Universal-Investment Group enters the Irish fund market

17.12.2020

Universal-Investment Group, the largest independent fund service platform in the German-speaking region, has strengthened its market position as a European fund service platform with the acquisition of Metzler Ireland Limited.

For Universal-Investment, this is another milestone on the way to achieving its goal of becoming the leading European fund service platform and management company for all asset classes by 2023.  Ireland is an important launch venue for the European investment industry and will become Universal-Investment’s third fund service hub alongside Germany and Luxembourg.

The acquisition of Metzler’s Irish fund management company is part of Universal-Investment’s long-term growth strategy: in the last financial year ending 30 September 2020, assets under management rose over 25 percent to approximately EUR 600 billion. Following the acquisition of the IT specialist UI Labs in 2019 and the online investment community CAPinside in the summer of 2020, this is now the third acquisition in the past two years. Universal-Investment also recently launched Enlyte, one of the world’s first investment platforms for digital assets.

“Our clients will benefit from the high service quality offered by Universal-Investment Group.”

Gerhard Wiesheu, Metzler partner responsible for asset management

“The acquisition of Metzler Ireland Limited is part of Universal-Investment Group’s strategy of investing not only in organic growth and digital transformation but also in the company’s internationalisation.”

Michael Reinhard, CEO, Universal-Investment Group

“In the future and additional to our fund platforms in Germany, Luxembourg, and our location in Krakow, we will also be present as a high-quality provider in Dublin, offering asset managers and institutional investors our structuring, management company, administration, and risk management services for all asset classes.

Katja Müller, Chief Customer Officer, Universal-Investment Group

“As such, we’re one of the few providers active both as a fund administrator and management company at Europe’s three leading fund hubs. Our customers, business partners, and Universal-Investment Group’s employees will benefit from this in the long term,”

Katja Müller, Chief Customer Officer, Universal-Investment Group

Universal press release