CIRCA5000

CIRCA5000 is a London-based financial technology company established to provide impact investing solutions to retail and institutional clients. Founded in 2017 as Tickr by Tom McGillycuddy and Matt Latham, the company rebranded to CIRCA5000 in 2021. The founders, who met at Barclays, identified a gap in the investment management industry, which they saw as overly complex and lacking focus on the real-world impact of investments. Their shared background in financial services and a personal commitment to addressing climate change fueled their vision to create an accessible platform for investing in companies aligned with sustainable and social goals.

The firm initially operated a direct-to-consumer mobile application targeting a younger demographic of first-time investors. This app allowed users to invest in curated portfolios of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) based on themes like 'Planet', 'People', or a combination of both, across various account types such as ISAs, SIPPs, and General Investment Accounts. The business model for the app involved a monthly subscription fee plus an annual platform fee based on the account balance. By early 2022, the platform had attracted over 170,000 customers.

A significant milestone occurred in June 2023 when CIRCA5000 launched its own range of five UCITS ETFs, becoming one of Europe's first ETF issuers focused purely on impact investing. These funds were designed to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and covered themes including Green Energy & Technology, Sustainable Food & Biodiversity, Clean Water & Waste, Social & Economic Empowerment, and Health & Wellbeing. The ETFs charged a 0.49% expense ratio and were classified as Article 9 under SFDR. The company built its own indices in partnership with impak Analytics and BITA, aiming to provide a high degree of transparency and impact measurement. However, in February 2024, the company announced the closure of its direct-to-consumer platform business, transferring client accounts to AJ Bell to focus solely on its ETF issuance. Subsequently, due to challenges including low assets under management, the firm decided to close and delist its ETF range in August 2024, marking an exit from the European ETF market.

Keywords: impact investing, sustainable finance, ESG investing, thematic ETFs, financial technology, retail investment, mobile investing app, UCITS ETFs, Tom McGillycuddy, Matt Latham, Tickr, B Corp, Green Energy ETF, Sustainable Food ETF, Clean Water ETF, Social Empowerment ETF, Health & Wellbeing ETF, UN SDGs, SFDR Article 9, impact reporting