Capital Link International Holdings

What Capital Link International Holdings does

Capital Link International Holdings Limited is a privately held Hong Kong holding company that has organized its operations around three wholly owned business units: Asia Financial Index Group (AFIG) for index creation, Asia Financial (AF) for financial media and data, and Capital Link Asset Management for product issuance. Its flagship product is the AF China Bond 50 Index, described as the first liquid Chinese mainland bond index to benchmark the $14 trillion onshore fixed-income market, with constituents screened and approved by an external advisory board. The asset management arm has announced plans — pending regulatory approvals — to list three themed ETFs on the NYSE in 2023 (Mainland Bonds, Electric Cars, Fintech), benchmarked to AFIG indexes and distributed in partnership with SEC-regulated US investment advisors, alongside a joint venture with a Hong Kong asset manager for active managed fund products.

The company's go-to-market is enterprise and institutional: it sells index licensing to fund managers, pursues joint ventures for higher-fee active AUM, and leverages its in-house media platform (asiafinancial.com, with editorial studios in London, Bombay, New York, and Shanghai) as a top-of-funnel credibility channel for institutional audiences. Revenue mechanics are described as ETF management fees (recurring), index licensing royalties, and active fund AUM fees — none of which are confirmed as live or quantified in the input data. The leadership team, led by founder/Chairman Brett McGonegal (former CEO of The Reorient Group, exited to Alibaba associates for $3.4B) and President Evan Kalimtgis (former MD at JP Morgan London overseeing a $400B fixed-income portfolio build-out), is the company's most quantifiable credential.

Business model mechanics remain pre-commercialization: three ETFs are 'planned,' the JV is in place but no live AUM is disclosed, pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no customer logos, revenue figures, or completed fundraises appear in the available data. This points to a build-out phase where the platform architecture and talent are in place but monetization is forward-dated and contingent on regulatory approval for product launches.

Name

Capital Link International Holdings

Legal name

Capital Link International Holdings Limited

Website

https://capitallinkintl.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Capital Link International Holdings is a Hong Kong holding company operating Media (Asia Financial), Indices (Asia Financial Index Group), and Asset Management units to create and license Chinese-market indexes and launch themed ETFs for institutional investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (525910), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Fixed Income ETFs (Government, Corporate, Munis, TIPS) (FSAAAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fixed Income ETFs & Index/Portfolio Trading (FSACAEAK), Fixed Income Mutual Funds (FSAAAEAB), Fixed Income Brokerage (Bonds) (FSAEACAJ)

Keywords

• Asset management services
• Fixed income indexing
• Chinese bond indices
• Thematic ETF products
• Financial media platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Central

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. ETF Management Fees: Revenue generated from management fees on three branded ETFs planned for NYSE launch in 2023, covering Mainland Bonds, Electric Cars, and Fintech sectors focused on Chinese leadership.
2. Index Licensing: Revenue from licensing the AF China Bond 50 Index and other indexes created by Asia Financial Index Group to institutional product providers.
3. Active Fund Management (AUM): Joint venture with Hong Kong asset manager enables launch of managed fund products as active outperformance vehicles alongside ETFs, driving higher fee AUM growth.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Capital Link International operates an institutionally linked China platform through three wholly owned business units: Media (Asia Financial), Indices (Asia Financial Index Group), and Asset Management. Its core product, the AF China Bond 50 Index, is the first liquid Chinese mainland bond index benchmarking the $14 trillion onshore fixed income market, with three branded ETFs (Mainland Bonds, Electric Cars, Fintech) planned for NYSE listing in 2023 subject to regulatory approvals. Revenue is generated from ETF management fees, index licensing royalties, and active managed fund AUM via a Hong Kong asset management joint venture.

Product overview

Capital Link International Holdings operates as a unified platform with three wholly owned business units aligned through shared index infrastructure. The core offering centers on the AF China Bond 50 Index—the first liquid benchmark for China's $14 trillion onshore bond market—run by subsidiary Asia Financial Index Group (AFIG). The Asia Financial media platform distributes financial news, analysis, and AI-driven indexes. The Asset Management division leverages these indexes to power three planned ETFs (Mainland Bonds, Electric Cars, Fintech) planned for NYSE launch in 2023, in partnership with SEC-regulated US investment advisors and a Hong Kong asset manager for active fund products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Asia Financial Index Group: Index creation and management subsidiary that creates and runs indexes for Chinese mainland bond investments, including the AF China Bond 50 Index family
• Asia Financial
• Capital Link Asset Management

