Press Release
Universal Investment Group enters active ETF market to meet growing client demand
Date:
11. December 2025
Frankfurt
- Platform and framework launch for white-label active ETF products
- New active ETF value proposition completes service offering for active asset managers
- Reinforces Universal Investment Group’s role as a primary strategic partner
- New active ETF value proposition completes service offering for active asset managers
- Reinforces Universal Investment Group’s role as a primary strategic partner
Universal Investment Group, a leading independent fund services platform and Super ManCo, today announced the launch of its active ETF offering, expanding its product offering responding to rising client demand to advance into the growing international ETF market. Drawing on nearly 60 years of expertise, UI Group is leveraging its established infrastructure, regulatory expertise, and long-standing UCITS capabilities to provide an efficient, future-proofed entry point for asset managers into the rapidly evolving ETF landscape.
With the global ETF industry now exceeding USD 17 trillion, the new business area enables asset managers and fund initiators to launch active UCITS ETFs with efficient time-to-market, regulatory certainty, and full operational support. Universal Investment is already working on customised active ETF structures as well as a white-label multi-manager solution for its asset manager clients which will support active ETFs domiciled in Ireland, the leading European ETF jurisdiction and acts as a foundation for Universal Investment to develop similar platforms in other leading fund domiciles across Europe.
The platform gives clients maximum flexibility across active, quantitative, ESG and rule-based strategies, supported by efficient UCITS compliance and ETF-specific operational capabilities such as creation/redemption processing and capital markets connectivity. Universal Investment provides the regulatory, operational and governance framework and expertise to launch active ETF strategies. It delivers all core capabilities across fund administration, custody, capital market services and cross-jurisdictional expertise, delivered through close cooperation with a network of leading global partners and a single, integrated best-in-class operating model.
Marcus Kuntz, Group Head of Sales and Fund Distribution at Universal Investment Group, said: “The momentum behind ETFs – and particularly active ETFs – continues to grow as investors demand transparent, liquid, and cost-efficient solutions. At the same time, asset managers face increasing complexity, from regulation and governance to trading and distribution. Our platform reduces this complexity and provides a trusted, future-proofed ecosystem that allows clients to focus on what they do best: managing portfolios and delivering high-quality investment strategies.”
The global ETF industry reached a record USD 17.34 trillion in assets at the end of July 2025, an increase of nearly 17 percent since the end of 2024. Europe has seen similarly strong expansion, with the market reaching USD 2.58 trillion. Active ETFs are a major contributor to this growth, offering managers a transparent, exchange-listed wrapper that attracts significant inflows across both equity and fixed income strategies in the first half of 2025. Ireland, Luxembourg, and Germany remain among the most dynamic markets as asset managers look to position differentiated strategies within ETF wrappers.
“With this launch, we are completing our service offering and reaffirming our role as a strategic partner across asset classes and product types. Our platform ensures that fund initiators, asset managers and institutional clients can capture this growth with an efficient, secure and scalable solution,” Marcus Kuntz added.
With the global ETF industry now exceeding USD 17 trillion, the new business area enables asset managers and fund initiators to launch active UCITS ETFs with efficient time-to-market, regulatory certainty, and full operational support. Universal Investment is already working on customised active ETF structures as well as a white-label multi-manager solution for its asset manager clients which will support active ETFs domiciled in Ireland, the leading European ETF jurisdiction and acts as a foundation for Universal Investment to develop similar platforms in other leading fund domiciles across Europe.
The platform gives clients maximum flexibility across active, quantitative, ESG and rule-based strategies, supported by efficient UCITS compliance and ETF-specific operational capabilities such as creation/redemption processing and capital markets connectivity. Universal Investment provides the regulatory, operational and governance framework and expertise to launch active ETF strategies. It delivers all core capabilities across fund administration, custody, capital market services and cross-jurisdictional expertise, delivered through close cooperation with a network of leading global partners and a single, integrated best-in-class operating model.
Marcus Kuntz, Group Head of Sales and Fund Distribution at Universal Investment Group, said: “The momentum behind ETFs – and particularly active ETFs – continues to grow as investors demand transparent, liquid, and cost-efficient solutions. At the same time, asset managers face increasing complexity, from regulation and governance to trading and distribution. Our platform reduces this complexity and provides a trusted, future-proofed ecosystem that allows clients to focus on what they do best: managing portfolios and delivering high-quality investment strategies.”
The global ETF industry reached a record USD 17.34 trillion in assets at the end of July 2025, an increase of nearly 17 percent since the end of 2024. Europe has seen similarly strong expansion, with the market reaching USD 2.58 trillion. Active ETFs are a major contributor to this growth, offering managers a transparent, exchange-listed wrapper that attracts significant inflows across both equity and fixed income strategies in the first half of 2025. Ireland, Luxembourg, and Germany remain among the most dynamic markets as asset managers look to position differentiated strategies within ETF wrappers.
“With this launch, we are completing our service offering and reaffirming our role as a strategic partner across asset classes and product types. Our platform ensures that fund initiators, asset managers and institutional clients can capture this growth with an efficient, secure and scalable solution,” Marcus Kuntz added.
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