Tomas Arlia Joins Fintech Startup Arta Finance as CIO
Tomas Arlia
Fintech startup Arta Finance has hired Tomas Arlia as CIO and head of alternative assets.
Arta is a fintech startup that allows retail investors access to alternative investments like private equity, venture capital, private credit and real estate. Users can start investing in the asset classes with as little as $2,500, although in the U.S., users must be accredited investors to use the platform.
The Mountain View, California-based startup was launched in 2021 by former Google executives and emerged in 2022 with $90 million in funding from investors including Sequoia Capital, Coatue Management LLC and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
“We are thrilled to have Tomas heading up our private markets and alternative investments at Arta,” said Caesar Sengupta, Arta’s co-founder and CEO, in a statement. “His deep expertise in this space, along with his leadership experience and global knowledge, make him an ideal addition to develop our private markets offerings. Arta’s mission is to provide access to the kinds of investment opportunities long available only to the ultra-wealthy, and Tomas is the leader to bring this mission to life.”
Arta describes itself as a “digital family office” where individuals will have access to alternative asset classes previously only available to institutions and the “ultra-wealthy.”
Prior to joining Arta, Arlia was CIO at DoubleBlue Capital Management, a firm focused on private credit and equity direct investments. He was also CIO and, before that, managing director of hedge funds at GE Asset Management, where he oversaw $3 billion in hedge fund investments and $1 billion in private equity funds. Previous workplaces include McKinsey & Co.
Arlia said he will focus on three main issues common to retail investors and alternative investments: access, complexity and liquidity. Arta aims to make access to alternatives accessible with an app. Arlia will also oversee Arta’s market strategy and lead Arta’s asset allocation and portfolio construction.
“In an environment where the age-old bastions of financial security—corporate pension plans and traditional family offices—are either evaporating or unattainable for most, now is the right time for a digital family office,” Arlia said in a release. “As the head of alternatives, I’m excited to help lead a shift in financial inclusivity.”
Arlia, originally from Argentina, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgia College, where he was Peach Belt Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a golfer, and an MBA from Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business.