Zurich Invest

What Zurich Invest does

Zurich Invest Ltd is a Swiss institutional asset manager and wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, operating as the manager of the Zurich investment foundation — Switzerland's largest non-bank investment foundation. The company manages more than CHF 42 billion across pension funds, institutional investors, and private customers, employing a multi-manager selection model in which it independently selects and continuously monitors 25+ best-in-class asset managers worldwide for each asset class, without conflicts of interest. Core products span bonds, equities, real estate, alternatives, mixed/strategy funds, and a dedicated infrastructure franchise built since 2013 with USD 2.3+ billion in capital commitments and 90+ co-investments, currently anchored by the open-end Infrastructure Evergreen vehicle launched in November 2023 in partnership with GCM Grosvenor.

The firm generates revenue primarily through recurring management fees on AUM (1% on NAV for Infrastructure Evergreen), supplemented by performance fees (8% with 7.5% hurdle) and cost-pass-through savings negotiated through its institutional scale. Distribution occurs via direct enterprise sales with dedicated client advisors and regional relationship managers, supported by Fundgate digital portals providing daily performance data and documentation. Products are accessible only to Swiss-resident customers, with explicit restrictions on US, UK, and Japan. The company holds FINMA authorization for collective investment scheme management and OPSC supervision for occupational pension (BVV2) compliance, with the investment foundation structure conferring tax advantages (no VAT, no stamp duty on securities transactions) unavailable to non-foundation competitors.

Recent strategic direction under new CEO Sandra Cafazzo (appointed October 2023 after Martin Gubler's 16-year tenure) emphasizes systematic institutional client focus, product expansion into climate-aligned fixed income (Zurich Climate Focus Euro/US Corporate Bond Funds launched January 2026), domestic geographic expansion into Romandie, and portfolio rationalization including the divestiture of the Australian ZIM arm to Russell Investments (announced January 2026).

Name

Zurich Invest

Legal name

Zurich Invest Ltd

Website

https://zurichinvest.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Zurich Invest Ltd is a Swiss institutional asset manager and wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, managing more than CHF 42 billion through independent multi-manager selection for pension funds, institutional investors, and private customers across Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Institutional Asset Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Pension Funds (52511), Open-End Investment Funds (525910)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Asset Solutions for Institutional (Pensions/Endowments/Sovereigns) (FSAAAJAJ), Multi-Manager / Multi-PM Platforms (FSAHAKAD), Real Estate Portfolio & Fund Management (Institutional/REIT/PE) (BPAJAMAJ)

Keywords

• Institutional asset management
• Pension fund solutions
• Investment foundation management
• Multi-manager selection
• Infrastructure co-investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Management Fees: Zurich Invest generates revenue through management fees charged on assets under management. For infrastructure investments, a 1% management fee on net asset value is charged, plus additional fees at the target fund level. Performance fees of 8% apply for infrastructure products with a 7.5% hurdle rate.
2. Cost Efficiency Pass-through: Zurich Invest leverages its large volume of institutional business to negotiate significant discounts from business partners, which are passed on to customers through attractive fees. The firm's large scale enables cost reductions for institutional investors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zurich Invest Ltd manages the Zurich investment foundation, Switzerland's largest non-bank investment foundation, providing multi-manager investment solutions for Swiss pension funds, institutional investors, and private customers. The firm selects and partners with 25+ independent best-in-class asset managers globally across asset classes including bonds, equities, real estate, alternatives, mixed/strategy funds, and infrastructure co-investments, managing CHF 42-45 billion in assets under management.

