The UK’s first digital wealth manager, Nutmeg, closed the first quarter of 2021 with over GBP3 billion in assets and a client base of over 130,000 UK investors.
The figures represent a 72 per cent year-on-year growth in assets and a 53 per cent increase in clients. The year-on-year increase in net inflows stands at 230 per cent and revenue growth grew at 66 per cent as the business moves towards being profitable. Nutmeg uses ETFs for its investments.
Neil Alexander, chief executive officer, Nutmeg, says: “While the last year has been financially difficult for many people, we have also seen many new and existing clients who have been fortunate enough to have more disposable income as a result of reduced expenditure on leisure, hospitality, commuting and holidays.
“With interest rates at historically low levels and looking set to stay there for the foreseeable future, many people have either turned to investing for the first time or increased the amount they invest. Nutmeg has been a beneficiary of this shift, welcoming tens of thousands of seasoned investors wanting to take advantage of a digital-first wealth management service, along with first-time investors looking for the support they receive from our wealth services team in helping them to achieve their financial goals.
“Surpassing GBP3 billion in AUM and managing investments for over 130,000 people is a significant milestone, for both us and the sector as a whole. Prior to the pandemic, many financial services and investment brands were still looking at how they would integrate technology into their business, whereas for us, it has always been a core pillar of our business.
“And, as the adoption of financial technology to help people better manage their day-to-day finances has accelerated in the past year, we’ve been able to lead the way in the investment industry. During the last year we’ve launched integrations with Starling Bank, Yolt, Emma and Money Dashboard enabling clients to see their Nutmeg investments alongside their other accounts. We were the first wealth manager to facilitate account top-ups via Open Banking payments, making it faster for clients to invest their money in the markets.
“With the FCA recently cautioning investors about the high risks associated with speculative short-term stock-picking – as highlighted by the meme stocks phenomenon – and the volatility of cryptoassets, we continue to work hard to make sure that investors don’t lose sight of longer-term financial goals and the investment strategies that will allow them to achieve these.”