The Asia-based independent wealth manager is investing in an AI strategy, highlighting how this technology continues to ripple through the wealth management sector in Asia and elsewhere.

WRISE has launched WRISE AI Labs, an internal platform for developing artificial intelligence applications across the business, and appointed Dr Jeffrey Wu as group chief scientist.

The firm has committed an initial HK$30 million ($3.8 million) to the initiative, it said in a statement. 

The launch is tied to a partnership with Guangzhou Panorama Intelligent Technology Investment, a state-backed investment vehicle aligned with the Guangzhou municipal government's technology strategy. Wu is also founder and chief executive of Panorama.

WRISE AI Labs will focus on client servicing, automation, relationship manager support, analytics, and digital engagement tools. It is intended to develop capabilities that can be applied across multiple parts of the business rather than a single product line.

The AI push follows a period of rapid expansion for WRISE, including the appointment of former VP Bank group chief executive Paul Arni as a non-executive director in March 2025, and Darren Ng as group chief financial officer late last year. The firm was also recognised at the SGTech Industry Gala 2026 for AI-readiness among enterprises. WRISE was founded in 2022 and  positions itself as an alternative to bank-led advice for individuals who hold accounts with multiple institutions. 

WRISE has hired more than 400 staff over the past four years and operates hubs in Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai, alongside a presence in Taipei, Shenzhen and Thailand.

The chief scientist, Dr Wu, was previously Asia-Pacific technical director for IBM Watson Analytics in Australia, where he led enterprise AI and data intelligence work across the region.

He is also chairman of XALL Technology Investment Group, co-founder and chief scientist of Zhongke Shiyun, and a research fellow at the Suzhou Institute of Advanced Technology, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He holds a PhD in computer science from the University of New South Wales.

Speaking to WealthBriefingAsia earlier this year, Jude Lin, deputy chief executive of WRISE Private Singapore, said the firm viewed technology as a means of extending relationship managers' capacity rather than replacing them, adding that WRISE was still in the early phase of its AI rollout.

Wealth managers across the region have been increasing AI investment amid pressure to manage rising operational costs and growing regulatory complexity, while seeking to preserve the relationship-led model that Asian high net worth clients, who are typically multi-banked, expect from independent advisors. Among examples of what is happening in Singapore, in 2024 WBA spoke to Swiss prviate bank Julius Baer about its innovation lab effort.