In this episode, Ned and Dani catch up about the happenings of the WealthTech industry in the past few months. Speaking passionately about the recent acquisition of Wealthfront by UBS, Ned and Dani are excited about this development in the industry. From a Robo platform provider standpoint, Ned notes that the differing opinions surrounding the news seem to have overlooked the priceless opportunity that UBS gains from the acquisition. Beyond the 27 billion AUM that comes with Wealthfront, which is certainly a neat addition, UBS secures the invaluable and incomparable technology, experience and knowledge that took Wealthfront 14 years to build and perfect. Some institutions might consider building a Robo-advisory platform to be simple and straightforward, but the truth is much more intricate than that. Ned shares that the challenge for UBS will likely come down to their capacity to relinquish some controls over the tech operations of Wealthfront. What does it mean for the rest of us in the industry? Ned is optimistic that this acquisition opens up doors for more partnerships with and interest towards Robo-advisory providers.
- November 29, 2023