24th August 2022

Europe

Arca Fondi a pioneer Asset Manager in Italy

Arca Fondi SGR is an Italian active asset management company, founded in 1983 by the association of 12 Cooperative Banks. Arca now manages around € 36 billion divided between Mutual Funds, Pension Fund and Institutional Accounts. Thanks to a network of distributors made up of over 100 banks and other financial institutions scattered throughout the country, its client base is made up of over 820,000 investors. In 2023 Arca Fondi will reach its fortieth year of activity, a great milestone for a company that has always been at the top of its nation in Asset Management.

In recent years, Arca has stepped up its innovative investments, using technology as a catalyst to rationalize its internal processes in order to improve productivity and ensure more efficient services. Arca Fondi has been a pioneer company since its creation, being one of the first Asset Managers to be created in Italy. The first two Funds, Arca RR and Arca BB, were launched in 1984, even today these are real Blockbusters, with an impeccable track record and an incredible compounded return of over 700%!

 

1998 was the turn of the Pension Fund, Arca Previdenza. In addition to being one of the first Open Pension Funds in Italy, today it is also the largest in the Country. In 2015 Sidera Funds Sicav was created, a Luxembourg-based platform dedicated to Private and Affluent customers. Two years later Arca Fondi made their debut with the PIR Funds (Piani Individuali di Rispamio), a segment dedicated to investments in the Italian “real economy”. In a short time Arca conquered leading positions also in said market. Finally, in 2019 Arca signed the United Nations Principles for Sustainable Investment (UNPRI) agreements, an important first step that led to the creation of a range of ESG Funds and an innovative ESG Rating system. Sustainability is one of the themes Arca is aiming for and thriving on. The “ESG Leaders” Funds are growing in number every year, many will be launched in 2022.

 

As said, innovation is not limited to the supply side of financial products, but also in creating new services for its partners. Arca is committed to building an integrated digital platform that can best support both its distributors and customers.

 

At the end of 2021 Arca launched a new version of its website, www.arcafondi.it. The work involved different company areas and was designed to better support the needs of customers. A new graphic design, new sections and new interactive features enrich the experience of those who navigate. It is now easier to find information as well as all the necessary documents. In the investments section it is possible to use widgets that help the investor to get an idea of the results he will be able to obtain by choosing certain types of financial products. All Arca Funds have a dedicated page which contains the main information and documents related to the Fund itself. Furthermore, thanks to a specific section, Arca’s commitment to “Sustainability” is highlighted even more. In the “3 minutes with Arca” blog, all the news, videos and much more are now included in “Primo Piano”, where the customer can always find new information on Arca’s initiatives as well as financial educational content.

 

Arcaclick is the area dedicated to all customers who have subscribed to a product. With the latest facial recognition technologies, the registration process has recently been improved. The procedure can be carried out independently with a personal device or at the Bank. ArcaClick allows the customer to have his portfolio, documents and all the practices under control. Those who join the Pension Fund can quickly pay their contributions since 2017. ArcaClick is also accessible from the Arca Fondi App, a free and constantly updated application available on both iOS and Android. The App is an important tool especially for the growing centrality of smartphones in the life of all of us. Customers can always have their portfolio under control or read the latest news, discover the latest videos and much more. ArcaClick, the “Arca Fondi” App and the Area dedicated to commercial partners will be the next tools to be reviewed during 2022. As for the website, they will be updated and improved to be more usable by all categories of customers.

 

In 2019, Arca created a new internal division called InnovAction Lab with the aim of further growing in the Italian market while remaining up to the challenges of the future. InnovAction Lab focuses essentially on improving processes using the latest technologies, data analysis and by putting the customer at the center of attention. Over the past year, several projects have been put in place to improve relations with partners and customers. An internal Data Warehouse has been created which represents the real brain of all commercial and analysis operations and which will be exploited thanks to the integration with a latest generation CRM adapted to the needs of an Asset Manager. To support commercial partners, new innovative solutions have been created such as a Smart Advisor able to help distributors to sell the most suitable products for customers. Recently a ChatBot, called Sara, has been developed to help anyone in the search for information on the Arca world in a flexible way through the website, WhatsApp or Telegram.

 

InnovAction Lab is a division that makes contamination between colleagues the central part of its work. Everyone works side by side to bring together different experiences so to reach the most efficient conclusion. One of the main focuses is that of sustainability. For example, the rethinking of many processes has led to a better integration and above all has been able to reduce paper consumption.

 

Today many of these solutions have become realities that can be appreciated by Arca Fondi’s customers and partners. But it is only the beginning, thanks to the talents and technology, Arca’s ecosystem is constantly evolving in order to guarantee the most efficient and safe experience.