Van Lanschot Kempen enters into strategic partnership with Robeco and acquires online investment platform

Van Lanschot Kempen and Robeco have reached agreement on Van Lanschot Kempen’s acquisition of Robeco’s online distribution platform for investment services. The partnership fits in with Robeco’s strategic focus on its core business in the Dutch and global wholesale and institutional markets. Previously Robeco discontinued its fiduciary management and private equity activities. The transfer of the direct retail activities is a next step in this process. For Van Lanschot Kempen, the acquisition provides a strong vantage point for further growth in line with its strategic objectives and respond to the growing demand for online investment solutions among others as the Dutch pensions market moves towards more individualised pensions.

The online distribution platform for investment services of Robeco Retail will merge with Evi van Lanschot. The combination had €6.0 billion in AuM for circa 150,000 clients at the end of 2022. The combined platform will continue to offer Robeco’s investment funds and the impact on Robeco’s AuM will therefore be limited. Robeco’s clients will retain their current investments under the same conditions.

The transaction sees Robeco and Van Lanschot Kempen bring together the deep-seated knowledge and expertise of two investment houses with a long Dutch history. As part of the transaction, both parties commit to stepping up collaboration on behalf of Van Lanschot Kempen’s private banking clients.

Together, Robeco and Evi van Lanschot will work on a smooth transfer of the Robeco Retail activities. Robeco’s investment funds will remain available to clients post-transfer under the Evi van Lanschot name. Robeco Retail’s staff will join Van Lanschot Kempen and, together with the colleagues at Evi van Lanschot, will work towards the further growth of online investment services.

Karin van Baardwijk, Robeco’s CEO, said: “Since its inception nearly 95 years ago, Robeco has evolved from a Netherlands-based investment consortium into an international asset manager that serves institutional investors and distributes its investment funds through platforms such as banks, insurers and other intermediaries. This new partnership fits in with our strategic focus on further enhancing this position, with the Dutch market remaining a key priority. We’ve took extreme caution and care in our search to find a partner that would offer a new home, sufficient growth and future-oriented perspective to both our online distribution platform clients and our colleagues. We look forward to expanding and enhancing this partnership and offering our combined proposition to clients.”

Maarten Edixhoven, Chair of the Van Lanschot Kempen Management Board, added: “This acquisition provides an opportunity for us to fuel our growth aspirations for Evi van Lanschot. The partnership will turn Evi van Lanschot into the leading platform for online investment services in the Netherlands. We’re seeing a strong demand from clients for an independent Dutch player. I’m delighted to welcome the Robeco Retail employees into our organisation and look forward to combining Evi’s and Robeco’s investment proposition to create the country’s best personal and online investment services provider for our clients.”

Currently, around €4.7 billion in AuM is invested in Robeco One and Robeco Plus, while Evi van Lanschot has some €1.3 billion in AuM and provides online wealth management, pension solutions and Evi4Kids.