Investing today can be done individually or by relying on expert investment companies. These companies have the experience to safely handle capital and provide returns in exchange for a management fee. In this guide, we explain what investment companies do, what differentiating factors to look out for, and which companies are available in the Netherlands for investors.
- What are investment companies
- What investment companies do
- Types of investment companies in the Netherlands
- Top investment companies in the Netherlands
- Yieldfund – Top trading company for acccessing crypto markets
- Deep Blue Capital – Investment firm specializing in data-driven investment strategies
- Da Vinci Derivatives – Top investment company for options and derivatives
- Amdax – Top digital asset manager for institutional crypto investment services
- Optiver – Top market maker in options, ETFs, and derivatives
- IMC – Top proprietary trading company for liquidity provision across markets
- Flow Traders – Top liquidity provider with strong focus on ETFs and digital Assets
- Are these companies registered with the AFM?
- Ready to explore professional trading opportunities?
- FAQ
What are investment companies
Investment companies are entities that pool capital from multiple sources and use financial instruments to invest in securities and other assets. With larger capital than regular investors, investment companies rely on a diversified portfolio that lets them approach investing more strategically. This means they have access to stocks, bonds, real estate, ETFs, or crypto.
These companies operate as trusts that are in the business of investing using investors’ capital. In certain cases, this involves holding and managing securities for investment purposes; however, they often have more diversified approaches to ensure capital is paid out to their clients.
Investment companies are strictly regulated across the globe, including Europe. In the Netherlands, investment companies are regulated by the AFM, which is the governing body that ensures clarity and security for investors, as it helps maintain trust in the financial system.
What investment companies do
Investment companies act as the link between successful investing and clients, as their activities primarily cover portfolio management. In this case, fund managers make strategic decisions about how assets have to be allocated based on data-driven analysis and their prior experience.
While everyone can “simply” invest, investment companies handle higher capital allocations for specific objectives. They stand out from traditional “do-it-yourself” investing since they have record-keeping services; they maintain transparency of all transactions and decisions, and this is a crucial part to ensure they stay regulated.
In some cases, investment companies provide a suite of financial services, including custodial services, tax assistance, and administrative support. Overall, they make profits from the services they offer, which include management or performance fees. The fee structure, however, varies depending on the type of company and its overall expertise.
Types of investment companies in the Netherlands
There are several forms of investment companies, each in its own category, which serve a specific investor purpose.
These companies may use different forms of trading and investment strategies depending on their structure and objectives.
Brokers
Brokers, also known as brokerage firms, facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers of digital assets and securities. They assist clients in the purchase and sale of these assets, execute trades on behalf of clients, and use a commission-based service. Some popular tech-driven brokers are eToro or similar services that developed online trading platforms.
Proprietary trading firms
Proprietary trading firms use their own capital to trade financial instruments and are actively involved in various market activities rather than managing client funds. The practice of proprietary trading involves using the firm’s own capital to execute trades, relying on automation through algorithms and quantitative analysis to generate profits from market movements. They often specialize in high-frequency trading, algorithmic strategies, and market making activities, with significant amounts of capital invested in these trading strategies to maximize returns.
Hedge funds
Hedge funds are alternative investment vehicles that use diverse strategies to generate returns for accredited investors. Hedge funds typically have higher net worth individuals and trade with larger capitals. When investing in various securities, hedge funds must carefully assess and manage credit risk to mitigate potential losses. They also charge both management fees and performance fees. Some examples include Blackrock among the most known funds.
Asset managers
Asset managers manage investment portfolios on behalf of institutional and individual clients. They offer various fund types, including mutual funds, ETFs, and may also include insurance products in their clients’ portfolios to provide additional risk management and income options. Asset managers focus on long-term wealth building through diversified investment strategies across multiple asset classes.
Top investment companies in the Netherlands
The Netherlands hosts some of Europe’s most innovative and successful investment companies, each bringing unique expertise and specializations to the market.
Yieldfund – Top trading company for acccessing crypto markets
Yieldfund is a quantitative trading company that simplifies investments for both retail and experienced users, offering a unique approach to investing without the need to understand trading or crypto. Yieldfund uses high-frequency trading algorithms based on mathematical models that use real-time market analysis to trade the Top 10 cryptocurrencies on the market.
Yieldfund provides clients with investment plans that range from one to three years and maximum yearly returns of up to 60% depending on the chosen plan. Every investor has access to their capital weekly, with full initial investment repayment upon plan completion. The firm is registered with the Dutch Authority for Financial Markets (AFM), ensuring regulatory compliance and investor protection.
Deep Blue Capital – Investment firm specializing in data-driven investment strategies
Deep Blue Capital develops trading algorithms that operate in over 30 equity and futures markets globally. Using proprietary in-house software, the company combines human innovation with advanced automation to implement its strategies. Their business model centers on statistical arbitrage strategies, utilizing quantitative analysis and automated systems to identify and capitalize on market inefficiencies. Deep Blue Capital carefully considers the cost of executing trades and transferring assets when implementing arbitrage strategies. The company employs various forms of statistical arbitrage to identify market inefficiencies, and their strategies may exploit differences between two prices in different markets to generate profit.
Their systems handle thousands of securities across global markets, with risk managers providing oversight without directly intervening in individual trades. This approach allows for rapid execution while maintaining appropriate risk controls across their trading operations.
