HANetf, Europe’s first independent ‘white-label’ UCITS ETF platform, has completed its second oversubscribed funding round, bringing on a number of experienced industry figures.

This latest fundraise brings on board ThirdStream Partners, whose team led the world’s largest quantitative investment management firm, Barclays Global Investors (BGI)/iShares and includes BGI’s ex-CEO Blake Grossman, founder of ETF.com Jim Wiandt, and Roger Hodenius, co-founder of liquidity provider Flow Traders.

These new investors will join existing shareholders Point72 Ventures, owned by Steve Cohen, and Elkstone, a leading family office based in Ireland.

Following the first successful fundraise in December 2017, this latest round is aimed at taking advantage of current growth prospects and to expedite the development and growth of HANetf’s platform including sales, distribution, product management, marketing and PR. HANetf expects to increase staff numbers by nearly 50% in 2019 and add around 10-15 ETFs per annum.

The news comes as HANetf undergoes a rebrand and launches a new website, looking to accelerate its growth in 2019. The new brand is testament to the growth of the business and the team since it launched in late 2017, and HANetf believes it is the next step in helping add further ETFs to the platform.

2018 saw HANetf launch its first three ETFs (EMQQ Emerging Markets Internet and Ecommerce ETF, HAN-GINS Cloud Technology ETF and HAN-GINS Global Innovative Technology ETF) on three major markets in London, Italy and Germany.

HANetf provides the complete technical, regulatory and distribution infrastructure needed to successfully launch and manage UCITS ETFs without asset managers having to develop inhouse infrastructure or incur a substantial cost base.

Nik Bienkowski, founder and co-CEO of HANetf, said: “2018 was a milestone year for HANetf, and the European asset management as a whole. By launching Europe’s first ‘white labelled’ ETF, and following it up with a further two, highlights the desire from asset managers to enter the market, and an understanding of the benefits ETFs bring.

“We are delighted to have completed another oversubscribed funding round, and to bring on some investors with significant expertise in the industry. Along with our rebrand, this is an incredible exciting time for HANetf. We expect 2019 to be another fruitful year for the industry and with demand increasing, we fully expect more businesses to be considering a move towards ETFs and the European market.”

Blake Grossman, Managing Member of ThirdStream Partners, added: “We have been greatly impressed by what HANetf has delivered in a relatively short span of time. Nik and Hector [McNeil] have deep and proven expertise in the European ETF industry, and have been major contributors to its growth and success. We believe the opportunity that HANetf presents to asset managers who want to grow in the current environment is compelling, and we are excited to be working with the executive team and the other shareholders.”

Source: HANetf