The end of web-driven digital media as we know it is nigh, and what the internet looks like in five years is anybody’s guess.
Welcome to another Advisor Tech Talk, where the acceleration of AI technology has us considering our future—and should have wealth managers thinking as well.
While there is some controversy over what it means, online publishers have reported a decline in traffic from people visiting their site after clicking on search engine results, and AI is being blamed for the decline.
See, those little AI summaries at the top of people’s search results may be resulting in fewer people clicking the actual links on the results—which means fewer people are going to web pages, which means that news sites, which depend on clicks and pageviews to sell advertising, are in big, big trouble.
How big, you ask?
Well, consider that a generation and a half of journalists have learned to write in a manner emphasizing search engine optimization, seeding their work with keywords that would help send their pieces as close to the top of a list of results as possible.
Consider the measurables—HuffPo (which we prefer to call The Huffington Post) has lost half of its search engine traffic over the past three years. Overall click-throughs to the top site in a Google Search offering an AI overview have dropped by more than 33%.
Search engine rankings are offering rapidly diminishing returns. They won’t matter much at all in the near future.
I’m not sure how digital publications are going to continue to sell advertising.
The entire wealth management industry is going to have to rethink their marketing strategies, not just with the accelerating decline of the industry press. Thought leadership published online is not going to be worth as much, because it’s going to be more difficult to get the right kinds of eyes on the content produced by wealth management firms and their marketers.
The rules of marketing to AI versus search engine users are still being written, there are few set-in-stone best practices to follow, and in our experience, no one, from technologists to the most forward-thinking marketing professionals, has it completely figured out.
Until the web is remade by AI and the new rules of content become clear, trying to market on the internet in general will be like howling into the wilderness—there will be no good, assured way of accessing the niches that advisors want to reach—and there are probably better uses of their dollars, like beefing up their own AI capabilities.
Let’s get to those wealthtech headlines.
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Advyzon
Advyzon Investment Management (AIM), a seamlessly unified investment solutions platform within Advyzon, today announced the launch of Sphere, a manager-sponsored platform providing a curated hub of professionally managed portfolios. Sphere allows financial advisors and their clients to benefit from institutional-grade models and investment strategies with zero strategist fees.
Sphere will initially launch with six managers: Franklin Templeton, Zacks Investment Management, VanEck, Innovator Capital Management, Potomac, and Janus Henderson Investors.
AIM’s managed portfolio solutions and white-glove service model allow advisors to achieve operational efficiencies along with curated investment selection and modeling – empowering advisors to work on their business, not in it. Sphere is the latest addition to AIM’s proven track record alongside the award-winning Nucleus Model Marketplace, which is regularly enhanced with new models, asset managers, and solutions for SMAs/UMAs, including detailed sleeve-level reporting and trading capabilities.
Broadridge
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader, today announced a new strategic partnership and minority investment in Uptiq, an AI platform for financial services. Integrating Uptiq’s technology into Broadridge’s Wealth Lending Network (WLN) provides financial advisors and banks access to turnkey, agentic AI applications that automate securities-based lending (SBL) workflows, deliver detailed insights, and enhance outcomes for clients.
The Broadridge Wealth Lending Network is a digital platform that connects wealth managers, financial advisors, and their clients with a network of lenders that extend securities-based lines of credit. It streamlines the process of accessing SBL solutions, particularly for financial advisors and wealth management firms that are not affiliated with banks. Through the integration with Uptiq, financial advisors can more easily source and compare loan options tailored to their clients’ needs, while automating manual tasks such as referral submission, loan processing, and covenant tracking. The combined solution expands financial advisors’ access to credit solutions for their clients, improves client service, strengthens compliance, and reduces the typical friction and complexity in providing lending solutions to wealth clients.
Broadridge’s investment supports Uptiq’s growth and reinforces a shared vision for transforming wealth lending. By harnessing AI to simplify complex lending processes and deliver smarter, more scalable solutions, Broadridge and Uptiq are helping financial institutions adapt, grow, and drive better outcomes across the financial ecosystem.
