Vertium Asset Management

What Vertium Asset Management does

Vertium Asset Management Pty Ltd is a Sydney-based boutique Australian equity income fund manager founded in 2017 by Jason Teh, a former senior portfolio manager at Investors Mutual. The firm operates as a Corporate Authorised Representative of Clime Asset Management Pty Ltd (AFSL 221146), an ASX-listed financial services group that provides distribution reach, regulatory authorization, and operational support. Its flagship and effectively sole product is the Vertium Equity Income Fund (APIR OPS1827AU), launched on 30 April 2017, which targets a 6-8% p.a. grossed-up income stream for retirees, conservative investors, SMSFs, and institutions seeking lower-risk equity diversification.

The investment process is a fundamental, human-driven 5-step approach concentrated on 20-40 Australian listed stocks with a low market beta (0.64 versus the S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index as of May 2026) and an integrated conservative options overlay for additional income. The strategy explicitly identifies four categories of mispriced stocks - value traps, expensive stocks, "bathwater babies" (market overreactions), and "neglected orphans" (market underreactions) - and combines dividends, franking credits, and option premia to deliver yield while targeting capital preservation. The fund is rated by Zenith Investment Partners (May 2024) and Lonsec (October 2021).

Vertium monetizes through management fees on AUM under a recurring subscription model, though specific fee levels are disclosed only in the Product Disclosure Statement. Distribution is adviser-led: a dedicated wholesale and private wealth team operates across NSW/ACT/WA (Paul Stojanovic), VIC/SA (Melanie Fairbairn), and QLD (Shanene Romano), supported by Associate Global as a channel partner, with the fund also available through investment platforms and direct via InvestorServe/AdviserServe login portals. Marketing relies on thought leadership content via the Vertium Insights blog, LinkedIn, RSS, and CIO contributions to Livewire Markets. The firm reports 1-10 employees, has no subsidiaries or disclosed funding rounds, and is privately held with staff ownership described as an alignment mechanism with investors.

Name

Vertium Asset Management

Legal name

Vertium Asset Management Pty Ltd

Website

https://vertium.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vertium Asset Management is a Sydney-based boutique Australian equity income fund manager operating under Clime Asset Management's AFSL, serving retirees and conservative investors with a low-beta, franking-credit-driven equity income strategy via adviser and platform distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equity Income Fund Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Target-Risk / Risk-Managed Allocation Funds (FSAAAEAG)

Keywords

• Equity income fund
• Retirement income investing
• Low beta equities
• Franking credit strategy
• Boutique asset management

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: Vertium Asset Management operates as a fund manager generating revenue through management fees charged on the Vertium Equity Income Fund's assets under management. The fund targets an attractive income stream of 6-8% p.a. through the market cycle.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vertium Asset Management is an Australian boutique fund manager that offers the Vertium Equity Income Fund, a lower-risk Australian equity income strategy designed for retirees and conservative investors. The fund holds 20-40 Australian listed stocks and targets an income stream of 6-8% p.a. (grossed-up) through dividends, franking credits, and a conservative option overlay, with a focus on capital preservation and lower volatility than the broader Australian share market.

Product overview

Vertium Asset Management operates as a specialist Australian equity income investment manager offering a unified product suite centered on the Vertium Equity Income Fund. The fund is supported by the Responsible Investment Policy (ESG framework) and a disciplined Investment Approach, all unified under the Equity Income Strategy. The portfolio holds 20-40 stocks targeting 6-8% p.a. income with lower volatility than the Australian share market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vertium Equity Income Fund: The flagship fund product of Vertium Asset Management, designed to provide Australian income investors with 6-8% p.a. income stream with focus on capital preservation and lower volatility than the Australian share market.

Products and services

• Vertium Equity Income Fund A lower-risk Australian equity income fund designed for retirees and conservative investors, targeting 6-8% p.a. income through dividends, franking credits, and a conservative option strategy, with a concentrated 20-40 stock portfolio and a focus on capital preservation. Distributed to retail, wholesale, and institutional clients via financial advisers, platforms, and a dedicated wholesale and private wealth distribution team.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% less volatile than the Australian share market
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Clime Asset ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClime Asset Management (AFSL 221146) is Vertium's parent/affiliated entity. Vertium is a Corporate Authorised Representative (No. 001258758) of Clime Asset Management. Clime provides operational support, distribution partnership, and investment resources. Vertium draws on Clime's team to enhance its operational capabilities and share valuable insights. The company also provides account login links through Clime's systems.
• Clime Investment ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDescribed as Vertium's distribution and business partner, providing distribution reach and business support.
• Associate GlobalmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional wholesale and private wealth distribution directors (Nicole Aubrey, Paul Stojanovic, Melanie Fairbairn, Shanene Romano) are associated with Associate Global and use @associateglobal.com email domains for Vertium distribution activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plato Investment Management: Australian boutique equity income and income-replacement specialist managing concentrated Australian equity portfolios with options overlays. Highly comparable investment philosophy and target retiree/conservative investor segment.
• Investors Mutual: Australian boutique asset manager specializing in Australian equities with a value/income tilt. Directly comparable to Vertium as the firm where founder Jason Teh previously managed the equity income strategy, and operates a similar AUM scale and adviser-led distribution model.
• WAM Capital (Wilson Asset Management): Australian listed investment company and fund manager focused on Australian small/mid-cap equities with an income tilt. Comparable income-focused investment approach and Australian equity specialization, though distributed via listed and unlisted vehicles.
• Ausbil Investment Management: Australian boutique active equity manager with a fundamental, income-aware approach to Australian and global equities. Comparable boutique positioning, active management philosophy, and adviser-driven distribution model.
• Ellerston Capital: Australian boutique manager offering Australian equity long-short and income strategies to wholesale and institutional clients. Comparable in boutique positioning, equity income focus, and adviser/wholesale distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Pendal Group: Australian-listed asset manager with Australian equities, fixed income, and multi-asset capabilities. Competes for adviser and institutional mandates in Australian equity income and conservative balanced strategies, though at substantially larger AUM scale.
• Clime Asset Management: ASX-listed parent and distribution partner of Vertium, providing broader Australian equity and fixed income capabilities across multiple strategies. Comparable as a fellow Australian boutique manager and the operational umbrella under which Vertium operates.
• Perpetual Limited: One of Australia's largest incumbent fund managers with a long-standing Australian equities franchise including income-focused strategies. Competes for the same adviser-driven distribution channel and retiree investor segment, though at much larger scale.
• Magellan Financial Group: Australian asset manager with global and domestic equity strategies distributed through adviser and institutional channels. Overlaps with Vertium in adviser-led distribution and Australian equity exposure, though typically positioned for growth rather than income mandates.

Emerging players

• Antipodes Partners: Australian boutique manager with a value-tilted global equity strategy. Comparable as a boutique fund manager with concentrated, contrarian investment philosophy and adviser-led distribution, though primarily global rather than Australian-only.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vertium-asset-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Vertium Asset Management