Pierre-Adrien Domon (Fund Channel): Diving into a New World of Fund Distribution

Pierre-Adrien Domon, CEO of Fund Channel – a pure fund distribution business - explains that the increasing complexity and competition in fund distribution is leading clients to seek platform solutions that go beyond traditional offerings. He states that Fund Channel’s recently launched platform DIVER is a technological leap that offers cutting-edge solutions and streamlines workflows significantly, improving operational efficiency.

Can you describe Fund Channel in a few words?

Fund Channel is a regulated B2B fund distribution platform. We have facilitated the distribution of investment products from asset managers to distributors since 2005.

Our mission is to provide asset managers and distributors with access to the largest number of investment products (funds, ETFs, private assets in particular) while ensuring the greatest operational efficiency at the least cost with the highest regulatory and technological standards.

How have the last few years been?

We have built a marketplace ecosystem to which 600 asset managers and more than 100 distributors have access. Fund Channel operates in a dozen countries in Europe and Asia. We currently have €401 billion of assets under intermediation. Our clients benefit from our expertise along the full value chain, from fund data access to streamlined distribution services, market intelligence, diverse investment solutions to simplified fund dealing and custody services. In 2022 and 2023, we were ranked Best B2B Distribution Platform in Europe as well as being highly rated for our quality of service. *Source Platforum Survey.

What are the trends in European fund distribution?

European platforms have dramatically increased their share of retail fund distribution in Europe over the past five years: they now control over a quarter of European Fund AUM, reaching €3.6 trillion in 2022. Asset management demands grow on the institutional platforms’ offerings with the necessity for streamlined processes, enhanced efficiency, and a comprehensive approach to fund distribution. Clients seek solutions that go beyond traditional offerings due to the increasing complexity and competition.

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Capture d’écran 2024-04-17 à 17.35_edite

“Our new platform DIVER is a strategic move to reassert Fund Channel's leadership”

What have been the more recent changes on your shareholders?

CACEIS has joined last year and together with Amundi, they act not only as our two largest shareholders but create a unique offering on the market. It enables Fund Channel to be the preferred platform on the open architecture market, combining services, technology, fund execution and identifying new, powerful distribution trends to reach our goals of €600bn of assets by 2025.

How will DIVER your new platform give Fund Channel a competitive edge?

Our platform seeks to meet the evolving needs of clients. Our new DIVER platform is a strategic move to reassert Fund Channel's leadership in facilitating investment product distribution. Our services cover five areas: data, custody, distribution, investment solutions, and market intelligence. Launched in February 2024 our new digitalized and automated DIVER platform offers an enhanced standard of these services. DIVER’s user-friendly interface provides a “one-stop-shop," cutting-edge solution to these activities.

Through Diver there are three main points I would like to highlight expertise, marketplace and security:

we assemble the expertise of the group and also third parties’ that are recognized for their excellence. By joining forces, we create a stronger offer comparted to what the industry currently offers.
we provide a marketplace approach with a unique customer journey and off the shelf solutions.
we offer a very secure framework from one of the largest European banking group. It combines with a complete and evolving approach by means of APIs and white-label solutions.

Diver is the cornerstone of our transformation journey to meet our clients’ increasingly complex business, investment, and regulatory requirements.