CAIS
CAIS, the leading alternative investment platform for financial advisors, today announced the launch of the Solactive CAIS Private Credit BDC Index (“CAISCRED” or “the Index”). CAISCRED, which is available through CAIS’ registered investment advisor, CAIS Advisors LLC (“CAIS Advisors”), in partnership with Solactive, a global leading index provider, is a first-of-its-kind index designed to provide a transparent, rules-based benchmark for private credit exposure via the universe of perpetual non-traded BDCs.
The launch of CAISCRED marks the beginning of a broader Index Series, which seeks to deliver standardized, transparent benchmarks for private market allocations. As the first index in the series, advisors can use CAISCRED to benchmark private credit BDC performance, and ongoing monitoring of private credit exposure through the universe of perpetual non-traded BDCs.
CAISCRED is independently calculated by Solactive applying a rules-based index calculation methodology. The Index is rebalanced quarterly to measure the net performance of 40 perpetual non-traded BDCs, representing $130 billion in private credit net assets and 8,000+ underlying loans.
Datasite
Datasite, the global SaaS provider of Al-powered workflow collaboration and automation solutions for M&A, investment and strategic projects, today announced its acquisition of Sourcescrub, a California-based provider of deal-sourcing data and workflows, from Francisco Partners.
This is the latest milestone in a broader Datasite strategy that includes a $500 million investment commitment by CapVest Partners, the controlling shareholder of Datasite, to further expand Datasite’s intelligence solutions and enhance the M&A technology landscape by connecting data, automation, and execution in one seamless offering.
The acquisition supports Datasite’s mission to help M&A professionals work smarter and faster using technology, including Blueflame AI solutions, to change the way deals are sourced, evaluated, and executed across the globe.
Earned
Earned, a leading tech-enabled financial services firm purpose-built for healthcare professionals, today announced its acquisition of Schwartz & Schwartz, PC, a Boston-based tax and accounting firm recognized as a market leader in serving dental practices and other healthcare providers.
This latest acquisition establishes Earned’s East Coast footprint, starting with the greater Boston area — one of the nation’s largest and most influential healthcare markets. With more than 8,000 clients and $2.3 billion in assets under management, Earned has rapidly emerged as the premier financial partner for healthcare professionals nationwide.
Earned’s comprehensive model integrates wealth management, tax preparation and planning, retirement plans, accounting, payroll, and practice-specific financial guidance into a seamless experience — designed specifically for healthcare professionals including physicians, dentists, behavioral health therapists, and veterinarians.
FINNY AI
FINNY AI Inc. (“FINNY”), the AI-powered prospecting and marketing platform built specifically for financial advisors, today announced the launch of Multi-Channel Campaigns, a powerful new capability that allows advisors to build fully automated, multi-channel outreach sequences in minutes. This prospecting feature combines LinkedIn Actions, AI-generated voicemails, personalized emails and handwritten direct mail into a single, fully personalized outreach campaign designed for effective lead conversion.
Within Multi-Channel Campaigns, FINNY is introducing LinkedIn Actions, a new capability that enables advisors to schedule LinkedIn tasks such as connection requests and direct messages directly within the FINNY platform. These actions are fully automated and can be customized to reflect the advisor’s tone and messaging. Advisors may also integrate LinkedIn Actions with other outreach formats – including AI-powered voicemails, emails and handwritten mail – to execute a cohesive, end-to-end prospecting campaign.
Powered by FINNY’s advanced data intelligence and automation, Multi-Channel Campaigns and LinkedIn Actions enable advisors to engage with the right prospects across multiple channels without the friction of managing each step manually. By automating a previously fragmented and time-intensive process, FINNY allows advisors to significantly reduce the time spent on prospecting each week. In turn, they benefit from greater visibility through consistent outreach, stronger engagement as familiarity builds across multiple touchpoints and more effective communication by reaching prospects through their preferred channels — whether LinkedIn, email or direct mail.
