What Fondee does

Fondee (legally Direct Fondee a.s.) is a Czech-regulated robo-advisory platform founded in 2017 and headquartered in Prague that builds and rebalances globally diversified ETF portfolios for Czech retail investors. The platform operates as a securities trader (obchodník s cennými papíry) licensed and supervised by the Czech National Bank (ČNB), with client assets segregated and held via the partner broker J&T Banka. Users complete an online questionnaire that maps them to one of seven risk profiles (conservative through aggressive), each available in both classical and ESG-screened variants, and the platform automatically constructs and rebalances the resulting portfolio.

The product suite comprises three account types: a Classic Investment Account (0.9% annual fee plus VAT), a Children's Investment Account (0.2% plus VAT) that transfers to the child at age 18, and a DIP long-term retirement product (0.5% plus VAT) eligible for state tax deductions and employer contributions. All accounts are managed through a single web and mobile application (iOS and Android), with no human advisor involvement and no entry, exit, or inactivity fees. The business monetizes purely through recurring AUM-based management fees across the blended account base, which together total approximately 2.5 billion CZK in assets across 25,000+ clients.

Fondee distributes entirely through digital self-serve channels (its website, app, and content/SEO marketing) with no physical branches, inside sales, or third-party resellers. The company is part of the Direct Group alongside Direct Fidoo and Direct pojišťovna, enabling cross-marketing within a broader Czech financial-services ecosystem. Equity capital has come from J&T Banka and Oaktree Invest a.s. across 2020-2021 funding rounds totaling roughly $1.58M, and the company publishes annual reports through 2025, indicating ongoing operations and gradual scaling within the Czech domestic market.

Name

Fondee

Legal name

Direct Fondee a.s.

Website

https://fondee.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fondee is a Czech National Bank-regulated robo-advisory platform that builds and rebalances diversified ETF portfolios for Czech retail investors via a self-serve web and mobile app. It serves 25,000+ clients across three account types (Classic, Children's, and retirement DIP) under a transparent AUM-fee model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Robo-Advisory Investment Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct-to-Consumer Robo-Advisors (Retail Automated Portfolios) (FSAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robo-Advisors & Digital Wealth Managers (FSAAAAAD), Digital/Hybrid Robo-Wealth & Retirement Advisory (FSAEABAK), Managed Accounts & Model Portfolios (SMA/UMA) (FSAAAAAG)

Keywords

• Robo-advisory investing
• ETF portfolio management
• Retail investment platform
• Automated wealth building
• ESG investment portfolios

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. AUM Management Fee — Classic Account: Annual fee of 0.9% of assets under management (plus 0.19% VAT, total 1.09%) charged on the classic investment account balance. No entry, exit, inactivity, or account setup fees.
2. AUM Management Fee — Children's Account: Reduced annual fee of 0.2% of AUM (plus 0.04% VAT, total 0.24%) for the children's investment account, with preferential terms for families.
3. AUM Management Fee — DIP (Retirement) Account: Annual fee of 0.5% of AUM (plus 0.11% VAT, total 0.61%) for the long-term investment product (DIP), with tax deduction benefits and employer contribution eligibility.
4. Student Account Fee: Reduced annual fee for student accounts (rate rounded), with exact rate available in the official fee schedule document.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fondee operates a fully digital robo-advisory investment platform that builds and automatically rebalances globally diversified ETF portfolios for Czech retail investors, with investment starting from 500 CZK. Clients complete an online questionnaire and are matched to one of seven risk-profiled portfolios available in both classical and ESG-screened variants, accessible 24/7 via web and mobile apps. The company offers three account types (Classic, Children's, and tax-advantaged DIP retirement) and earns recurring AUM-based management fees.

