Behind the deal: Benjamin and Ariane de Rothschild revealed as backers of London tech startup Exo Investing

London wealthtech startup Exo Investing has today announced the close of a €16.5m (£14.6m) seed round last summer, powered by a private investment from Benjamin and Ariane de Rothschild.

The round also included backing from Madrid-based asset management firm ETS, and Daniel Treves and Hugo Ferreira, both former heads of La Compagnie Benjamin de Rothschild.

The startup itself launched earlier this year, but had yet to disclose any information regarding the size or origin of its funding. City PM understands that Exo Investing will continue to raise from this select group of backers in the future, as and when it requires fresh capital.

Based within the Spaces co-working hub in Moorgate and with a separate office in Madrid, Exo Investing provides access for private retail investors to the same quantitative investment technology usually reserved for institutional investors and private banks.

Its advertisements has been all over London billboards in recent months, as part of a slew of wealthtech startups clamouring for prime-time space across the City.

“This level of individually tailored portfolio and risk management has never been available to the retail investor before," said CEO Lennart Asshoff, speaking of Exo's commitment to the science behind quantitative investment.

"The wider public have never been more reliant on their personal investments for their future financial security, and we want to open the door to a new category of investing for as many people as possible.”

At a minimum investment of £10,000, Exo Investing is not the most accessible robo adviser on the market for investors new to the game. However Asshoff told City PM that such a number is necessary in order for its artificial intelligence (AI) tech to allow its users portfolios to scale while managing risk.

Each investor on the platform is built a personal, adjustable portfolio of exchange-traded funds based on their investment preferences, which is then monitored by AI and recalibrated as frequently as needed to optimise returns.

Asshoff added:

This investment paves the way for Exo to continue developing this ground-breaking solution for the retail market. Opening the door for thousands of private investors to the important benefits that quantitative investment science offers is very satisfying, having seen what a pivotal difference it can make to investment outcomes.