GeoWealth
GeoWealth, a proprietary technology and turnkey asset management platform (TAMP), today announced that it has raised a $38 million Series C funding round led by Apollo (NYSE: APO). In tandem, GeoWealth and Apollo have formed a strategic partnership to expand access to customizable public-private model portfolios for registered investment advisors (RIAs).
The previously announced investment from BlackRock, J.P. Morgan Asset Management and Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors (sub-advised by Composition Capital) is included in the Series C funding total. The strategic partnership between GeoWealth and Apollo will combine GeoWealth’s unified managed account (UMA) technology, powered by its proprietary portfolio management software, with Apollo’s private markets building blocks to help clients construct more efficient and robust multi-asset portfolios.
With this capital infusion, GeoWealth plans to expand its public-private model capabilities, investing in product development and human capital to help advisors meet growing client demand for a broader range of asset types in a UMA. The funding will primarily accelerate innovation in GeoWealth’s UMA capabilities, while also strengthening the core technology foundation for its next phase of growth. As part of the use of proceeds in this round, GeoWealth has also completed the acquisition of the TAMP assets from Freedom Advisors.
iCapital
iCapital, the global fintech company shaping the future of investing, today announced the appointment of Sonali Basak, former lead Wall Street correspondent for Bloomberg Television, as Chief Investment Strategist. In this role, Ms. Basak will help develop and deliver the firm’s strategic thought leadership across public and private markets, provide actionable insights, and strengthen iCapital’s position as a trusted industry voice.
As Chief Investment Strategist, Ms. Basak will lead and articulate iCapital’s investment outlook, thoughtful data-driven content, and support client decision-making working closely with them as they implement their strategies.
Ms. Basak most recently served as Bloomberg Television’s lead global finance correspondent and anchor, where she covered the financial institutions shaping markets worldwide – from global banks and asset managers to private equity giants and hedge funds. She anchored Open Interest, Bloomberg TV’s flagship morning program focused on C-suite perspectives across industries, and hosted Bloomberg Invest, the firm’s premier annual financial conference. Her newsletter, Wall Street, By Basak., is widely regarded for its sharp, insider commentary on market trends, Wall Street firms, and shifts across the financial industry. Her reporting frequently appeared in Businessweek and Markets Magazine, where she conducted recurring Q&As with leading financial executives. Most recently, she created and hosted the original docuseries Bullish, which profiled influential voices in finance and demystified opaque corners of capital markets. Known for securing rare interviews with top Wall Street CEOs and breaking news on market-moving deals, Ms. Basak has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted and insightful voices in financial journalism over the past decade.
InvestCloud
InvestCloud, a global leader in wealth technology, today announced the first of a new generation of AI-enabled solutions to help advisors increase productivity and deliver greater value to clients. The new solutions, Intelligent Screening and Intelligent Meeting, are enhanced by technologies from smartKYC, the leading provider of AI-driven know your customer (KYC) risk screening and monitoring solutions, and Zocks, a privacy-first AI assistant for financial advisors.
Intelligent Screening from InvestCloud automates in-depth due diligence during client onboarding and performs ongoing risk monitoring. It enables private banks and wealth managers to perform faster, more accurate and cost-effective due diligence across every stage of the client relationship, freeing advisors, relationship managers and compliance officers to focus on decision-making rather than manual research.
Intelligent Meeting from InvestCloud transforms the way advisors prepare for, track and follow-through on discussions with clients. Meeting preparation, note-taking, action-item tracking and post-meeting workflows are automated and infused with intelligence from disparate systems to enable advisors to focus on meaningful client interactions and reduce time-consuming administrative and manual tasks.
IRALOGIX
IRALOGIX, the retirement industry’s leading fintech provider, today announced the launch of its Workplace Retirement Plan Portal – a fully digital, white-labeled platform that modernizes employer-sponsored IRAs through automation, real-time self-service and seamless data handling.
