WealthBar
WealthBar (operating as CI Direct Investing) is a Canadian online wealth management firm offering automated ETF, ESG, and private-asset portfolios with integrated financial planning, serving individual investors across Canada via a digital platform and mobile apps.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What WealthBar does
WealthBar Financial Services Inc. is a Canadian online wealth management firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Vancouver, operating under the CI Direct Investing brand as a wholly owned subsidiary of CI Financial Corp. The company delivers automated investment management combined with access to human financial advisors and planners, serving individual retail investors across Canada through a digital platform and mobile applications on iOS and Android. Its product surface comprises three managed-portfolio lines — globally diversified ETF portfolios, ESG/impact portfolios, and Private/alternative-asset portfolios for qualified investors — plus integrated financial planning and unlimited advice as relationship-based services.
The underlying technology stack is a digital wealth platform with mobile apps, automated account opening, and portfolio management infrastructure; the 2019 acquisition of Snap Projections added financial planning software capabilities to the offering. Distribution is product-led and self-serve: customers open accounts online in minutes, fund portfolios, and access advisors on demand, supported by content marketing, LinkedIn/Facebook presence, and app-store distribution.
The business model is recurring revenue from tiered management fees on assets under management, with fees decreasing as investment amounts increase. The firm is registered as a portfolio manager under securities legislation in all Canadian provinces and territories, which is the regulatory backbone enabling its discretionary managed-portfolio offering. Operating geographies are limited to Canada, and the unit now functions as the digital direct-investing channel within CI Financial Corp.'s broader wealth and asset management franchise.
WealthBar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WealthBar
- Legal name
- WealthBar Financial Services Inc.
- Website
- https://wealthbar.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WealthBar (operating as CI Direct Investing) is a Canadian online wealth management firm offering automated ETF, ESG, and private-asset portfolios with integrated financial planning, serving individual investors across Canada via a digital platform and mobile apps.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WealthBar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Wealth Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hybrid Advice (Advisor + Digital) Platforms (FSAAAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Full-Service Retail Brokerage & Wealth Platforms (FSAAAAAA)
Keywords
Where WealthBar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
WealthBar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wealth Management Fees: Management fees charged on assets under management. The platform operates on a tiered pricing model where fees decrease as investment amounts increase.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Tiered pricing based on investment amount |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
WealthBar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WealthBar (operating as CI Direct Investing) is an online wealth management platform that delivers managed investment portfolios — including globally diversified ETF Portfolios, values-aligned ESG Portfolios, and Private/alternative-asset Portfolios — paired with personalized financial advice from human portfolio managers and financial planners. The service is delivered through a self-serve web platform and mobile apps (iOS and Android), with automated investing, savings habit tracking, and on-demand access to advisors for individual Canadian investors.
Product overview
CI Direct Investing (formerly WealthBar Financial Services Inc.) is a unified online wealth management platform offering managed investment portfolios with professional financial advice. The core platform provides three main portfolio types: ETF Portfolios for global diversification at low cost, ESG Portfolios for values-based investing, and Private Portfolios for alternative asset exposure. All services are delivered through the WealthBar mobile app for iOS and Android, enabling automated investing, savings tracking, and access to financial advisors. The company also operates CI Direct Trading as a separate order-execution discount brokerage service through Virtual Brokers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CI Direct Investing Platform
Companies that use WealthBar
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
WealthBar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
WealthBar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- CI Financial CorpcoreWealthBar is a wholly owned subsidiary of CI Financial Corp, an independent company offering global wealth management and asset management advisory services. This corporate structure provides operational backing and potential cross-selling opportunities within the CI Financial ecosystem.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WealthBar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wealthsimple: Wealthsimple is Canada's largest digital wealth platform offering managed portfolios (Wealthsimple Invest), self-directed trading, and cash/save products. It is the most direct peer to WealthBar/CI Direct Investing in Canadian mass-market digital investing, with overlapping product categories (ETF portfolios, ESG, access to advisors via premium tiers) and a similar mobile-first, fee-based model.
