SINGAPORE – Retail investors in Singapore who have moved beyond basic products but do not yet qualify for private banking will soon be able to access institutional-style investment portfolios offered by Arki Finance.
The Singapore-based wealth management firm, which is planning its public launch here later in 2026, is targeting the mass affluent segment with a simplified wealth platform built on a three-part framework: cash, income and growth.
Arki has received its Capital Markets Services licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), which allows it to provide regulated activities under the Securities and Futures Act. These include dealing with capital market products and fund management.
The new entrant aims to roll out its first product in the coming months – a cash income strategy designed to deliver higher yields than traditional savings accounts without sacrificing liquidity. Income and growth portfolios are expected to follow, forming what it describes as a full-stack retail wealth platform.
Arki’s chief executive officer and co-founder David Ng said options for the mass affluent have fallen short, citing deposit accounts with weak returns, opaque and illiquid insurance-wrapped products, and private banking models geared toward wealthier clients.
The firm’s licence comes alongside the appointment of a board with experience spanning global asset management, capital markets, retail wealth, digital payments and international investment banking.
It is chaired by former UOB Kay Hian senior executive director Esmond Choo, who will oversee Arki’s strategic direction and governance as it prepares for launch and regional expansion.
Its advisory board comprises Gerard Lee, chairman of Arabesque Singapore and the former chief executive officer of Lion Global Investors; Rimmo Jolly, a partner at PGV and the former Asia-Pacific head of iShares at BlackRock; fintech executive Justin Xiao, a former executive at Visa and Railsr; and veteran investment banker Michael Yip.
Ng said wealth management remains complex and fragmented for everyday investors to navigate. Many of them may have outgrown basic retail banking products but do not yet have access to the personalised advice and institutional investment quality typically associated with private banking.
“Arki was created to address this gap by building a personalised wealth platform for the mass affluent, one that helps individuals make better decisions across liquidity, income and long-term growth needs,” Ng added.
The firm was originally co-founded in 2024 by Ng, chief investment officer Hyung Do Kim and chief client officer Neo Fu Qiang. They were later joined by chief operating officer Zhuang Yuhang. All four remain actively involved in Arki.
Ng, who previously held senior roles at CSOP Asset Management, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, said MAS’ approval was central to building trust even as the fintech developed a platform centred on governance, compliance and transparency.
Singapore’s central bank is widely regarded as one of the region’s most stringent regulators, and the licence allows Arki to launch and scale with confidence, Ng said.
Arki Finance chief executive officer and co-founder David Ng said options for the mass affluent have fallen short, allowing the fintech firm to address the gap.
PHOTO: ARKI FINANCE
The firm, which has been running an invite-only early access programme, will unveil details of its public launch in due course.
Arki uses artificial intelligence and quantitative investment models to personalise portfolios, but it is not a black-box, generative AI adviser, Ng said.
The technology helps it understand each client’s goals, risk profile and financial situation, while investment decisions remain grounded in disciplined, human-led frameworks.
While one does not need to be an accredited investor, every client will still go through onboarding, suitability and risk-profiling processes, Ng added.
“The aim is not simply to give more people access to more products, but to help each client invest in a way that is suitable for their goals, liquidity needs, time horizon and risk capacity.
Arki is finalising the commercial details, but intends to keep the entry point accessible for mass affluent investors and fees transparent.
Customer assets will be held through regulated custodial arrangements and kept separate from Arki’s corporate assets. Arki does not treat client assets as company funds, Ng added.
