleicht etwas kryptisch. Wird aber sogleich verständlich, wenn man sich in Erinnerung ruft, wer hinter besagter Sopra Financial Technology steht. Die in Nürnberg ansässige Sopra Financial Technology ist nämlich die alte SDV-IT, also der einstige zentrale IT-Dienstleister der Sparda-Banken. Bekanntlich war es 2018/2019 im Sparda-Sektor zum Bruch gekommen: Mehrere große Sparda-Banken wechselten mit ihrer IT zur genossenschaftlichen Fiducia & GAD, während die verbliebenen sieben Sparda-Banken (es handelte sich um Augsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Hessen, München, Nürnberg, Ostbayern und West) die alte SDV-IT in ein 49-51-Joint Venture mit dem französischen Technologiriesen Sopra Steria einbrachten. „Für Sopra Steria bietet diese Kooperation hervorragende Chancen, unser Geschäft in Deutschland und damit in einem wichtigen, derzeit noch sehr fragmentierten europäischen Kernmarkt auszuweiten. Unser erklärtes Ziel ist es, mit einem modernen und attraktiven Angebot weitere Institute aus dem deutschen Bankenmittelstand als Kunden zu gewinnen“, sagte der Sopra-Deutschland-Manager Eric Guyot damals. Tatsächlich ist die SFT momentan dabei, das Kernbankensystem für die genannten Sparda-Banken grundlegend zu modernisieren. Was der Sopra-Technologie allerdings noch fehle, sagen Branchenkenner, das sei ein Modul für digitale Investmentlösungen. Und genau das kommt nun also von Investify/Aixigo. Erst einmal nur für die genannten sieben Sparda-Banken. Wenn man allerdings ernst nimmt, was Guyot letztes Jahr sagte, dann soll das Sopra/Sparda-System demnächst über die Sparda-Gruppe hinaus promotet werden. Aus Sicht von Investify/Aixigo klingt das lukrativ, schließlich lassen sich über B2B-Kooperationen sehr viel mehr Endkunden erreichen  als in der mühsamen und teuren B2C-Vermarktung. Zur Wahrheit gehört allerdings auch: Wenn die Fintech-Robos den Endkunden nicht direkt erreichen und nicht einmal indirekt über die Banken, sondern nur noch sehr indirekt über die Kernbank-Anbieter von Banken, dann bleibt der eigene Anteil an der Wertschöpfung notwendigerweise überschaubar. Ob und wie sich das rechnet, wird sich zeigen. Fürs erste allerdings scheint der Pivot von Investify geglückt. Das eigene B2C-Angebot gibt es zwar immer noch. Aber eher als Showcase. NEWSLETTER

Investify soll digitale Beratung für Sparda-Banken bauen

Die Branche ist groß geworden und längst aus den Kinderschuhen heraus gewachsen. Es gibt so viele Unternehmen welche die Branche prägen aber nicht alle sind gleichermaßen bekannt. Wer sind eigentlich die Unternehmen, die den Klebstoff zwischen Finanzen und digitalen Technologien bilden? In unserer Reihe „Die Unternehmen der FinTech Branche“ geben wir Unternehmen oder Startups aus der Payment- und Banking-Industrie die Gelegenheit sich selber vorzustellen. investify S.A. Die investify Investment- und Regulatorik-Plattform bildet die Basis für kundenzentrierte Investmentlösungen. Zu den Kernprodukten von investify zählen
Digitale Vermögensverwaltungen und Robo Advisor
Anlageberatungs- und Execution-Only-Lösungen
Individualentwicklungen
Das gesamte Produktspektrum von investify TECH ist White-Label-fähig. Die Investmentlösungen unserer Partner werden aus Frontend-, Backend-, Algorithmen- und Regulatorik-Modulen entwickelt. Mit unserer Microservice-Architektur können wir ein Höchstmaß an Kundenzentrierung (Tayloring) auf Basis von erprobten Plattformstandards erzielen. Durch den Plattform- und durch den Software-as-a-Service-Ansatz (SaaS) können die Implementierungskosten und -risiken für unsere Partner deutlich reduziert werden. Zudem erhalten Kunden eine Lösung, die dauerhaft höchsten Ansprüchen gerecht wird. Das Leistungsspektrum von investify umfasst bei Bedarf alle Prozesse vom Onboarding bis zum Kundenservice. Zudem übernimmt investify bei Bedarf auch die regulatorischen Aufgaben und Funktionen. Hierdurch kann sich investify im Markt von reinen Softwarelieferanten deutlich abgrenzen. Zahlen und Fakten über investify
Vertriebskanal: B2B2C
Weitere Finanzierungen vorgesehen? : Noch unklar
„investify ist ein digitaler Vermögensverwalter und Robo Advisor und bietet individuelle ETF-Anlagestrategien angepasst an Profil- und Anlagethemen.“
Das Business Modell von investify
investify TECH wurde gegründet, um die aktuellen Herausforderungen im Investmentgeschäft technologiebasiert zu lösen. Zu den Kunden zählen renommierte Financials, wie Banken und Versicherungen etc., aber auch Non-Financials wie Finanzportale und Technologieunternehmen. investify übernimmt somit eine wichtige Aufgabe bei der Digitalisierung der Finanzwelt. Im Mittelpunkt steht das Streben, dass sich die Geldanlage gut anfühlen soll. Hierbei setzt investify sehr stark auf die Möglichkeit der Individualisierung. D. h. die angebotenen Investmentlösungen können – automatisiert – an die persönlichen Bedürfnisse des Endkunden angepasst werden (Mass- Customization-Ansatz). Dies führt zu:
Mehr Kundenzufriedenheit

Unternehmen der FinTech Branche:  investify S.A.

RWTH Aachen University

Cycos

PivotDesk

Morgenthaler Ventures

A category of financial technology that is digitizing & streamlining the delivery of wealth management. Included: Startups that offer technology-enabled tools for active and passive wealth management for retail investors and advisors. 

Wealth Tech

Track and capture company information and workflow.

Fintech

Grant

Investify is a robo-advisor that automatically invests the user's money based on their desired risk and investment interests.

Name	Work History	Title	Status
Christian Kratz		Founder, Managing Director	Current
Harald Brock	RWTH Aachen University	Managing Director	Current
Norman Volmer	Cycos	Managing Director	Current
Ansgar Wigger		Managing Director	Current
Rob Delwo	IBM, PivotDesk, and Morgenthaler Ventures	Founder, Chief Executive Officer	Former

Name	Christian Kratz	Harald Brock	Norman Volmer	Ansgar Wigger	Rob Delwo
Work History		RWTH Aachen University	Cycos		IBM, PivotDesk, and Morgenthaler Ventures
Title	Founder, Managing Director	Managing Director	Managing Director	Managing Director	Founder, Chief Executive Officer
Status	Current	Current	Current	Current	Former

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