The Wealth Mosaic sat down with Tom Wooders, UK and Ireland Regional Head at Allfunds, to discuss how open architecture and data infrastructure are expanding access to private markets and helping wealth managers deliver better client outcomes at scale.  

How do you define Allfunds’ core value proposition in the WealthTech ecosystem, and how is that evolving as client expectations and portfolio complexity increase?
I see the core of the Allfunds value proposition as being the intersection of distribution data and client decision-making. We provide asset managers and wealth managers efficient access to a broad set of products, and we do so through a single open architecture platform.  

It’s our contention that open architecture is actually now becoming a necessity – based on ongoing technical evolution, regulatory change, and client expectations. We offer a centralised hub both for funds research and onboarding. But more than that, we provide the benefits of interoperable data. We offer adaptability of investment process and enhanced regulatory governance. And by modernising access to funds, Allfunds therefore is streamlining what were previously operational complexities. 

To the second part of your question, we're also providing value-added insights as enablers to our clients’ investment processes. That could be with regards to portfolio construction, but also understanding of risk as well. So, all of those facets put together – that's really our value proposition, and where we're really adding value is helping our clients navigate added market complexity.  

With personalisation becoming a baseline expectation for clients, how are you adapting toward the greater demand towards more tailored, goal-based portfolios?
I think it's becoming increasingly a client expectation that they have access to tailored investment solutions: we have a whole series of tools to support decision making on that basis.  

I mentioned our funds and other product research and selection capabilities already, but we've also got data insights with respect to portfolio composition and rebalancing: these tailored insights are now helping wealth managers to, for example, trade in a way that’s consistent with their clients’ investment goals and stated objectives.  

So with that combined capabilities set, what is key is our support for their decision-making: it's not merely reporting, as it probably has been in the past. Now, a major focus in this regard is more that it's us giving access to the tools to make those decisions, as opposed to just providing the results of those decisions. That includes things like portfolio health-checking, tracking, real-time feedback – all of these things that allow clients to adjust their allocations quickly to respond to market and regulatory change, and ultimately align to their clients’ goals. 

How can technology help make private markets a more practical and mainstream component of client portfolios, while still supporting governance, suitability, and education?
At the generic level, technology can remove friction that's inherent in the investment process. In the private market assets context, it can make it easier for clients to access and understand them.  

Wealth managers have been opening up access following recent UK governmental and regulatory support; they also want to meet greater client demand, which really stems from the need for greater product diversification. But there’s also desire on the part of investors for long-term capital growth. So we have a set of digitised tools which help address some of those goals, and the legal and regulatory complexities that come with these products.  

I think an important part here is providing enhanced product information and transparency. The goal with Allfunds is that we're following the same path that we followed previously with traditional funds, to reduce the operational complexities associated with the distribution of private market assets.  

Interested in reading more about Allfunds’ interview? You can read and download the report online here.

What are the main barriers today when it comes to access to alternatives and private markets, and how are you tackling those barriers?
Operational complexity, lack of transparency, and fragmented product data. Our approach to tackle those is very much at the infrastructural level, standardising the way in which alternative products are distributed. Many of these products have high minimum investment thresholds. They have complex structures, and these can make them somewhat opaque and potentially therefore less accessible to investors.  

Our platform seeks to streamline and simplify the operational aspects of these assets. That includes, for example, mitigating due diligence complexity, it includes our provision of centralised data management, which eases the operational burden. And from a regulatory standpoint, we've also developed a robust suitability assessment tool which helps firms match private market opportunities to client profiles. 

How does Allfunds help clients deliver personalised portfolio outcomes at scale, without increasing operational burden?
This really boils down to increased automation and also greater integration across tech and data ecosystems. At its core, Allfunds brings together execution, custody, data analytics, and reporting. All of those together remove inefficiencies, they remove fragmentation, and instead provide a centralised point for investment reporting and consistency of workflow.  

Our solutions – for example nextportfolio4 and Allfunds Connect – allow clients to act off the back of centralised data. They can manage portfolios and monitor performance from the same point, and they can also support underlying clients – all in one single environment. The automation of workflow reduces manual tasks, the embedded control support brings regulatory alignment, and our data management tools reduce operational risk and help enhance resilience.  

These tools allow firms to balance personalisation with control, creating scalable models that meet client expectations, but also they remain super-efficient and, importantly, compliant as well. 

How should firms rethink their use of data to improve decision-making and client outcomes?
Many wealth firms still have siloed data – for instance, performance and risk data are separated in many cases. The key is to have aggregated or holistic data, which much more powerfully allows firms to see perceived patterns, conditions, and risks which they might otherwise overlook. And this in turn drives more scalable business processes.  

The goal here is to turn data into meaningful and actionable business insights. I think a challenge for wealth managers isn't so much data scarcity, it's actually data relevance. In our tools, such as nextportfolio4, we combine advanced data analytics and visualisation tools to transform what can be fairly complex data into more intuitive patterns, so firms can see both the resonance and the anomalies as per their investment strategies. That presents opportunities for those firms for decision-making that is more attuned to clients’ specific stated objectives. 

What are the most significant WealthTech trends you anticipate over the next five years, and how is Allfunds positioning itself to lead or adapt to these trends?
There's many I could choose from, but I suppose the most significant would be the ongoing digitalisation of client and product onboarding that moves towards more centralised single-source data. Off the back of that, we’re seeing greater requests for meaningful insight and investment decision-making. I think open architecture is important in this industry: the ongoing deployment of blockchain and DLT, specifically around infrastructural processes, platform consolidation, and ongoing means of achieving greater connectivity.  

Where do we sit with all of that? We are very much a long-term infrastructural partner to our clients. We offer what I call ‘specialism at scale’, by providing a complementary set of data distribution and digital tools that can evolve with client needs, as those needs evolve over time. 

Meeting those trends going forward, connectivity and compliance are the key hallmarks of that offering. But what we’re really doing is helping firms manage complexity. We're helping them turn what can be constraints into market advantage. Our digital and tech platforms simplify that entire lifecycle of investment – reducing complexity and streamlining, through technological enablement, processes that previously were more cumbersome and fragmented. 

Discover the themes and trends shaping technology in wealth management today. Read the report here.

Deepen the conversation at WealthTech 2026: US edition
This report sets the foundation for our WealthTech 2026: US edition live event, taking place on 29 April 2026 at the New York headquarters of report contributor EY. Brought to you in partnership with EY, the US event will bring together stakeholders across the US wealth management ecosystem to deepen the report’s insights and explore the latest WealthTech trends.

Attendees will include WealthTech vendors and wealth managers representing banks, broker-dealers, credit unions, registered investment advisers, and family officers. To find out more about WealthTech 2026: US edition, read our full preview article here.

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About The Wealth Mosaic
The Wealth Mosaic is a UK-headquartered online solution provider directory and knowledge resource, focused specifically on the wealth management industry.

For wealth managers, the buy side of our marketplace, The Wealth Mosaic is designed to enable discovery of key solutions, solution providers and knowledge resources by specific business needs.

For solution providers and vendors, the sell side of our marketplace, The Wealth Mosaic exists to support the positioning, exposure and business development needs of these firms in a more complex and demanding market.

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