Purpose Investments

Overview

Purpose Investments launched with a blank-sheet mandate under CEO and founder Som Seif, aiming to build an asset management firm centered on client outcomes rather than benchmark-relative performance. Founded in Toronto, the firm operates as the asset management division of Purpose Unlimited Inc., which includes Purpose Investments Inc. and Purpose Investment Partners Inc. Its product development history spans mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, with an early emphasis on risk-managed, income-oriented strategies and later expansion into digital-asset ETFs. The firm offers strategies across equities, fixed income, and alternative investments, with a particular focus on structuring products for Canadian investors. It has built a lineup that includes corporate-class fixed income strategies and was an early mover in bringing cryptocurrency exposure to Canadian-listed ETFs. Purpose manages both mutual fund and ETF vehicles, providing fee-based access points that allow investors and advisors to select the wrapper that fits a portfolio's construction. The firm's footprint is concentrated in Canada, with no confirmed offices or operations outside the country. Purpose Investments previously operated the Redwood Total Return Fund, a hedge fund vehicle that was liquidated in the third quarter of 2018. Since that liquidation, the firm has concentrated its efforts on its ETF and mutual fund families rather than traditional hedge fund structures. Som Seif remains the public face of the firm as CEO and founder, and Purpose markets itself as an independent, principles-driven manager focused on transparency and risk management. No adjacent vehicles, philanthropic foundations, or external club memberships are publicly disclosed.