Signum was founded in response to the rapid shifts in the world order, fiscal policy, and technology that have defined the 2020s. The pair saw an unmet need for asset management solutions better suited to a rapidly evolving economy. “Digital transformation and blockchain are possibilities that should be available to all investors in the modern world,” says Miika. The duo also points to increasing levels of global debt and escalating geopolitical tensions as significant inflation risks. As a result, Signum saw the need for liquid investment funds that can both harness the modernization of financial technologies and hedge against inflation.

The passion for understanding the world is deeply rooted in Ari. “When I was 14, I gathered articles in my scrapbook about the civil war in Angola, because I wanted to analyze what on earth was going on there.” Understanding economics has always interested Ari much more than sports and other interests. “If someone were to ask me which ice hockey team I follow, I’d have to say I don’t know any. But if you ask me about the situation in Myanmar and its government, I’d have a much more interesting answer. Understanding the world is my passion,” says Ari. Understanding the world and then building an investment strategy around that understanding is something that Ari enjoys deeply. “A fascinating thing about investing, is that it’s like a sport where you cannot use doping. The market is the same for everyone and performing well in the market is its own fascination,” he adds.

Ari joined Miika in starting Signum because he saw that the world had changed and the old rules of investing no longer applied. “There was a need for new solutions.” Ari brings more than 40 years of expertise in asset management and financial markets to the team. His career includes roles as an economist at the Bank of Finland, as well as serving as chief economist for Säästöpankkiryhmä and Postipankki. Miika refers to Ari as “the Finnish Ray Dalio,” a nod to Ari’s deep passion for the economy and investing. Despite his many years in the industry, Ari shows no signs of slowing down. Influenced by his background, Ari approaches investment decisions from a broad macroeconomic perspective, considering global trends and larger economic shifts when managing the portfolios.

Miika is a highly motivated individual and a big-picture thinker. He has been an entrepreneur since 2012 and has over 15 years of experience within financial services. While Ari contributes a composed and quietly assured presence to the team, Miika complements this with unwavering determination and a resilient, never-give-up attitude. Miika finds great pleasure in seeing his clients succeed and hopes to bring them value through Signum’s services. He is convinced that one of his deepest callings is building businesses and driving them forward. He doesn’t fear volatility in the market, “when others see problems, we see opportunities,” explains Miika. “We want to be challengers to the market and we are not afraid to receive criticism” he adds.

Throughout the 2020s, Ari and Miika observed a significant transformation in the world order. “The world has moved away from the post-Cold War, liberal Western consensus, and in recent years both the US dollar and major Western banks have seen their positions weaken,” Ari observes. “Countries such as China, India, and Russia have begun to approach global affairs from the perspective of their own distinct civilizations. Today, the world is made up of multiple influential actors, each with their own priorities and viewpoints.”

Miika and Ari note that additional factors have played a role in transforming the financial markets. “The events of 2022 highlighted that bond markets no longer operate as they once did, and recent developments have demonstrated that U.S. Treasury bonds can no longer be regarded as the traditional safe haven asset. Many investors have found themselves at a loss for viable options.” In this environment, Signum says, investors have begun to question whether the dollar still deserves its place as the default reserve and safe-haven currency. “Due to the changes in the world, we need to tackle risk management and diversification from a different perspective. The playbook we had in the 2000s and 2010s doesn't really work anymore,” says Ari.

Ari and Miika observe a profound disruption in traditional power structures, signaling a shift away from established hierarchies. “Take traditional media, for instance. Its readership is steadily declining because younger generations don’t rely on it anymore. Although I belong to an older generation, I view this shift with optimism rather than regret. Change is inevitable, and it’s something we need to recognize, embrace, and adapt to,” Ari explains.

Signum believes money is undergoing a similar change. “In finance, we've long been accustomed to holding power through large banks, central banks, and vast institutional systems. Yet I believe we're witnessing a fundamental shift, a move away from these hierarchical structures. The real challenge is how traditional players recognize and embrace this transformation. The most forward-thinking will strive to learn and adapt, while others, much like outdated newspapers, may refuse to change and ultimately fade away. The broader perspective is that society is transitioning from the industrial era, defined by rigid hierarchies, into an information age dominated by interconnected networks. In this new landscape, networks outperform hierarchies, enabling individuals to pursue their own goals, collaborate, and innovate in ways that overlap and complement each other,” says Ari.

