Exponent Investment Management

What Exponent Investment Management does

Exponent Investment Management Inc. is an independent, privately-held Canadian wealth management firm founded in 2011 and headquartered in Ottawa, with a secondary office in Winnipeg. It provides discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning to high-net-worth Canadians, typically those with $250,000+ in investable assets, serving clients coast-to-coast. The firm targets eight defined personas horizontally—pre-retirees/retirees, business owner-managers, corporate executives, accounting and healthcare professionals, multi-generational business shareholders, windfall recipients, and sports/entertainment professionals—with a planning-first approach spanning tax, cash flow, estate, succession, and retirement income planning.

The product architecture is organized around three tiered Wealth Plans (Foundation, Accumulator, Harvester) that sit atop two core services—Financial Planning and Investment Management—supplemented by specialized offerings including Individual Pension Plans (IPP) for incorporated business owners, portfolio reviews, and the proprietary EIM Partners Fund. The core technical delivery mechanism is Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs), in which clients hold portfolios of individual securities managed on a discretionary basis rather than pooled products, providing position-level and dividend transparency. Client account access is delivered through third-party portals (NDEX Systems, NBIN, Aviso/Credential Securities) rather than proprietary software, and custody, back-office, and investor protection (CIPF) are provided by external custodians (Aviso, NBIN) under CIRO regulatory oversight.

The business model is fee-based recurring revenue: clients pay annual management fees ranging from 0.3% to 1.6% of assets under management, with larger accounts receiving lower rates, and no transaction-based or performance fees. Go-to-market is sales-led and consultation-driven, beginning with a 15-minute fit assessment and supported by content marketing lead magnets (retirement and TFSA-vs-RRSP calculators, the free book "Cherished Fortune," Financial Post/National Post Family Finance columns, and a YouTube channel with quarterly market updates). The firm competitively positions its independence and fiduciary alignment against banks (1.5%–3% fees) and robo-advisors (0.3%–0.4% plus product fees).

Name

Exponent Investment Management

Legal name

Exponent Investment Management Inc.

Website

https://ex-ponent.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Independent Ottawa-based wealth management firm (founded 2011) providing discretionary investment management and financial planning via separately managed accounts to high-net-worth Canadians with $250K+ in investable assets, on a 0.3%–1.6% AUM fee model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/ESG Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Execution-Only / Self-Directed Investing Platforms (FSAAAAAI), ESG Indexing & ESG ETFs (Rules-Based ESG Benchmarks and Passive Products) (FSAAALAE), Evergreen / Open-Ended Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAGAM)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Financial planning advisory
• Investment management services
• Retirement income planning
• Portfolio management advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

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. Asset Under Management (AUM) Fees: Fee-based model where clients pay annual management fees ranging from 0.3% to 1.6% based on assets under management. Larger accounts receive lower fee rates. No transaction-based fees or performance fees. Fees are tax-deductible for non-registered accounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Exponent Investment Management is an independent Canadian wealth management firm offering a planning-first suite of services built around tiered Wealth Plans (Foundation, Accumulator, Harvester) that combine comprehensive financial planning with discretionary investment management. Portfolios are constructed using Separately Managed Accounts of individual securities on a transparent, fee-only basis, with annual AUM management fees ranging from 0.3% to 1.6%. Specialized offerings include Individual Pension Plans (IPP) for incorporated professionals and the proprietary EIM Partners Fund.

Product overview

Exponent Investment Management is an independent Canadian wealth management firm offering a tiered product structure centered on three Wealth Plans (Foundation, Accumulator, and Harvester) that build upon core services of Financial Planning and Investment Management. The firm's services are delivered through separately managed accounts using a planning-first approach, supplemented by specialized offerings including Individual Pension Plans (IPP) for business owners, the EIM Partners Fund, and client portal access via third-party platforms (NDEX, NBIN, Aviso). The firm provides free financial tools including retirement and TFSA/RRSP calculators, the Cherished Fortune educational book, and a library of investing lessons and market updates. Founded in 2011, the firm is not owned by a large bank or insurance company, enabling it to build simple, diversified portfolios aligned with client interests rather than corporate shareholder interests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EIM Partners Fund: A fund offered by Exponent Investment Management for investors.

