Aquila sees itself as an all-in-one-solution. As an Aquila Partner, the services from the areas of Legal, Compliance & Risk, Fiduciary & Accounting as well as IT First Level Support are to be obtained as a package due to the regulatory group supervision concept. The Investment and Banking services can be added individually if desired and can also be obtained by independent asset managers outside the Aquila network.

Our 86 partner companies are all FINMA-licensed, independent asset management companies. Unlike other independent asset managers, Aquila's partner companies are not subject to a supervisory organization, but are directly supervised by FINMA as group companies of Aquila AG. Our partners currently serve over 6,500 clients domiciled in more than 80 countries, with a total volume of almost 20 billion AuM. booked with more than 90 custodian banks.

These are our partner companies.

There are several ways to become an Aquila Partner.

• Establishment of own independent asset management company

• Join the network with an already existing company 

• Becoming a partner in one of our operating Aquila Partner Companies

We are happy to support you in finding the suitable solution for you..

With over 20 years of experience, we support you every step of the way - from establishing the company and setting up a modern IT infrastructure, to FINMA approval and registration with various offices and insurance companies. We integrate you into our pension fund and professional liability insurance, depending on your needs, and register you with our ombudsman's office.

However, we are also happy to assist you if you would like to join one of our existing partner companies in the Aquila network as a new partner or employee.

At the end of 2022, FINMA's transitional period for submitting a license application for independent asset managers has expired. By law, as an existing independent asset manager, you should therefore already be licensed or have submitted a license application to FINMA.

Would you like to join a partner company of the Aquila network or are you looking for a successor for your business?

We will be happy to work with you to find the best solution for your specific situation.

This varies from case to case and takes approximately 3 - 4 months, depending on the complexity. Our legal and compliance team has unparalleled experience in the FINMA licensing process throughout Switzerland and has successfully applied for licenses for all our 89 partner companies. Moreover, the first ever FINMA licenses were granted to Aquila Partners.

Yes, of course, but the new regulatory requirements for the organization as well as the corresponding costs can represent a major challenge, especially for micro-enterprises. FINMA requires, among other things, the proper continuation of business operations at all times and a sustainable deputy solution. Aquila provides a FINMA-approved delegation agreement and can hereby guarantee the required continuation of business operations of one-person-companies.

Due to our personal relationship with our partner companies, we know who is generally interested in taking in new partners. Thanks to our experience, we also can assess between which partners a cooperation could work best. There is a high probability that one of the 89 partner companies with customers from more than 80 countries could be a good fit for you. We will guide you through all the necessary steps of onboarding into the company. As of the date you join, you will be a new member of the Aquila network and will immediately benefit from the full range of Aquila services and our group set-up.

The partner companies are affiliated with Aquila AG via a standardized franchise agreement and a 20 percent equity interest in the form of ordinary shares without dividend entitlement. In addition, Aquila provides a member of the management or extended management as a member of the board of directors in each partner company. These are regulatory requirements that the setup as a group entails. Thanks to the group setup, our partner companies benefit, among other things, from economies of scale, discounts and better conditions with the custodian banks and can rely on already established directives, processes and control systems.

As a Partner:in Aquila, you are entrepreneurially autonomous and act independently at all times. In terms of employment law, you are not affiliated with Aquila AG, but with your own company. You can concentrate on your core business, customer service and acquisition as well as asset management. We keep your back in the background with our services and ensure, among other things, that you always meet all regulatory requirements, which, for example, FINMA licensing entails. We keep an eye on the regulatory situation for you and consider it our responsibility to keep you up to date on relevant topics and opportunities in the industry.

No, Aquila Partner:in are directly supervised by FINMA after receiving your FINMA license and therefore do not have to join any supervisory organization (AO). The Aquila Group's audit firm is PwC. The supervisory audit procedures are identical to other independent asset managers licensed under FINIG. Our team accompanies the execution of the regulatory audit and relieves Aquila Partner:in accordingly. Thus, the costs for the audit are also included in the franchise fee. Our team sets the standards for compliance with the FIDLEG and money laundering regulations and assumes the functions of the money laundering office and compliance for the Aquila Partner:in.

From a regulatory perspective, you are required to have an adequate and lockable business office. Here we can support you if necessary. Furthermore, we have two nice meeting rooms available for you and your clients at Bahnhofstrasse 43, which are also covered by the franchise fee.

Aquila was founded over 20 years ago as a service platform for independent asset managers:in. Since 2012, the company has held a banking license. This entitles us to be the first CH custodian bank to offer banking services exclusively for independent asset managers:in, family offices and their clients. This means that we exclusively run an EAM Desk in the bank. Aquila AG and thus Aquila Bank are fully privately owned and offer the highest level of independence and security.

Yes, Aquila Bank is an expert in providing holistic support to independent asset managers and offers both our partner companies and established asset managers outside the Aquila Group the opportunity to use Aquila also as a custodian bank and to benefit from the expertise of our specialized banking team.

