The licensing of Arvum investment company refers to a decision of the Czech National Bank (ČNB) of 6 October 2026, by which the bank approved the operations of a new investment company of the PPF group called Arvum. The company is to prepare investment funds for clients of Air Bank and PPF banka [1][2].
Announcement and context
The PPF group announced the creation of a new investment company in August 2026, stating that it wanted to strengthen its capacities in investment and asset management [2]. To this end, it hired portfolio managers Michal Semotan and Patrik Hudec [1][2]. The granting of the ČNB license confirmed this intention [2].
Management and goals of the company
The chairman of Arvum's board of directors is Michal Semotan, with Patrik Hudec serving as a board member [1]. Semotan stated that they want to "build an investment company that offers clients comprehensible investment solutions based on active management and long-term value creation" [1]. According to Hudec, Arvum is meant to combine the investment experience of the PPF group and the portfolio managers with Air Bank's digital environment and PPF banka's expertise in asset management [1][2].
Scope of the license and planned offering
According to findings by the newspaper e15 based on regulatory filings, the company PPF Financial Holdings secured for Arvum a license to manage funds for both retail and qualified investors [2]. Leoš Rousek, director of corporate communications for the PPF group, stated that "regulation nevertheless requires approval of the individual products themselves" and that during the preparatory phase they did not want to comment on details [2]. According to a PPF press release, the company will provide information about its specific offering in the coming months [1][2].
Market position
According to Jana Brodani, executive director of the Czech Capital Market Association (AKAT ČR), PPF can be expected to gradually offer a wide range of investments, including equities, real estate and private equity investments [2]. Brodani also noted that thanks to Air Bank and PPF banka, PPF has a more favorable starting position, as it can offer investments directly within the app used by its roughly two million clients [2]. The funds could thus come to resemble, in their focus, the offerings of J&T and Penta [2]: according to e15, the J&T ARCH Investments fund manages assets worth 213 billion koruna, while Penta's funds manage roughly 45 billion koruna [2].
Related entries: Air Bank, Arvum, Czech National Bank
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Related articles: Air Bank, Arvum, Czech National Bank
Chronology
- — The PPF group announced that it had obtained a licence from the Czech National Bank for the investment company Arvum, which is to prepare investment funds for clients of Air Bank and PPF banka. ČTK / České noviny E15
Sources
- ČTK / České noviny — 6 October 2026
- E15 — 6 October 2026