This release marks a significant step forward in IRALOGIX’s mission to bring scalable, affordable retirement solutions to businesses of all sizes-including the millions of small businesses traditionally overlooked by legacy retirement infrastructure.
Small and mid-sized employers offering SEP, SIMPLE or Payroll Deducted IRAs have historically dealt with slow, error-prone systems that rely on spreadsheets, faxes or call centers. The new platform eliminates those hurdles. Employers can now quickly onboard employees, manage contributions and securely exchange data in a streamlined interface, making retirement plan administration as easy as running payroll.
Menos AI
Menos AI, an AI-native fintech built by and for investment professionals, today announced its public launch. Its flagship product, Sonαr, is an intelligent research agent that helps hedge funds and institutional investors uncover timely, differentiated ideas amid information overload. Sonαr is currently rolling out to select partner funds ahead of a broader release.
Founded by investment veterans and AI experts, Menos AI is backed by a $5.2 million oversubscribed seed round led by prominent Silicon Valley family offices and venture capital firms.
Portfolio managers and analysts navigate a constant flood of market updates, sell-side content, third-party research reports, and internal memos. Sonαr cuts through the noise and surfaces alpha-generating insights that might otherwise be overlooked. Developed with leading global macro and multi-strategy hedge funds, Sonαr uses proprietary Alpha Signal Extraction to identify ideas with novelty, timeliness, and market relevance. Its forthcoming Voice Scoring capability can spotlight contributors who are consistently early and accurate — amplifying insights backed by proven track records and exposing areas where further due diligence can lead to an edge.
Nuuvia
Nuuvia, formerly Incent, the leading provider of youth banking solutions for community banks and credit unions, announced today Olean, N.Y.-based High Point Federal Credit Union (High Point, 22,000 members, >$400 million in assets under management) has selected its youth engagement platform.
High Point prides itself on providing its members with personal service and affordable products that meet every financial needs, no matter at what stage of life. The credit union wanted to attract the younger generation with the goal of building lifelong memberships. Providing hands-on, family-focused money management tools specifically tailored to help children develop good financial habits reinforces the credit union’s vision to be the financial institution of choice in the communities it serves.
Nuuvia’s youth banking platform integrates within High Point’s existing infrastructure, providing a secure, real-world experience for children and teens. The white-labeled solution enables financial institutions to build brand awareness, maintain ownership of the account holder relationship and seamlessly transition the child to an “adult” account when they turn 18.
Objectway
Luigi Marciano, founder of Objectway, a leading provider of software and services to financial institutions across Europe, North America and the Middle East, along with Objectway’s management team and international private equity firm, Cinven, today announced an agreement under which Cinven will make a majority investment in Objectway. Luigi Marciano will remain a significant shareholder alongside Cinven, and continue in his role as CEO and Chair. He and his existing management team will continue to manage the business, and Cinven’s backing will provide strategic and financial support, including continued investment in technology innovation, as well as support for future organic growth and targeted M&A opportunities. Together, Luigi Marciano, his team and Cinven aim to expand Objectway’s market leadership while delivering consistently high value to clients. Financial terms of the investment are not disclosed.
Objectway is a leading digital end-to-end “Solution-as-a-Service” provider for wealth managers, banks and asset managers. Objectway provides customers with a mission-critical, modular, front-to-back office software and solutions platform, delivered through a flexible design based on scalable cloud infrastructure. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Milan, Objectway supports more than 250 financial institutions across more than 16 countries. With offices across Europe and North America, Objectway combines mission-critical technology and services with deep domain expertise.
The wealth management ecosystem is exhibiting consistent growth and strong demand for investment in modern technology solutions from established providers, presenting opportunities to digitise the industry and capture market share. Industry trends include the need to transition from fragmented legacy systems to integrated end-to-end solutions that create efficiency in front-to-back office processes, serving clients consistently, across the value chain, geographies, and investor segments.