 Yes. Aquila Bank is an expert in providing holistic support to independent asset managers:in and offers both our partner companies and established asset managers outside the Aquila Group the opportunity to use Aquila as a custodian bank as well.

No, only in cooperation with an independent asset manager:in or a family office. Aquila Bank runs a pure EAM Desk.

Yes. Aquila Ltd., like every bank and investment firm in Switzerland, is obliged to join the self-regulation of banks for the purpose of safeguarding privileged deposits at Swiss branches, and is thus a member of esisuisse.

In the event of bankruptcy of a bank, the deposit protection system protects customers' credit balances up to CHF 100,000 from loss (according to the regulation in the law). These secured credit balances are paid out quickly. Balances at Aquila Ltd. are protected by the deposit protection system.

If several persons are joint holders of an account, this joint account is treated as its own separate customer in terms of security. If individual persons in such a joint account have their own separate customer relationship with the Bank, assets up to CHF 100,000 are also secured for this separate customer relationship.

Cash bonds deposited in the name of the depositor with the issuing bank are also considered deposits. At www.esisuisse.ch you will find all relevant information on the deposit insurance system.

Aquila AG's all-in-one solution offers independent asset management companies fast, reliable and uncomplicated support from a single source. Especially in the resource-intensive areas of legal, compliance & risk management (LCR), fiduciary & accounting and IT, we accompany you as a service provider and partner from the formation of the company, through the FINMA approval process, to the regulation of a company succession.

In addition, our Investments team will assist you with all investment related questions and concerns as needed, including providing trading ideas and investment strategies & managing the assets of private and institutional clients (portfolio management) as needed (or as part of continuing operations). Aquila Bank's team explicitly focuses on the comprehensive needs of independent asset managers:inside and, as a custodian bank, serves both Aquila partners and non-Aquila partners upon request.

According to the Financial Market Authority, the average processing time for a license application at FINMA has been 129 days to date (as of January 30, 2023). Our legal and compliance team has unparalleled experience in the FINMA licensing process throughout Switzerland and has already successfully applied for or received licenses for 86 companies. The first ever FINMA licenses were granted to Aquila Partnerships.

Our legal team supports and advises you in various legal matters, especially in stock corporation, corporate, contract and employment law. We provide you with sample contracts and forms and help you draft or review individual contracts related to the conduct of your business.

The Compliance team assumes the compliance function, including the money laundering office, for your company and is your competent point of contact for concerns in all areas of compliance such as cross-border, conduct of business and due diligence. Our specialists constantly monitor regulatory developments and regularly conduct training and continuing education.

No, the audit or the depth of control will not differ with an independent asset manager:in outside Aquila. However, a major advantage for Aquila partner companies is that the majority of the audit is handled by our compliance team and, thanks to the standardized set-up, many questions can be clarified without involving the partner:in. This considerably reduces the time required for the partner companies. 

Your personal contact person from the fiduciary team will set up the financial accounting with you (various profit centers are possible), ensure the bookkeeping as well as the salary accounting etc. and prepare quarterly or annual financial statements for board meetings and general meetings (including audit support). The team is also at your disposal for further fiduciary questions and for more complex clarifications (also of a tax nature) we have a corresponding network at our disposal.

All Aquila partner companies are public limited companies with a share capital of at least CHF 100,000. In addition, FINIG and FINIV prescribe a minimum capital of CHF 100,000 and a required equity of 25 % of the annual fixed costs (excl. e.g. bonus). The minimum capital and equity requirements must be complied with at all times. Our Fiduciary Team will be happy to advise you on which share capital makes sense for you when starting out, so that all the requirements in your business plan are met.

Invoicing to your customers is done by you, and you are provided with appropriate calculation templates

Aquila AG provides its partners with a modern infrastructure that allows them to serve their customers using the latest technology. 

Thanks to ongoing investments in modern software applications, such as CRM and PMS systems, Aquila AG enables more and more work steps in asset management to be supported digitally. This makes the day-to-day work of partners more efficient, for example through access to consolidated bank data via a single access portal or through digital support in the fulfillment of regulatory obligations.

Your security is our top priority. All Aquila partners can rely on an up-to-date, secure Swiss cloud solution and modern communication systems. Our First Level Support is your central point of contact for all technical concerns and questions. With our CRM/PMS tool, an integral solution for customer care, document management and asset management is also available for you. 

Thanks to regular, partly exclusive publications by our investment team, you will always have an overview of the financial markets. In addition to quarterly outlooks and short-term trading impulses, the team formulates investment strategies and model portfolios. Aquila's partner companies can also outsource asset management tasks (e.g. portfolio management or consulting) in whole or in part to the Investments Team as an additional service, if required (or as part of the continuation of business operations).

Yes, the Investments team supports asset managers and family offices in all questions and tasks related to investing and mainly manages assets of professional and institutional clients. The range of services includes customized asset management solutions, active advisory, research and market opinions as well as consolidated risk and performance reporting. 

Many of the regular Investments publications are also available to all interested parties and can be subscribed to here.