Product overview

Direct Fondee is a licensed securities broker regulated by the Czech National Bank (ČNB) offering three core investment account products: Klasický účet (Classic Account), Dětský účet (Children's Account), and DIP (Long-term Investment Product for retirement). All accounts invest in globally diversified ETF portfolios with seven risk profiles ranging from conservative to aggressive. The Direct Fondee mobile application serves as the unified platform for account management and portfolio monitoring. The company charges transparent fees (0.9% annually for classic accounts, 0.2% for children's accounts, and 0.5% for DIP, all excluding VAT) with no entry, exit, or hidden fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Klasický investiční účet (Classic Investment Account) A standard, flexible investment account allowing Czech retail clients to invest any amount from 500 CZK onward into one of seven globally diversified ETF portfolios (conservative to aggressive), available in classical or ESG variants. Clients control how much and how often they invest and can change settings anytime; annual fee is 0.9% of AUM plus VAT with no entry/exit/setup/inactivity charges.
• Dětský investiční účet (Children's Investment Account) An investment account held in a child's name, opened and managed by a parent or grandparent, with a reduced annual fee of 0.2% of AUM (plus VAT, total 0.24%). Designed to fund a child's long-term financial head start; account ownership transfers to the child upon reaching adulthood at 18.
• DIP - Dlouhodobý investiční produkt (Long-term Investment Product) A tax-advantaged long-term Czech investment product (Dlouhodobý investiční produkt) for retirement savings, combining diversified ETF investing with state tax deductions and employer contribution eligibility. Annual fee is 0.5% of AUM plus VAT (total 0.61%); subject to retirement-condition withdrawal restrictions but otherwise a core retirement-savings vehicle.
• Direct Fondee mobile application (iOS and Android) The unified mobile client for Direct Fondee, available on the Apple App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android), enabling clients to monitor portfolio performance, manage deposits, add funds, and access Classic, Children's, and DIP accounts 24/7 from a smartphone.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients earned up to 10.13% annual return historically (Aggressive ESG portfolio, 10-year period to June 2026, before fees)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• J&T BankacoreTechnology or IntegrationJ&T Banka serves as the broker (broker-dealer) through which Fondee executes ETF purchases on behalf of clients. This is a core infrastructure partnership enabling the actual execution of investment trades. The relationship is operationally critical to the platform's investment process.
• Direct GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect Fondee a.s. is part of the Direct Group, which includes Direct Fidoo a.s. and Direct pojišťovna a.s. The group shares customer data for cross-marketing purposes and maintains shared administrative and IT infrastructure. Cross-selling of financial products occurs within the group.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wealthfront: US direct-to-consumer robo-advisor providing diversified ETF portfolios, automatic rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and cash management. Comparable product depth and self-serve digital model to Fondee.
• Betterment: US pioneer in direct-to-consumer robo-advisory offering automated ETF portfolio construction, goal-based investing, and transparent AUM fees. Closest product/business-model analogue globally and useful benchmark for unit economics and digital onboarding.
• Moneyfarm: UK/Italian robo-advisor offering managed ETF portfolios plus pension/SIPP wrappers with transparent fees and digital onboarding. Comparable mix of general investing plus retirement-oriented products (analogous to Fondee's DIP).
• Scalable Capital: Leading German/European robo-advisor and broker offering low-cost ETF-based portfolios and self-directed investing with transparent AUM fees. Comparable European direct-to-consumer digital wealth platform with similar value proposition.
• Portu: Czech retail robo-advisor offering ETF-based portfolios with low AUM fees, also regulated by CZNB. Most direct domestic competitor with comparable product set (Classic, Children's, DIP-style accounts) and self-serve onboarding targeting Czech retail investors.

Broad incumbents

• Nutmeg: UK-based digital wealth manager owned by JPMorgan, offering general investing, ISA, and pension wrappers with automated ETF portfolios. Comparable retirement-wrapper-plus-robo-advisor mix and serves as a benchmark for incumbent-owned competition.
• Česká spořitelna (Erste Group): Largest Czech retail bank with broad investment product offerings and the largest customer base in the country. Represents the incumbent competitive threat Fondee is displacing — same regulated environment, vastly larger distribution.

Others

• Direct pojišťovna: Sibling Direct Group company offering insurance products with shared IT infrastructure and cross-marketing to Fondee's customer base. Represents an ecosystem/affiliate peer enabling cross-sell rather than direct competition.

Regional players

• Indexa Capital: Spain's largest independent robo-advisor, providing automated ETF portfolios and pension-plan wrappers across multiple European markets. Comparable product architecture (core + retirement wrappers) and low-fee positioning.
• True Wealth: Swiss robo-advisor offering automated ETF-based portfolios for retail investors with transparent flat AUM fees. Comparable pure-D2C digital wealth model, though serving a different (Swiss) market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fondee_cz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fondee