Product overview

Zurich Invest is Switzerland's largest independent investment foundation (non-bank), managing approximately CHF 42-45 billion in assets across pension funds, institutional investors, and private customers. The company operates primarily as a manager selection and fund management platform, selecting best-in-class asset managers for each asset class. Core products include: (1) Infrastructure Evergreen (USD unhedged, launched Nov 2023) and CHF hedged variant (planned Jan 2027), managed by GCM Grosvenor with co-investment approach; (2) Zurich Climate Focus US/Euro Corporate Bond Funds for climate-aligned fixed income; (3) Real estate solutions including ZIF Real Estate Direct Switzerland; (4) Traditional asset class investment groups (bonds, equities, alternatives, mixed/strategy funds) available via Fundgate portals. The company follows a three-pillar sustainability approach: ESG Integration, Impact Investing, and Advancing Together through active stewardship and exclusion policies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Infrastructure Evergreen (USD unhedged) Open-end (evergreen) infrastructure investment group for pension funds investing in global co-investments with a focus on core/core+ brownfield infrastructure; USD unhedged currency exposure. 1% management fee on NAV plus 8% performance fee with 7.5% hurdle rate.
• Infrastructure Programs I-VI Closed-end infrastructure investment programs I through VI (all closed) for pension funds, built on a broadly diversified co-investment approach in existing infrastructure projects since 2013.
• Infrastructure Solutions Comprehensive infrastructure investment offering for pension funds, encompassing the evergreen open-end Infrastructure Evergreen program and closed-end Infrastructure Programs I-VI, managed via a co-investment approach with GCM Grosvenor.
• Zurich Climate Focus US Corporate Bond Fund Low-carbon investment strategy fund targeting the 1.5°C Paris Agreement climate goal; invests in USD-denominated investment-grade corporate bonds, emphasizing clean technology companies and excluding controversial sectors.
• Zurich Climate Focus Euro Corporate Bond Fund Low-carbon investment strategy fund aligned with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement climate goal; minimum 15% sustainable investments, managed passively using a customized MSCI index, focuses on green companies with carbon offsetting. EUR-denominated investment-grade corporate bonds.
• Bonds & Money Market Investment Groups Investment groups offering bonds and money market instruments for pension funds, managed through the Zurich investment foundation structure with independently selected best-in-class asset managers.
• Equities Investment Groups Equity investment groups offering diversified equity exposure for pension funds, managed by independently selected best-in-class asset managers across the Zurich investment foundation platform.
• ZIF Real Estate (ZAST Real Estate) Real estate investment solutions including ZIF Real Estate Direct Switzerland, offering Swiss and European real estate investments with a sustainability focus for pension funds and institutional investors.
• Alternative Investments Alternative investment solutions including private equity and infrastructure co-investments for Swiss pension funds, offering diversification beyond traditional asset classes.
• Mixed and Strategy Funds Balanced and strategic fund solutions combining multiple asset classes for pension funds seeking diversified portfolio implementation through the Zurich investment foundation.
• Manager Selection Service Independent best-in-class manager selection service where Zurich Invest identifies, selects, and continuously monitors the best portfolio managers globally, selecting optimal products and partners for each asset class without conflicts of interest.
• Fundgate Portals Online performance and document portals for pension funds (digital.feprecisionplus.com/zurichpension), institutional investors (digital.feprecisionplus.com/zurichinvest), and private customers (digital.feprecisionplus.com/zurichretail) to access fund details, daily performance figures, and legal documentation.
• Green Mortgage Mortgage product for private customers with incentives for energy-saving renovations, designed to establish climate protection within a mortgage portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• CHF 42+ billion in assets under management
• +3 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Russell InvestmentsminorOthers · 29 January 2026Russell Investments agreed to acquire Zurich Investment Management Ltd (ZIM) from Zurich Financial Services Australia in a transaction adding nearly $2 billion in funds under management. This represents a divestment by Zurich to concentrate on core insurance activities. The deal was expected to close around end of Q1 2026 pending regulatory approval.
• GCM GrosvenorcoreTechnology or Integration · 27 November 2023GCM Grosvenor serves as the external infrastructure investment manager for Zurich Invest's Infrastructure Evergreen products. GCM Grosvenor is one of the world's largest and most diversified alternative asset management companies, with a 23-strong experienced infrastructure team, 8 global branches, and infrastructure experience since 2003. The partnership provides Zurich Invest's pension fund clients access to global co-investment opportunities in core/core+ brownfield infrastructure investments.
• 25+ Asset Management PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZurich Invest selects and partners with the best independent asset managers globally for each asset class. These 25+ partners are selected through a structured process and continuously monitored for performance. The firm maintains independence to select ideal solutions without conflicts of interest.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GAM Investments: Swiss asset manager specializing in actively managed investment solutions for institutional and intermediary clients; comparable as a Zurich-headquartered multi-manager/investment-specialist with active institutional focus.
• Pictet Asset Management: Swiss-headquartered institutional asset manager offering pooled fund solutions and mandates to pension funds and institutional investors; directly comparable as a Geneva-based multi-asset manager serving Swiss and European institutional clients.
• Lombard Odier Investment Managers: Swiss private bank's asset management arm serving institutional clients and pension funds with discretionary portfolio management and multi-asset solutions; directly comparable Swiss-headquartered institutional peer.
• Swisscanto (by Zürcher Kantonalbank): Swisscanto is the asset management arm of Zürcher Kantonalbank and a direct competitor to Zurich Invest, offering investment foundations and institutional fund solutions specifically for Swiss pension funds with a similar BVV2-compliant multi-manager structure.
• Vontobel Asset Management: Zurich-based asset manager offering multi-manager and multi-asset solutions to institutional clients including pension funds, with comparable Swiss institutional distribution and fund-of-funds capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• BlackRock: Global asset management incumbent that increasingly competes in the OCIO and institutional multi-manager space; competes for Swiss pension fund mandates with index-led and open-architecture solutions at greater scale.
• UBS Asset Management: Switzerland's largest asset manager with broad institutional and retail capabilities including pension fund solutions; broader incumbent that overlaps with Zurich Invest's institutional Swiss pension fund business but at much larger global scale.
• Russell Investments: Global multi-asset manager and OCIO provider that explicitly entered the Zurich ecosystem via the 2026 acquisition of Zurich Investment Management Australia; broad incumbent offering multi-manager solutions directly comparable to Zurich Invest's model.
• Credit Suisse Asset Management (now UBS): Historical Swiss institutional asset manager (now integrated with UBS AM) that previously served Swiss pension funds with comparable investment foundation structures; illustrates the broader-incumbent competitive dynamic.

Emerging players

• GCM Grosvenor: Direct strategic partner of Zurich Invest and external infrastructure investment manager for the Infrastructure Evergreen program; an alternative asset manager whose capabilities are embedded within Zurich Invest's infrastructure offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zurichinvest

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Zurich Invest