GF International

What GF International does

GF International Investment Management Limited (GFIIM) is a privately-held, Hong Kong-incorporated asset management firm and wholly-owned subsidiary of GF Fund Management, one of China's leading mainland asset managers founded in 2003. Established in 2010, GFIIM serves as the international arm and Hong Kong representative office of its parent, distributing onshore Chinese investment funds to overseas and Hong Kong-based retail and institutional clients under cross-border regulatory frameworks including the Mutual Recognition of Funds (MRF) scheme, QFI and RQFII. The firm holds Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) authorization in Hong Kong and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorization in the United Kingdom, giving it licensed reach across Asia and Europe, and positions itself as the bridge between China's capital markets and international investor demand in a market where foreign A-share participation has historically been below 2%.

GFIIM's product set spans three layers: Hong Kong authorized funds (RMB, USD and HKD money market funds with a tokenised USD class; a NASDAQ-100 index fund; short-term investment-grade, global income and new perspective bond funds; and Greater China equity funds including GFI Global Select Equity and GFI China Select Equity); MRF-eligible Mainland funds led by the GF Industry Leaders Mixed Assets Fund (RMB 4.5 billion AUM as of September 2015, primarily invested in manufacturing, transportation, storage and postal service sectors); and private funds for qualified investors. In July 2015 the firm launched the GFI MSCI China A International ETF, the first ETF in Asia tracking that index, listed on HKEX at a 0.80% expense ratio. Underlying technology is conventional regulated fund administration; no proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capability or quantitative algorithm is disclosed.

Revenue is generated primarily through asset-based management fees (typically 1.20%-1.50% per annum depending on share class), supplemented by performance fees on selected funds, subscription and redemption charges, and custodian fees. Distribution runs through Hong Kong retail banks, the SFC-authorized fund platform, and HKEX for the ETF, with stated strategic intent to expand into third-party distribution partnerships that leverage GF Fund Management's extensive mainland China distribution network. The firm sells to two primary segments — Hong Kong retail investors and international institutional investors such as pension funds, insurers, sovereign wealth funds and endowments — and competes on first-mover positioning, low ETF expense ratios, the parent's investment track record, and MRF-eligible product breadth.

Name

GF International

Legal name

GF International Investment Management Limited

Website

https://gffunds.com.hk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GF International Investment Management is a Hong Kong-based asset manager and subsidiary of GF Fund Management, distributing onshore Chinese investment funds and ETFs to retail and institutional investors in Hong Kong and Europe under MRF, SFC, and FCA authorizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (52591)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Global/International & Emerging Markets Mutual Funds (FSAAAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Money Market Funds (FSAAAEAC)

Keywords

• Asset management
• Investment funds
• Mutual funds
• Wealth management
• Fund management

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Management Fees: GFI generates revenue through management fees charged on its investment funds. For example, the GF Industry Leaders Mixed Assets Fund charges a management fee of 1.2% per annum for Class H units. Additional fee income comes from custodian fees (0.25% per annum for Class H).
2. Subscription and Redemption Fees: Funds charge subscription fees (up to 5% of subscription amount) and redemption fees (0.13% of redemption amount) which generate additional revenue.
3. Performance Fees: Some sub-funds such as GFI Global Select Equity Fund charge performance fees in addition to management fees, which can incentivize investment returns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GF International Investment Management Limited operates as a Hong Kong-based asset management company offering a portfolio of SFC-authorized funds, including money market funds (RMB, USD, HKD), bond funds, equity funds, mixed assets funds, and ETFs, serving as the international arm and Hong Kong representative of its parent company GF Fund Management for cross-border investment between Mainland China and global markets.