- Questwealth Portfolios: Questwealth Portfolios is Questrade's robo-advisor offering providing low-fee managed ETF portfolios to Canadian retail investors. It competes head-to-head with WealthBar on tiered pricing, automated portfolio management, and the mass-affluent retail segment.
- Justwealth: Justwealth is a Canadian robo-advisor offering low-fee managed ETF portfolios with financial planning tools. Highly comparable to WealthBar in target customer, product type (managed ETF portfolios), and fee structure.
- Modern Advisor: Modern Advisor (formerly ModernAdvisor) is a Canadian digital wealth management platform providing managed portfolios for retail clients with access to advisors. It competes with WealthBar on a similar hybrid advice model in the Canadian mass-affluent segment.
- RBC InvestEase: RBC InvestEase is RBC's direct-to-consumer robo-advisor offering managed ETF portfolios with optional advisor support. It is a direct competitor to WealthBar on hybrid digital+human advice, though backed by a major Canadian bank with deeper distribution and balance sheet.
- BMO SmartFolio: BMO SmartFolio is the Bank of Montreal's robo-advisor offering managed portfolios to Canadian retail investors. Comparable to WealthBar on automated portfolio management, fees, and target market, but with the advantage of incumbent bank distribution.
- Betterment: Betterment is one of the largest U.S. digital wealth advisors, offering managed ETF portfolios with tiered pricing and human advisor access. It is a useful comparable to WealthBar on product design and pricing model, even though it serves a U.S. (not Canadian) customer base.
- Wealthfront: Wealthfront is a leading U.S. robo-advisor offering automated, low-fee managed portfolios with planning tools. It parallels WealthBar on the automated portfolio / hybrid advice model and tiered AUM-based pricing, though Wealthfront operates in the U.S. rather than Canada.
Emerging players
- CI Direct Trading (Virtual Brokers): CI Direct Trading is the self-directed brokerage arm under the same CI Financial Corp parent as WealthBar, offering execution-only discount brokerage via the Virtual Brokers platform. It is a sister service within the same corporate family, addressing adjacent self-directed and trading needs of the same client base.
Broad incumbents
- Scotia iTRADE / Tangerine Investment Funds: Scotiabank's investment offerings — including Tangerine's low-cost mutual fund portfolios — serve the same Canadian mass-affluent retail investor with managed portfolios and easy onboarding. They are broader incumbents in the Canadian retail wealth space rather than pure-play digital wealth specialists.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WealthBar social profiles
Digital presenceWealthBar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WealthBar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
WealthBar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WealthBar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WealthBar
What does WealthBar do?
WealthBar (operating as CI Direct Investing) is an online wealth management platform that delivers managed investment portfolios — including globally diversified ETF Portfolios, values-aligned ESG Portfolios, and Private/alternative-asset Portfolios — paired with personalized financial advice from human portfolio managers and financial planners. The service is delivered through a self-serve web platform and mobile apps (iOS and Android), with automated investing, savings habit tracking, and on-demand access to advisors for individual Canadian investors.
Is WealthBar a public or private company?
WealthBar is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was WealthBar founded?
WealthBar was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WealthBar based?
WealthBar is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does WealthBar make money?
One revenue line is on record: wealth Management Fees.
Who are WealthBar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wealthsimple, Questwealth Portfolios, Justwealth, Modern Advisor, RBC InvestEase, BMO SmartFolio, Betterment and Wealthfront. CI Direct Trading (Virtual Brokers) is listed as an emerging player. Scotia iTRADE / Tangerine Investment Funds is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does WealthBar have an API?
No public API is recorded for WealthBar.
What industry is WealthBar in?
WealthBar's product category is Online Wealth Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAAAAE, Hybrid Advice (Advisor + Digital) Platforms, with a secondary code of FSAAAAAA, Full-Service Retail Brokerage & Wealth Platforms. Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.