
Arete Ethik
Ethical and sustainable asset management and investment services.
Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
---|---|---|---|
* | N/A | Early VC | |
Total Funding | 000k |
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Arete Ethik Invest AG is an independent, owner-managed asset management boutique located in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 1995 as Dr. Höller Vermögensverwaltung, the firm has established itself as a pioneer in ethical and sustainable investment in Switzerland and the broader DACH region. A significant milestone occurred in 2021 when a management buy-out allowed the company to become fully independent, rebranding to Arete Ethik Invest AG. In 2024, a strategic partnership was formed with Thurgauer Kantonalbank, which acquired a minority stake to strengthen the firm's position in Switzerland.
The company provides specialized wealth management services to a diverse client base that includes private individuals, institutional investors, charitable foundations, and non-profit organizations (NPOs). For institutional clients such as pension funds and insurance companies, Arete Ethik offers solutions for managing multi-asset or single-asset portfolios and advises on navigating regulatory requirements like the EU's SFDR. For private clients, services include portfolio and risk analysis, investment strategy advice, and asset management tailored to individual goals. The business model centers on providing these asset management and advisory services, generating revenue from fees on managed assets and financial planning.
Arete Ethik's investment philosophy is distinguished by a rigorous, two-tiered ethical screening process. The firm employs clearly defined negative exclusion criteria, avoiding investments in companies or countries involved with human rights violations, corruption, environmental destruction, or controversial technologies like nuclear fission. Following the exclusion screening, an in-house ethics research team conducts a positive analysis using a proprietary method that evaluates companies from five ethical and ecological perspectives. This process is overseen by an independent Ethics Committee which has the authority to veto any investment, ensuring that all portfolio holdings align with the firm's strict ethical and sustainability standards. The firm offers actively managed multi-asset funds, such as the PRIME VALUES Income and PRIME VALUES Growth funds, which have different equity allocations to suit varying risk appetites.
Keywords: ethical investment, sustainable asset management, wealth management, institutional investors, private wealth, responsible investing, ESG, portfolio management, Swiss finance, DACH region, financial planning, asset management boutique, impact investing, NPO investment, foundation asset management, PRIME VALUES funds, investment screening, regulatory compliance, corporate social responsibility, sustainable finance