RISR
RISR, a leading business owner engagement platform for financial advisors, today announced its partnership with Modern Wealth Management (“Modern Wealth”), a registered investment advisory (RIA) firm founded to meet the evolving needs of today’s financial professionals and their clients. Modern Wealth’s network of advisors collectively oversees more than $8.5 billion in assets under management (AUM). This collaboration brings RISR’s advanced planning technology to those advisors—enabling deeper client engagement, smarter planning and more comprehensive solutions for business owner clients.
Modern Wealth joins a growing list of forward-thinking firms leveraging RISR to bridge the gap between financial, tax and business planning. With this integration, Modern Wealth’s advisors will be equipped to consolidate business financials, tax returns, succession plans and liquidity goals into a centralized, actionable platform that supports long-term decision-making.
With RISR, Modern Wealth advisors are uniquely equipped to guide business owner clients through succession, tax and liquidity planning—proactively surfacing both risks and opportunities while streamlining the advisory process across disciplines. The collaboration supports Modern Wealth’s broader goal of providing advisors with business support resources across marketing, technology, compliance, human resources and operations—freeing them to prioritize client service and grow their business.
SMArtX Advisory Solutions
SMArtX Advisory Solutions, a leader in enterprise managed account technology, seamlessly integrates semi-liquid alternative investments, including interval and tender offer funds, directly into Unified Managed Accounts (UMAs) using its fully proprietary, end-to-end platform.
First introduced to clients in 2024, this milestone marks a new era in private market access. SMArtX’s platform enables live, scalable management of semi-liquid strategies like private credit, private equity, and real estate, seamlessly embedded alongside traditional investments such as ETFs, mutual funds, SMAs, and direct indexing. All of this is executed within a single tax-aware custodial account, creating a fully unified, operationally efficient investment experience.
SMArtX client firms, including Concurrent Asset Management and One Seven, are actively implementing interval and tender offer funds across rep-directed sleeves, firm-level models, and third-party portfolios, without custodial or operational friction. Unlike other platforms that rely on partner dependencies, SMArtX delivers this capability entirely in-house, offering real-time automation that eliminates the manual complexity typically associated with accessing semi-liquid funds.
SMArtX Advisory Solutions
SMArtX Advisory Solutions (“SMArtX”), a leading innovator in managed accounts technology, has announced the addition of 16 new strategies from two leading asset management firms to its Manager Marketplace. SMArtX’s continuously growing platform now offers 1,565 strategies from 323 distinguished asset management firms.
Fort Washington Investment Advisors added dividend, large cap, and small cap equity strategies and Tannin Capital added a blend of equity, hedged, and fixed income strategies.
SS&C Technologies
SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSNC) today announced the launch of SS&C Black Diamond® Wealth Solutions. The suite combines SS&C’s award-winning Black Diamond Wealth Platform with SS&C’s full suite of wealth management solutions to enable wealth managers to easily manage their technology and operations needs in one place.
The introduction of SS&C Black Diamond Wealth Solutions reinforces Black Diamond’s ability to serve as the central hub for wealth managers, allowing firms to build an end-to-end technology stack to seamlessly connect proprietary systems and third-party applications.
Current clients will experience no disruption to their existing systems, logins or support relationships. To learn more about SS&C Black Diamond Wealth Solutions and explore the complete offering, visit the new website at sscblackdiamond.com.
SS&C Technologies
SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSNC) today announced a long-term agreement with Wesleyan Assurance Society (“Wesleyan”), a financial services mutual, to deliver life and pensions administration services to its members and customers.
This announcement builds on Wesleyan’s selection of SS&C earlier this year. Following a competitive tender process, the firm will implement SS&C Hubwise as the foundation of WesInvest, the mutual’s new digital-first wealth management platform. The platform is designed to broaden the range of investment and retirement products available to Wesleyan’s specialist financial advisers and their clients, while offering an enhanced, modern user experience.
As part of the new agreement, Wesleyan will transition life and pensions administration to SS&C, creating a single, modern ecosystem across investment, retirement, and protection services. More than 200 Wesleyan team members will transfer to SS&C, preserving deep expertise and ensuring continuity of service.
