Tradition meets innovation

WealthTech NAO and Volksbank Lahr sign partnership for private market investments

Berlin/Lahr, 21. May.2025 — The Berlin-based WealthTech NAO and Volksbank Lahr are cooperating with each other. Volksbank Lahr is the first cooperative bank to integrate NAO's private market offering into its offering. This gives around 100,000 clients access to investment opportunities that were previously reserved exclusively for high-net-worth and institutional investors. With an innovative co-investment platform, NAO enables institutional-quality investments via app in alternative asset classes such as private equity, infrastructure and private debt starting at 1,000 euros.

Ensuring private investors to invest like professionals

The cooperation combines regional ties with digital innovative strength: The cooperative bank in southern Germany is strongly anchored locally due to its long-standing tradition and knows the needs of customers. Through cooperation with NAO, Volksbank Lahr is expanding its offering in the investment sector and thus creating a relevant unique selling point that sets it apart from the competition.

Peter Rottenecker, CEO of Volksbank Lahr, adds: “Thanks to the cooperation with NAO, we are the first cooperative bank to offer private investors access to high-quality private market investments, even with smaller amounts. In doing so, we are creating real added value for our clients, who are looking for new ways to build up their wealth and want to diversify their portfolio more broadly.”

NAO gives private investors access to funds from renowned asset managers such as Goldman Sachs AM, Partners Group and UBS. NAO users can thus diversify their portfolios across various asset classes and invest in unlisted companies. NAO is the first broker for private and alternative investments that combines private market investments with the functionality and user experience of neo-brokers. The “digital-first” approach opens up completely new potential for the generation of “financial self-decision makers.”

“The cooperation with Volksbank Lahr is an important milestone for us, as it is the first partnership with a bank to firmly anchor private market investments in private investors' portfolios,” says Robin Binder, CEO and founder of NAO. “Our digital solution, for example, makes private equity investments as easy as buying stocks and ETFs.”

The entry into force of the ELTIF 2.0 reform in January 2024 has further simplified access to the private market via funds, with a similar level of investor protection as UCITS funds or ETFs. NAO is exploiting the resulting potential and currently offers interested investors access to four ELTIFs with a focus on private equity, private debt and infrastructure.

‍ About NAO

NAO is a novel co-investment platform for private and alternative investments. The mission of NAO founder Robin Binder is to liberalize investments and help people build up wealth over the long term. In the NAO app, investors can find carefully selected and exclusive investment options that were previously only available to a small financial elite. NAO was founded in Berlin in 2022 and received the FinTech Germany Award in 2024. The NAO team works with renowned banks and asset managers such as Baader Bank, BNP Paribas AM, Chartered Investments, FERI, Goldman Sachs AM, Moonfare, Partners Group, UBS, UniCredit and Vontobel.

About Volksbank Lahr
Volksbank Lahr has been the bank in the region for 160 years: profitable, reliable, cooperative. We are proud of our proven business model. It focuses on people and our values. Every day, our 412 employees work with joy and passion for our members and customers. With sustainable solutions and innovative projects, we are shaping our common future for an intact, livable region.