Products and services

• Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning service providing a personalized roadmap to help clients accomplish their financial goals, encompassing estate work, succession planning, insurance, and tax-efficient income planning. Served by senior advisors and integrated across all Wealth Plans.
• Investment Management Discretionary portfolio management service building diversified global portfolios designed to meet client cash flow needs in a tax-efficient manner, using Separately Managed Accounts that hold individual securities. Delivered with quarterly market updates and annual in-person reviews.
• Portfolio Review Standalone review service evaluating whether a client's current portfolio manager is the right fit, assessing portfolio construction, return adequacy, fee efficiency, and composition against the client's specific needs.
• Individual Pension Plan (IPP) Registered pension plan for incorporated professionals and business owners, allowing larger tax-deductible contributions than RRSPs with creditor protection and tax-deferred growth.
• EIM Partners Fund Proprietary investment fund managed by Exponent Investment Management for qualified investors, offered under the firm's sub-brand EIM Partners Fund.
• Foundation Wealth Plan Entry-level tiered wealth management plan for professionals building a strong financial foundation, bundling personalized financial and investment planning, debt and cash flow optimization, estate plan and life insurance review, portfolio construction, quarterly market updates, annual in-person review, and a structured rolling 3-year plan.
• Accumulator Wealth Plan Mid-tier wealth management plan for high earners or business owners scaling up, bundling advanced financial and investment planning, tax optimization, estate and succession planning, portfolio construction, and a structured rolling 3-year plan to accelerate wealth.
• Harvester Wealth Plan Premium wealth management plan for retirees or those managing wealth transitions, bundling retirement income and investment planning, tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, estate plan and wealth transfer preparation, intergenerational wealth and charitable giving planning, portfolio construction, and a structured rolling 3-year plan.

Quantifiable outcome

• Management fees 0.3%-1.6% vs banks 1.5%-3% and robo-advisors 0.3%-0.4%+product fee
• +1 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CIRO (Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization)coreOthersRegulatory oversight body. Exponent provides CIRO complaints and investor protection information to clients. CIRO protects investors through regulation of investment dealers and portfolio managers.
• Aviso (Credential Securities)coreOthersCustodial and back-office services including account administration, statement delivery, and investor protection through CIPF (Canadian Investor Protection Fund).
• NBIN (National Bank Independent Network)coreOthersCustodial platform providing account management, reporting, and disclosure documents for certain client accounts.
• Andrew AllentuckminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-author of 'Cherished Fortune' book with Benoit Poliquin. Allentuck writes the Family Finance column for the Financial Post.
• CIPF (Canadian Investor Protection Fund)coreOthersInsures eligible client assets held at member firms, providing protection against insolvency of the investment dealer.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CG Wealth Management (formerly Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management): Major Canadian independent wealth advisory firm serving HNW households with fee-based portfolio management and financial planning — closest direct competitor in size, structure, and Canadian HNW focus.
• MD Financial Management: Canadian wealth and financial planning firm (now Scotiabank-owned) serving physician, healthcare professional, and HNW segments — directly overlaps Exponent's Health Care Professional and Corporate Executive segments.
• Richardson Wealth / RF Capital Group: Canadian independent wealth management platform serving HNW clients with discretionary and fee-based advisory services, comparable to Exponent's boutique HNW positioning.
• Nicola Wealth Management: Canadian independent wealth advisory firm offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and specialized services for business owners and retirees — directly comparable target segments and service mix to Exponent.
• Jarislowsky Fraser: Canadian independent (now BMO-owned) investment manager known for active, concentrated equity portfolios for institutional and HNW clients. Highly comparable active management style targeting Canadian investors.
• PWL Capital: Canadian independent fee-only wealth management firm offering financial planning and discretionary portfolio management for HNW families — comparable independent fiduciary model in Canada.
• Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel: Vancouver-based Canadian independent investment counsel managing portfolios for HNW individuals, families, and foundations — closely aligned boutique advisor model with discretionary SMA approach.

Broad incumbents

• Wealthsimple: Large Canadian digital wealth manager offering both robo-advisory and private client (Wealthsimple Private) services. Competitor for HNW Canadian households, though with a digital-first delivery model rather than Exponent's advisor-led SMA model.
• Rothschild & Co Wealth Management (Canada): Global wealth manager serving Canadian HNW and UHNW clients with discretionary portfolio management — directly comparable advisory offering to Exponent's SMA-based private client services.
• iA Private Wealth (iA Securities): Large Canadian dealer/advisory network (iA Financial Group) providing wealth advisory services to Canadian HNW clients — competitor for advisor-led wealth management at a larger institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAvn7WTmpzLZ0FoNkvMfEYQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/exponentinvestmentmanagement
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/exponent-investment-management
• Instagraminstagram.com/exponentim

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Exponent Investment Management