Product overview

GF International Investment Management Limited operates as a Hong Kong-based asset management company offering a comprehensive suite of fund products. The product portfolio consists of three main categories: (1) Authorized Funds including money market funds (RMB, USD, HKD with a tokenised class variant), bond funds (short-term investment-grade, global income, and new perspective bonds), and equity funds (Global Select Equity, China Select Equity); (2) Authorised Mainland Funds under the MRF scheme such as the GF Industry Leaders Mixed Assets Fund; and (3) Private Funds for qualified investors. The company acts as Hong Kong representative for its parent company GF Fund Management, facilitating cross-border investment access between Mainland China and international markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GF Industry Leaders Mixed Assets Fund
• GFI MSCI China A International ETF
• GF RMB Money Market Fund
• GF USD Money Market Fund
• GF HKD Money Market Fund
• GFI NASDAQ-100 Index Fund
• GF Short Term Investment-Grade Bond Fund
• GFI Global Income Bond Fund
• GFI Global Select Equity Fund
• GFI China Select Equity Fund
• GFI New Perspective Bond Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• 59.15% year-to-date return, outperforming the benchmark CSI 300 as of December 2015
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MSCIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2015GFI launched the first ETF in Asia tracking the MSCI China A International Index, with MSCI providing the index methodology and benchmarks. The index tracks the portion of A shares accessible to international investors and is a precursor to A-share inclusion in MSCI's Emerging Markets Index.
• BOCI-Prudential Trustee LimitedcoreOthersBOCI-Prudential Trustee Limited serves as the Trustee for the GFI Unit Trust Series funds, providing independent oversight and custodial administration services for the fund structure.
• Bank of China (Hong Kong) LimitedcoreOthersBank of China (Hong Kong) Limited acts as the Custodian and QFI Custodian for GFI funds, providing custody services for fund assets and facilitating QFI-related investments in Mainland China.
• Industrial and Commercial Bank of China LimitedcoreOthersIndustrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited serves as the Custodian for the GF Industry Leaders Mixed Assets Fund, providing custody and administration services for the fund.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• China Universal Asset Management: Major Chinese asset manager with growing Hong Kong presence offering MRF funds and overseas distribution. Comparable to GFI in leveraging parent capabilities to access overseas investors seeking China exposure.
• Harvest Global Investments: Hong Kong-based offshore arm of Harvest Fund Management. Comparable as a Chinese-owned international asset manager offering MRF southbound funds, RQFII products, and equity/bond strategies to global investors.
• China Asset Management (Hong Kong) / ChinaAMC: International platform of ChinaAMC, another top-tier Chinese asset manager. Comparable as a Hong Kong-based vehicle for distributing mainland Chinese funds under MRF and providing equity, bond, and money market products to retail and institutional investors.
• E Fund Management (Hong Kong): Hong Kong subsidiary of E Fund Management, one of China's largest asset managers. Directly comparable as a Chinese AM's international arm distributing onshore funds under MRF and offering ETFs and institutional products to overseas investors.
• Bosera Asset Management (International): International subsidiary of Bosera Fund, one of China's established fund managers. Directly comparable as a Chinese AM's overseas arm distributing MRF funds and providing China A-share and global fixed income exposure.
• ICBC Credit Suisse Asset Management (ICBC CS): Hong Kong joint-venture asset management arm of ICBC. Comparable as a mainland Chinese bank's offshore asset management platform distributing MRF funds and providing China equity, bond, and money market products to overseas investors.

Broad incumbents

• iShares (BlackRock) - China A-share ETFs: BlackRock's iShares franchise operates large, low-cost MSCI China A and broader China ETFs globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent competitor in the MSCI China A ETF category where GFI's flagship ETF competes on expense ratio.
• HSBC Global Asset Management: Global asset manager with deep China A-share ETF and institutional offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent targeting the same international institutional investors GFI serves, with significantly larger scale and distribution.

Emerging players

• Mirae Asset Global Investments: Asia-focused asset manager with Hong Kong presence offering China A-share ETFs and emerging market equity funds. Comparable as a competitor in the China A-share ETF category and as an Asian-based manager serving similar investor segments.

Regional players

• Value Partners Group: Hong Kong-headquartered asset manager specializing in Greater China and Asia equities. Comparable as a regionally-rooted manager offering China equity strategies to institutional and retail investors, though GFI operates with parent Chinese-AM backing rather than as an independent Hong Kong firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gf-international-investment-management-ltd

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 GF International