Apiax

Founded in 2017, Apiax is a regulatory technology (RegTech) firm that originated in Zurich, Switzerland, with the objective of making compliance with complex financial regulations more accessible and efficient. The company was established by a team with deep roots in the legal, financial, and technology sectors: Ralf Huber, Nicolas Blanchard, Thomas S. V. D. H., and Philip Schoch. Their collective experience within major financial institutions and legal firms revealed the significant challenges and costs associated with navigating the intricate web of cross-border and product-related regulations, which inspired the creation of a technology-driven solution.

Apiax has developed a platform that provides what it terms 'Embedded Compliance'. This solution digitizes legal and regulatory knowledge, transforming it into machine-readable rules that can be easily integrated into existing banking systems and business applications through an API. The core function of the business is to give financial institutions, from large international banks to smaller FinTechs, real-time, actionable answers to their compliance questions directly within their workflows. This eliminates the need for employees to manually consult dense legal documents or wait for legal opinions, thereby increasing operational efficiency and reducing compliance risk. The company's business model is primarily B2B, generating revenue by providing access to its platform and extensive library of digital compliance rules, which are maintained in collaboration with legal and regulatory experts.

The company’s product suite allows for the creation of digital regulations concerning cross-border activities, product distribution, and tax implications. These rules can be embedded into various client-facing and internal systems, such as CRM platforms, e-banking portals, and wealth management tools. A key benefit is the ability for financial professionals to verify in real-time whether a specific action, like marketing a financial product to a client in another country, is permissible. The platform provides clear yes/no answers or specific guidance, streamlining decision-making processes. Significant milestones for the company include its expansion into major financial hubs like London, Lisbon, and Singapore, securing several rounds of funding from investors, and forming strategic partnerships with leading legal firms and financial technology providers.

Keywords: RegTech, compliance automation, financial regulation, embedded compliance, digital rules engine, cross-border compliance, API, legal technology, risk management, financial services