Digital Wealth Platform Arta Finance: Redefining Wealth Management Through Technology & Innovation

This article was originally published by Hubbis on February 14, 2025. Read the original article here.

Arta Finance is positioning itself as a game-changer in wealth management, using technology to provide sophisticated investment solutions typically reserved for ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Launched in the US in 2023, and globally from Singapore in October 2024, the digital wealth platform offers accredited investors seamless access to both public and private markets, integrating artificial intelligence to enhance decision-making. With its roots in both Silicon Valley and digitally-advanced Singapore, Arta is bridging the gap between traditional private banking and the digital future of wealth management.

Leading the firm’s international expansion is Amanda Ong, Singapore Country Director and Head of International. With a career spanning past leadership roles at Prudential Wealth Management and StashAway, she is focused on growing Arta’s presence and shaping its global strategy. Speaking with Hubbis, she shared insights into the firm’s unique approach, the evolving landscape of digital wealth management, and the broader industry trends that are reshaping private banking.

Bridging the US and Asia: A Global Wealth Platform

Arta Finance operates across two major financial centres, with its headquarters split between the United States and Singapore. The firm has been live in the US since late 2023 under SEC regulation as a Registered Investment Adviser, while in Singapore, it launched in 2024 with a Capital Markets Services licence from the MAS. The focus in Singapore is on accredited investors, serving both those based locally and others looking to book their wealth into the jurisdiction, reinforcing the city’s role as one of the world’s most important wealth hubs.

“We are dual-headquartered because it allows us to be present in two key markets—one in the US, where we see a lot of fintech and investment innovation, and one in Singapore, which is one of the fastest-growing wealth hubs in the world,” Ong explains. “From the outset, we knew that Singapore had to be a core part of our strategy, because this is where the world’s wealth is increasingly being booked.”

While digital platforms are often associated with retail investors only, Arta is built for a different audience. “A lot of our clients are private banking-level investors and family offices,” Ong says. “They know markets well, they know what they’re looking for, and they’re asking the right questions about structured products, private equity, and private credit. What they want is a more accessible, more seamless, and lower-cost way of getting the same institutional-grade solutions they are used to.”

A Digital Wealth Ecosystem for Sophisticated Investors

Arta’s platform is built around three distinct pillars: public markets including structured products, private markets, and expert services, each designed to provide a comprehensive wealth management experience.

Public markets sit at the heart of the firm’s offering, bringing together automated ETF portfolios, quant-driven strategies, structured products, and cash solutions. “Our base portfolios are automated index strategies, and we’ve built quant-driven strategies that give clients a more systematic, data-driven way to invest,” Ong says. “Structured products and cash solutions are fully integrated, so clients don’t need to go to multiple service providers. Everything is within the platform.”

Private markets have been designed to make alternative investments more accessible while maintaining high levels of due diligence.

“We are not a marketplace,” Ong emphasises. “When you come onto Arta, you won’t see thousands of funds to choose from. That’s a very deliberate decision because we believe in sourcing, curating, and doing deep due diligence for our clients. We make sure that what we offer is only the best of the best.”

Ong highlights how Arta is removing traditional barriers to private market investing. “Some of the funds we have are the exact same ones offered by private banks—but while private banks require a $250,000 minimum investment, at Arta, clients can get access from $25,000,” she explains. “We also reduce the fees significantly, so clients pay less for the same institutional-quality funds.”

Beyond investment solutions, Arta has built a network of specialist partners to address the broader needs of high-net-worth individuals. “We work with Temasek Trust for philanthropy, estate planning firms, and even Henley & Partners for citizenship-by-investment services,” Ong says. “It’s about bringing together the full suite of services that wealthy individuals require—not just investments, but everything that supports their long-term wealth goals.”

Custody and execution are handled by BNY Pershing, a point that Ong says is critical for client trust. “Every client has an individual, segregated account in their own name,” she explains. “This is not an omnibus structure where funds are pooled together. Investors want security, and we give them institutional-grade custody.”

Scaling Beyond Individual Investors

While Arta initially launched as a direct-to-consumer platform, it quickly became evident that its technology had applications beyond individual investors. “The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) actually helped incubate our B2B offering,” Ong reveals. “We had private bankers looking at our platform and saying, ‘We want to use this for our own clients’. That’s how our B2B business was born.”

Over the past year, Arta has refined how it works with institutions. “We found that banks and wealth managers were looking for three main models,” Ong says. “Some wanted a fully white-labelled solution, where they could launch a digital wealth platform using Arta’s infrastructure. Others wanted to embed our investment products directly into their existing platforms via API integration. And then there were banks that wanted to license our AI-powered investment tools, to use internally for their advisors or to provide to their end clients.”

Key Priorities: Strengthening Service, Expanding Markets, and Advancing Technology

Amanda Ong is clear about where Arta Finance is headed in the next phase of its expansion. The firm’s immediate focus is on growing its consumer business across the US and Singapore, broadening its geographic reach, and continuing to integrate cutting-edge technology into its wealth platform.

One of the top priorities is building on the strong momentum of its consumer business to stay ahead of evolving market trends. “Our clients have increasingly sophisticated portfolios, spanning private credit, venture capital, real estate and structured products. To continue delivering real value, we must not only speak their language but also anticipate their needs, understand their strategies, and provide solutions that truly elevate their wealth management experience,” Ong says.