Products and services

• AF China Bond 50 Index The first liquid Chinese mainland bond index and the first investable measure to comprehensively benchmark fixed income tracking products for the Chinese fixed income markets. It benchmarks a $14 trillion market and features methodically screened constituents overseen by the AF China Bond 50 Index Advisory Board. The index is licensed to institutional product providers for use as a benchmark in ETF and fund products.
• Asia Financial Media Platform A financial media, analysis, and data platform delivering accurate and intelligent financial news, insight, and next-generation AI-driven indexes via www.asiafinancial.com. Includes an AF television unit producing content from studios in London, Bombay, New York, and Shanghai. Serves as both a standalone content/data offering for financial professionals and a marketing channel supporting CLI's index and asset management businesses.
• Mainland Bonds ETF A planned branded ETF on the NYSE focusing on Chinese mainland bond market exposure. Subject to regulatory approvals, it will be benchmarked by indexes created by Asia Financial Index Group and distributed in partnership with SEC-regulated US investment advisors.
• Electric Cars ETF A planned branded ETF on the NYSE providing thematic exposure to Chinese leadership in the electric car sector. Subject to regulatory approvals, it will be benchmarked by indexes created by Asia Financial Index Group and distributed in partnership with SEC-regulated US investment advisors.
• Fintech ETF A planned branded ETF on the NYSE providing thematic exposure to Chinese leadership in the fintech sector. Subject to regulatory approvals, it will be benchmarked by indexes created by Asia Financial Index Group and distributed in partnership with SEC-regulated US investment advisors.

Quantifiable outcome

• First liquid Chinese mainland bond index benchmarked to $14 trillion market
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ALLINDEXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapital Link partnered with Swiss index creator ALLINDEX to create the AF China Bond Index family, representing an investable cross section of the Chinese onshore market. This collaboration enabled the development of the first investable Chinese mainland bond index.
• SEC Regulated US Investment AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLI partners with SEC regulated US-based investment advisors for the launch of three branded ETFs on the NYSE, covering Mainland Bonds, Electric Cars, and Fintech sectors. The ETFs are benchmarked by indexes created by CLI's wholly owned subsidiary, Asia Financial Index Group. Launch is subject to regulatory approvals.
• Hong Kong Asset Manager (Joint Venture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLI has a joint venture partnership with a Hong Kong asset manager for the launch of managed fund products alongside branded ETFs. These active outperformance vehicles enable significant growth of higher fee AUM in areas of strong competitive advantage.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Mirae Asset Global Investments: Korea-headquartered asset manager with a sizeable suite of China, Asia, and thematic ETFs listed in HK, Korea, and the US. Comparable as a regional ETF issuer with similar thematic-China product lineup (including EV, fintech exposures) and Asia-fixed income offerings.

Broad incumbents

• China International Capital Corporation (CICC): State-linked Chinese investment bank with asset management and index/research operations covering China onshore bonds and equities. Relevant as a broad incumbent that can build institutional bond index products domestically and offshore, competing for the same institutional Northbound allocation budgets.
• China Asset Management (ChinaAMC): One of China's largest domestic asset managers with offshore ETF offerings (including China bond ETFs via Hong Kong) and a broad Chinese fixed income product range. Comparable on China onshore bond index investing and a credible incumbent in the same institutional Northbound bond allocation set CLI is targeting.
• Bloomberg Indices: Operates the Bloomberg Barclays fixed income index family, including China onshore bond aggregates, and is the dominant institutional bond index licensing franchise globally. Direct comparable on the index-licensing revenue model CLI is pursuing with AF China Bond 50.
• FTSE Russell (LSEG): Global index provider with established China bond and equity benchmark families (WGBI inclusion, FTSE China indices) widely licensed to ETF issuers. Comparable to AFIG on institutional-grade China index licensing and competes for the same Northbound benchmark wallets.
• iShares (BlackRock): BlackRock's iShares franchise dominates global ETF AUM and already lists multiple China-focused ETFs (e.g., iShares China Bond ETF, iShares MSCI China). A broad incumbent whose scale, distribution, and incumbent index relationships (MSCI) compete with CLI's NYSE-listed China ETFs and benchmark ambitions.

Direct peers

• KraneShares: US-based ETF issuer specializing in China and emerging Asia thematic ETFs (e.g., KraneShares China Bond, Electric Vehicles, Fintech). Direct competitor to CLI's planned NYSE ETFs on Mainland Bonds, Electric Cars, and Fintech, with similar index-licensing and thematic-China distribution model.
• CSOP Asset Management: Hong Kong-based asset manager and one of the largest operators of Northbound and offshore China ETFs (including China onshore bond ETFs listed in HK). Closely comparable in product mix — Chinese onshore bond indexing, ETF issuance, and Hong Kong distribution — to CLI's China Bond and HK JV fund products.
• Harvest Global Capital Investments: Hong Kong-based asset manager specializing in China fixed income ETFs and QDII products, including the Harvest China Bond ETF. Direct peer to CLI on the Mainland Bonds ETF thesis, targeting institutional offshore access to China onshore rates.

Emerging players

• Premia Partners: Hong Kong-based ETF issuer focused on China and Asia thematic ETFs using proprietary or partner indexes, similar in size and stage to CLI. Comparable on the 'Asia-themed, index-licensed, NYSE/HKEx-listed' playbook that CLI is pursuing with its three branded ETFs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CapitalLinkInt1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capital-link-international-holdings

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Capital Link International Holdings