«Our clients expand internationally – without operational overhead»

On Tuesday, 24 March 2026, I was invited by Markus Töllke and Volker Varnholt of MRB Fund Partners AG to their beautiful offices on Fraumünsterstrasse, between Paradeplatz and Lake Zurich, to meet their new Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance, Matthias Schaad Mettler, in person and to receive an update on the latest developments of their Regulatory Hosting Platform.

The conversation was not only very pleasant but also highly insightful. One thing became clear once again: legal compliance in financial products and advisory services must be flawless – only then can problems be avoided in the long term. That day reaffirmed for me that asset managers and their funds are in excellent hands at MRB. Many thanks for the invitation – I very much look forward to staying in touch. Thomas J. Caduff, CEO, Fundplat LLC

• Caduff: Mr. Schaad Mettler, MRB Fund Partners AG is a regulatory hosting platform. How has the model evolved?

Schaad Mettler: For one, our regulatory hosting footprint has expanded across key jurisdictions, including Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, the Cayman Islands, Ireland, and Singapore. Secondly, we have initiated the process to register with the U.S. SEC as an Exempt Reporting Adviser. This is a major step toward advising U.S.-domiciled private funds within the applicable framework. Finally, we have internalized our risk and compliance function, strengthening governance and ensuring full in-house control of core regulatory processes. What remains unchanged is the model itself. Investment teams operate within MRB’s regulated platform and can focus on investment decisions and investor engagement. MRB is responsible for governance, risk management, compliance, and reporting. The initiator retains control of branding, investor relationships, and investment strategy, subject to the regulatory framework. MRB remains in the background, provides the infrastructure, ensures that the operating model meets applicable legal and compliance standards and works seamlessly.

• Caduff: You mentioned SEC registration as an «Exempt Reporting Advisor». What does this status mean, and who benefits?

This matters most for Switzerland-based investment teams targeting U.S. institutional and professional investors. Matthias Schaad Mettler

Schaad Mettler: «Exempt Reporting Advisor» is a regulatory category under U.S. securities law that allows an investment adviser to manage U.S. private funds without full registration while remaining subject to SEC oversight, reporting obligations, and anti-fraud provisions under the Advisers Act. For MRB, ERA status provides a regulatory basis to advise U.S. private funds within the scope of the applicable exemption. The framework supports scalable strategies, provided the relevant AUM thresholds are met. This is particularly relevant for Switzerland-based investment teams seeking to engage with U.S. institutional and professional investors. At the same time, aligning with SEC requirements further strengthens our governance and compliance framework across the platform.

• Caduff: How do you advise clients on finding the appropriate investment structure?

Schaad Mettler: Each engagement begins with a focused, free of charge discussion to understand the initiator’s strategy, target investor base, distribution objectives, and timing considerations. We provide independent advice across our hosting footprint jurisdictions and structuring options. Importantly, we are not affiliated with specific fund administrators, custodians, or audit firms. This allows initiators to select service providers based on their own preferences.