Seoul, Korea and Singapore, 5 March 2026 – Smartkarma, the leading investment intelligence platform is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with FnGuide, Korea’s premier financial data and index provider to distribute FnGuide’s index data to asset managers in Singapore. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in expanding access to Korean index capabilities for asset managers in Singapore interested to establish Exchange Traded Funds (“ETF”) or index-linked products around them.
FnGuide is the leading Korean financial data and index services provider. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea having established deep relationships with Korean asset managers and product issuers over the last 20 years.
Korea is emerging as one of the world’s strongest equity markets, driven by accelerating ETF activity and rapid product innovation. Yet regulatory and ID-driven restrictions continue to limit direct investor access, underscoring the value of structured index solutions as efficient gateways to participation. At the same time, ongoing discussions around Korea’s potential upgrade to Developed Market status present a once-in-a-decade opportunity, with the prospect of significant index reweights and capital inflows. Against this backdrop, rising demand for benchmark exposure and ETF product development is expected to surge, positioning this partnership at the forefront of regional growth and enabling investors to capture both immediate momentum and long-term structural shifts.
This Smartkarma-FnGuide collaboration provides managers with the ability to develop ETF and index-linked products based on FnGuide’s indices, empowering fund managers to launch innovative ETF and private funds anchored on FnGuide’s indices thereby offering investors new avenues for market exposure. With this agreement, Smartkarma becomes the primary channel for FnGuide’s index products in Singapore, establishing a clear distribution pathway supporting the growth of regional capital markets development and growth.
Commented Raghav Kapoor, Founder and CEO of Smartkarma: “This partnership with FnGuide represents a breakthrough in cross-border capital markets development. By combining FnGuide’s trusted index expertise with Smartkarma’s distribution platform, we are enabling asset managers in Singapore to access and innovate around Korean benchmarks for the first time.”
“FnGuide has long been a trusted partner for Korean asset managers. Through Smartkarma, we are excited to extend our index capabilities to Singapore, fostering new ETF and fund opportunities that reflect Korea’s dynamic market performance,” said a FnGuide spokesperson.
About FnGuide
FnGuide is Korea’s leading financial data and index provider, trusted by asset managers and product issuers for its deep expertise in benchmark construction and market analytics.
About Smartkarma
Smartkarma’s AI-augmented platform empowers strategic decision-making through real-time actionable insight, premium data analytics, and direct connectivity to top-ranked investment analysts. Smartkarma empowers global investors who want to access market-moving, differentiated intelligence; corporates who need to maximise their outreach; and analysts who wish to reach global investors with their research and data services. In 2021, Smartkarma received the Knowledge Enterprise Award at the Singapore FinTech Festival Global FinTech Awards. Smartkarma is backed by notable investors including the Singapore Exchange (SGX), Peak XV, Wavemaker Partners, Jungle Ventures, and Enterprise Singapore. Learn more at smartkarma.com.
Media Contact
For Smartkarma:
Elaine Ang
Managing Director, engageIR
M: 87222151
E: [email protected]