Da Vinci Derivatives – Top investment company for options and derivatives
Da Vinci Derivatives specializes in providing liquidity and trading volatility across both digital assets and traditional financial instruments. The Amsterdam-based proprietary trading firm uses its own capital to trade on prominent exchanges worldwide and implements short- to medium-term, high-speed, and algorithmic trading strategies focused on solving market inefficiencies, volatility arbitrage, and delta one strategies.
Da Vinci operates in both cryptocurrency and traditional financial markets, bridging traditional finance with digital asset innovation. The firm’s derivatives trading expertise caters to clients interested in complex financial instruments.
Amdax – Top digital asset manager for institutional crypto investment services
Amdax operates as a regulated crypto service provider offering comprehensive digital asset services, including custody, trading, staking, portfolio management, and research. The company serves both private and institutional clients with services such as secure digital asset storage, automated and periodic crypto investing, managed investment services, and expert market research.
Amdax achieved a significant regulatory milestone by becoming the first Dutch crypto provider to register with the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) in 2020. The company is also positioned to be among the first to receive a European MiCAR license in 2025, demonstrating its commitment to regulatory compliance and institutional-grade service standards.
Optiver – Top market maker in options, ETFs, and derivatives
Founded in 1986, Optiver has established itself as a leading global proprietary trading firm and electronic market maker headquartered in Amsterdam. Optiver specializes in market making by continuously quoting two-sided buy and sell prices for a vast range of financial instruments. These include listed derivatives, cash equities, ETFs, bonds, and currencies across more than 50 exchanges globally.
The firm serves institutional clients by providing competitive pricing, facilitating trades, and stabilizing volatile markets, while its market-making activities help ensure that markets remain liquid and efficient.
IMC – Top proprietary trading company for liquidity provision across markets
Established in 1989, IMC has grown into a leading global proprietary trading firm and market maker with headquarters in Amsterdam. The company uses advanced technology and quantitative research to provide liquidity across major global financial markets. IMC operates on more than 100 regulated trading venues, making markets in equities, derivatives, bonds, ETFs, and digital assets through algorithmic and statistical trading strategies.
The company trades a comprehensive range of asset classes, including equities, bonds, commodities, and currencies, both on traditional exchanges and blockchain networks. IMC generates profits from its own capital by capturing bid-ask spreads, conducting arbitrage, and implementing proprietary trading strategies rather than managing external investor funds.
Flow Traders – Top liquidity provider with strong focus on ETFs and digital Assets
Flow Traders, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Amsterdam, operates as a global proprietary trading firm and technology-enabled liquidity provider specializing in Exchange Traded Products (ETPs). The firm continuously quotes bid and ask prices for thousands of ETP listings, as well as options, fixed income products, currencies, and cryptocurrencies. Flow Traders employs high-frequency and quantitative trading strategies to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accessibility in global financial markets. Flow Traders holds the distinction of being one of the world’s largest market makers for ETPs and Europe’s largest ETF market maker.
| Company | Type | Pros |
| Yieldfund | Quantitative trading firm | AFM-registered, easy access, weekly liquidity, high return potential. |
| Deep Blue Capital | Proprietary trading / statistical arbitrage | Global reach, advanced algorithms, exploits market inefficiencies. |
| Da Vinci Derivatives | Proprietary trading firm (options & derivatives) | Strong in volatility trading, active in crypto and traditional markets. |
| Amdax | Regulated digital asset manager | DNB-registered, full crypto services, institutional-grade security. |
| Optiver | Proprietary trading & global market maker | Established leader, deep derivatives expertise |
| IMC | Proprietary trading firm & liquidity provider | Tech-driven, multi-asset trading, global market presence. |
| Flow Traders | Proprietary trading firm | Europe’s top ETF market maker, strong in digital assets. |
Are these companies registered with the AFM?
Regulatory compliance represents a crucial consideration when evaluating investment companies in the Netherlands. The Dutch Authority for Financial Markets (AFM) serves as the primary financial regulator, ensuring that investment companies operate according to strict standards designed to protect investors and maintain market integrity.
Among the companies discussed, several maintain a clear regulatory status with Dutch and European authorities. Yieldfund is explicitly registered with the AFM, providing investors with regulatory protection and oversight. Amdax achieved registration with the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) in 2020 and anticipates receiving a MiCAR license in 2025, demonstrating compliance with both current and upcoming European cryptocurrency regulations.
The major proprietary trading firms like Optiver, IMC, and Flow Traders operate under various regulatory frameworks across multiple jurisdictions where they conduct business. These firms typically maintain registrations and comply with regulations in each market where they trade, though their specific regulatory status may vary by jurisdiction and business activity..
Ready to explore professional trading opportunities?
The Netherlands provides a diverse range of investment companies suited for all kinds of investments and types of capital. Each company brings a unique experience. ot the table and provide investors with the tools and expertise to achieve their financial objectives.
For investors seeking to diversify their portfolio and access the crypto market without trading directly, Yieldfund provides the ideal solution. As a quantitative trading company, Yieldfund is regulated by the AFM and offers up to 60% annual returns with weekly payments directly to users’ crypto wallets. Yieldfund is one of the few companies offering immediate access to yields and a lower entry barrier.
Visit the Yieldfund website to explore our investment plans.
FAQ
How do investment companies make money?
Investment companies make money by charging management or performance fees, but they also diversify their offerings to provide adjacent services to their clients.
Difference between a broker and an investment company?
A broker facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers for a commission, whereas an investment company manages investment portfolios for clients, and proprietary trading firms trade with their own capital to generate profits.