According to Signum, the most important thing in portfolio management is that you build a very strong investment strategy base from the beginning. “Maintaining one’s freedom of movement is extremely important. Therefore, it is important to keep an open mindset. The worst thing that you can do as a portfolio manager is to comment on certain things to the public about what will happen in the future. Then you become a prisoner to your opinion that you presented,” says Ari. 

Partner selection for Signum was driven by the need to maintain focus on their core business. “Thanks to GRIT we can fully focus on what matters most. GRIT’s model has a clear division of roles and there's no competition between us, only a shared goal to grow together. And if you believe in the market economy, it makes perfect sense: everyone gets to focus on their core competency. For us, that means portfolio management and focusing on investors,” Miika adds.

Another important aspect of portfolio management is managing the mental suffering that comes with volatility. “You cannot let market fluctuations effect your mood and then invest accordingly, otherwise you would always buy at the top and sell at the bottom,” says Ari. Miika adds that volatility is the price that one must pay for returns. “We never expected that the change in the world would be easy. It’s incredibly volatile – elections, political changes, regulatory shifts, all of it. One step forward, two steps back, then three steps forward. The bigger the change, the more intense the volatility.”

When managing the portfolios, Signum conducts thorough, in-depth analysis of each company before it earns a place in the portfolio. “When the markets fluctuate and prices diverge from the underlying fundamentals, we see this as an opportunity to capitalize. This doesn’t mean we automatically buy when the market is down or sell when it’s up; instead, we remain opportunistic, responding to meaningful mispricing. I am deeply committed to fundamental analysis, examining not just the company’s specifics, but considering the broader macroeconomic landscape,” says Ari.

Signum began with a deliberate rethink. “We started to consider things from a completely different perspective: what kind of strategy is truly bombproof, literally bombproof, given the current situation, and which strategies can succeed in this changing world, both in equity investments and fixed income investments.” Blockchain exposure through funds hadn’t been available in the Nordics. “We wanted to bring liquid products to the market that give investors exposure to the changes in monetary systems, financial technologies, and digital assets. In our opinion, it’s a big opportunity,” says Miika.

The Signum Digital Assets Strategy AIF focuses on the monetary side of blockchain and invests in listed companies that use the technology – including Bitcoin miners, equipment manufacturers, and traditional financial-sector firms. “The fund is not a Bitcoin fund. It is a fund which invests in the integration of blockchain into traditional finance,” says Ari. The fund pursues a high-risk, high-return strategy with a long-term horizon, and accepts significant volatility along the way. In Signum’s view, blockchain will evolve into a major asset class, with the potential to reshape the financial landscape. “The brilliance of blockchain from a monetary perspective, is that it removes the need for an intermediary when transacting. Payment systems no longer need to be centralized, which makes transferring information faster and cheaper,” Ari adds. Artificial intelligence is seen as the next step in this change of information society. “Both technologies are a part of the change from hierarchical systems to a system that functions with networks,” says Ari. 

The Signum Monetary Systems Strategy AIF was envisioned as a response to the evolving global landscape, the transformation of financial markets, shifts in reserve currencies, and the mounting levels of national debt. The fund is based on a moderate risk profile, aiming for steady returns and avoiding drawdowns. The portfolio is exposed to inflation- and interest-rate protected investments, precious metals, and defensive stocks such as those in defense and energy. “The core concept behind this approach to diversification is to minimize significant losses, unlike traditional debt and stock investments, which have struggled to do so in recent years. We aim to ensure that the fund is strategically positioned to withstand and benefit from future inflationary pressures,” says Ari. A substantial allocation of the portfolio is dedicated to precious metals, as they, according to Signum, may offer robust long-term protection of real assets and serve as a safeguard during periods of geopolitical instability. “This is the medicine the current environment calls for,” Ari adds. The fund received a nomination in HedgeNordics 2025 “Rookie of the Year" award.

This is marketing communication produced by GRIT Fund Management Company Ltd. The information given herein is not sufficient to make an investment decision. Read the prospectus and the key information document (KID) of the fund before making any final investment decisions. The value of an investment may rise or fall, and investors may lose part or all of the capital invested.