Market expansion is also high on the agenda. Arta is actively exploring opportunities via partnerships in emerging jurisdictions that are developing new wealth structuring frameworks. “We are looking at new markets where wealth flows are increasing, and where there is demand for digital-first investment solutions,” Ong notes. “Singapore remains our key hub, but there are exciting opportunities elsewhere in the region that we are keeping a close eye on.”

Technology remains a driving force behind Arta’s proposition, and the firm is continuing to refine and expand its platform’s capabilities. “We are investing in enhancing our AI-driven advisory tools, making them even more intuitive and personalised,” Ong explains. “We are also working on streamlining how private market investments are accessed and managed, ensuring that clients can allocate capital seamlessly across both public and private assets.”

With a strong foundation in place, Ong sees these priorities as crucial to Arta’s continued success. “We are scaling quickly, but we are doing it in a way that ensures high-quality service, strategic expansion, and meaningful innovation,” she says. “We are not just growing for the sake of growth. We are building a platform that will define the future of wealth management.”

Into The Future (of Wealth Management)

Ong sees Arta as part of a much broader transformation in the wealth management industry. While robo-advisors have already made investment management more accessible, she believes that they represent the first wave of fintech innovation, and that the next phase will go much further.

“We’re at the cusp of a complete shift in how wealth management is delivered,” Ong says. “FinTech 1.0 was about making investing digital—robo-advisors did that. FinTech 2.0 is about making the entire process smarter—using AI not just to execute, but to advise, manage, and optimise portfolios in real-time.”

Traditional private banks still rely heavily on human advisors, and while some will continue with that model, others are embracing technology in a way that is reshaping the industry. “Some private banks are very traditional, and they’ll stick to human advisory,” Ong observes. “But others are moving aggressively into digital, and we’re seeing that those banks don’t want to build everything in-house—they want to partner with fintechs that can bring them the latest innovation.”

Final Thoughts

Arta Finance is reshaping wealth management by blending AI-driven investment strategies with seamless access to both public and private markets. With a growing international presence, an expanding business-to-business model, and a clear vision for the future of digital wealth, the firm has been positioning itself as a key player in the next evolution of private banking.

“We don’t see ourselves as a competitor to private banks,” Ong says. “In fact, quite the opposite. We see ourselves as a partner that enables banks, wealth managers, and investors to access the future of wealth management today. The goal isn’t just to digitise wealth management but to redefine it, creating a platform that offers sophisticated investment solutions in a way that is smarter, more efficient, and more accessible than ever before.”

Getting Personal with Amanda Ong

Amanda Ong has built a career at the intersection of finance, technology, and entrepreneurship. As Singapore Country Director and Head of International at Arta Finance, she is leading the company’s global expansion, helping to redefine how wealth management is delivered through digital innovation. But beyond the professional milestones and the fast-paced world of fintech, her journey has been shaped by personal experiences, an international upbringing, and a relentless drive to build and scale.

Born in Singapore, Ong’s education spanned multiple countries, reflecting a global perspective that would later serve her well in the financial industry. She spent her high school years in the United States, attending IMG Academy in Florida, a renowned sports-focused institution where she played competitive golf. University took her to Sydney, Australia, where she studied Accounting and Finance at the University of New South Wales, before returning to Singapore to begin her professional career.

“My education was all over the place,” she says with a laugh. “I spent high school in the US, where I was competing in golf, then moved to Sydney for university before coming back to Singapore. That international exposure definitely shaped the way I think about business and global markets today.”

Her background in golf not only instilled discipline but also gave her an early understanding of high performance and competition—an edge that she has carried into her professional life.

Lessons from Scaling Businesses and Building Teams

Reflecting on her career so far, Ong highlights two pivotal experiences that had a lasting impact. The first was working for high-growth companies at critical moments in their development.

“I’ve been very, very fortunate to work for incredible companies and have amazing mentors,” she says. “I was lucky enough to join businesses in the start-up and scale-up phase, where you’re not just doing one job—you’re wearing multiple hats, solving new challenges every day, and learning at an accelerated pace. That was invaluable.”

The second defining moment came from building and scaling teams across multiple markets. “One of the most fulfilling experiences of my career was scaling a team from four people to 48 across five countries,” she recalls. “That wasn’t just about hiring—it was about developing people, helping them grow, and watching them build their own careers. At the end of the day, that’s what makes leadership rewarding—you’re not just building a business, you’re building the careers and lives of the people within it.”

That experience of scaling, adapting, and growing teams from the ground up has been particularly relevant in her role at Arta Finance, where she is overseeing the firm’s international expansion and helping shape its strategy beyond Singapore and the US.

Life Beyond FinTech: Dogs, Pilates, and Future Plans

Away from work, Ong’s life is just as dynamic—though these days, it revolves more around three very energetic dogs than a golf course.

“We have a very busy household,” she admits. “There’s a Kelpie Collie mix, a Shih Tzu Maltese mix, and a tiny Yorkshire Terrier. They’re all very different, and keeping up with them is a full-time job in itself!”

While golf was a major part of her early years, these days her leisure time has taken a different turn.“I recently hopped on the Pilates bandwagon and started taking classes,” she shares. “It’s been fantastic for my back and posture, and I’ve come to really enjoy it.”

As for what’s next, Ong remains open to new adventures—both personal and professional. “No kids yet, but hopefully on the horizon very soon,” she says. “For now, it’s just the dogs keeping us busy.”

With a career built on adaptability, leadership, and an ability to scale, Ong has already achieved more than most. But with Arta Finance expanding into new markets and new opportunities emerging in wealth management, her journey is far from over.