FE fundinfo, a leading financial data company connecting the investment industry across the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific, today announced the acquisition of specialist provider of investment distribution intelligence Finscape.
Finscape, founded by joint Managing Directors Bella Caridade-Ferreira and Guy Edsall, simplifies complex investment distribution data and turns it into actionable insights for asset managers, platforms and discretionary managers. Since its 2020 launch, it has become a leading source for understanding money flows across the UK retail wealth market.
FE fundinfo’s strategic move will enable asset managers to access the most comprehensive and integrated view of UK fund flows on the market, via a new intelligence offering that will be available within its Nexus platform.
The combination will equip investment managers with powerful analytics as well as quantitative and qualitative insights that enable data-driven decisions to drive growth. Data from over 15 major retail platforms is available on Finscape, and FE fundinfo remains committed to continuously growing these partnerships to provide even stronger insights and intelligence to both platforms and asset managers active in the UK and beyond.
Nexus will now be able to map behaviours across distribution channels including financial advisers and platforms with unprecedented clarity, bringing together FE fundinfo’s historical datasets of investor research and intent with Finscape intelligence on flows. This includes assessing fund switches, tracking distributor flows and understanding the drivers behind portfolio-level allocation changes. Asset managers will also have improved analysis of fund distribution, with Nexus now connecting leading indicators and buying signals to the resulting fund flows.
Key customer benefits include:
• Unified intent and outcome signals: Asset managers will be able to assess investor behaviour and fund transaction data in one platform, increasing insight and efficiency
• Predictive analytics: Asset managers can see changes as they emerge and respond in real-time
• Smarter distribution decisions: Stronger assets under management (AUM) growth with greater validation for product, channel and sales strategies for users
• Improved compliance confidence: Strengthened compliance reporting for users with a rich evidence base for Consumer Duty, PROD and value assessments
Finscape’s current functionalities will be made accessible via Nexus, delivering a seamless experience for clients and preserving their existing service while being able to access key features. The capabilities of Finscape and Nexus create a natural bridge between fund manufacturer and distributor intelligence.
FE fundinfo has acquired Finscape from Equisoft, a global digital solutions provider. Equisoft retains the Pension and Investment software business and maintains its focus and commitment to the UK market, offering software products and tools within the pensions, investment and life insurance industries.
Liam Healy, CEO at FE fundinfo, commented:
"This acquisition marks a significant milestone for our vision to help investment managers distribute their products to the right wealth distribution channels leveraging real data-led intelligence. By bringing Finscape into the fold, in combination with our recent acquisition of Contengo, we’re not only expanding our distribution insight capabilities, we’re redefining what it means to deliver value in today’s highly regulated, data-driven environment. We’re excited to welcome the Finscape team and to integrate their unique expertise and offerings into our Nexus platform, delivering growth more efficiently for asset managers."
Bella Caridade-Ferreira, Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director at Finscape, said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to be joining FE fundinfo. From day one, our goal has been to deliver smarter, deeper insights to the industry, and this partnership gives us the tools and scale to do that faster.”
Guy Edsall, Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director at Finscape, added:
“We’re incredibly proud of how far we’ve come and grateful to Equisoft UK, whose support from the very beginning helped bring Finscape to life. Joining FE fundinfo is the natural next step. It opens huge opportunities to accelerate development and deliver even more value to our clients.”