Multifonds, a global provider of fund administration software and SaaS solutions and Ultumus, a SIX Group company specialising in ETF infrastructure technology, have announced a strategic partnership designed to enable fund providers to rapidly expand into the fast-growing ETF market.

The collaboration gives Multifonds' clients direct access to Ultumus' specialised ETF technology platform and extensive network of Global authorised participants and market makers, enabled through a standard off-the-shelf connector now available on Multifonds platform.

With ETF assets growing at unprecedented rates, asset managers are increasingly seeking efficient pathways to launch ETF share classes or convert existing mutual fund strategies into ETF wrappers. 

This partnership addresses that demand by combining Multifonds' fund administration and investor servicing platform, which currently supports over $10 trillion in assets across 40,000+ funds in 35 jurisdictions, with Ultumus' ETF operational infrastructure.

"This partnership strengthens the operational backbone needed for ETF growth in Africa, enabling firms to launch, manage and scale products with greater efficiency and transparency while aligning with global market practices. Multifonds continues to support Africa’s fund and asset servicing sector in building the capabilities needed to succeed in the ETF space," Deniz Omer, Regional Director - Middle East and Africa at Multifonds, told Africa Global Funds.

The partnership brings together highly complementary capabilities. Multifonds delivers a proven fund accounting and investor servicing platform, already trusted by 9 of the world’s top 15 global fund administrators. Ultumus adds deep ETF-specific expertise, including its COSMOS platform for creation and redemption workflows, advanced Portfolio Composition File (PCF) calculation capabilities, and an established global network of authorised participants and market makers.

Together, the combined offering provides seamless, end-to-end ETF operations — from fund accounting through trading and settlement — all delivered on a fully integrated technology stack.

The partnership is differentiated by Ultumus’ established relationships with authorised participants and market makers across Europe, Asia and Canada — key participants in the ETF ecosystem responsible for liquidity provision and efficient trading. Combined with Multifonds’ operational footprint spanning more than 35 jurisdictions, the collaboration is designed to give asset managers and fund administrators access to the infrastructure required to launch and operate ETFs across global markets.

“The ETF market is evolving rapidly, and asset managers are looking for partners that understand both traditional fund administration and the specific operational requirements of ETFs,” said Bernie Thurston, chief executive of Ultumus. He said Multifonds’ client relationships, together with Ultumus’ ETF technology and market-maker network, offer firms a way to participate in ETF growth without having to build new infrastructure from scratch.

Under the partnership, Multifonds clients will be able to launch ETF products more quickly by using an integrated infrastructure for fund accounting and investor servicing across mutual funds and ETFs. The model provides access to Ultumus’ global network of authorised participants and market makers, supports automation of creation and redemption processes, and enables accurate and timely delivery of portfolio composition files to market participants, while maintaining oversight through integrated reporting.

The collaboration comes as the asset management industry adapts to structural and regulatory change, including the move to T+1 settlement in Europe. Regulatory developments allowing ETF share classes of existing mutual funds, alongside growing investor demand for lower-cost and tax-efficient ETF structures, have increased interest in solutions that bridge traditional mutual funds and ETFs.

Oded Weiss, Chief Executive Officer at Multifonds, said the shift reflects a broader change in how product structures are being viewed across the industry. “This is not just about launching new products,” he said. “It’s about enabling existing fund ranges to evolve in line with market demand. The partnership with Ultumus is intended to support that transition at scale.”