IDEAs: Simplified
What Is Lighthouse Canton and How Can It Help You? | IDEAs Simplified
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11 Years. USD 5 Billion. One Clear Purpose.
Lighthouse Canton (LC) was founded in Singapore in 2014 as a financial institution where wealth holders could access the same depth of investment capability as a private bank, without the commercial conflicts that come with one.
Eleven years on, the firm manages over USD 5 billion in assets across offices in Singapore, Dubai, India, and the UK, with more than 200 professionals. In 2025, Peak XV Partners, Sequoia's Southeast Asia investment arm, invested USD 40 million in Lighthouse Canton, its first external capital raise since founding. The firm spent ten years growing without external capital; Peak XV's investment was a recognition of what that decade produced.
"If you survive the first 10 years and thrive in them, it is an acknowledgment that your value systems, business model, and vision are falling into place." — Shilpi Chowdhary, Group CEO
Why Should Wealth Holders and Families Choose Lighthouse Canton Over a Private Bank?
Private banks do certain things well: credit against assets, multi-currency accounts, lending, and the institutional weight of a name that has been around for decades. For many families, that has real value.
The limitation is how they make money. Private banks earn from deposits, loans, and product sales. A relationship manager typically carries targets that include placing products, which means the advice a client receives is not always free of that pressure.
Lighthouse Canton earns only through advisory and management fees. The fee is the same regardless of which fund a client ends up investing in. That means every recommendation has to be based on fit, not margin.
Dimension | Private Bank | Lighthouse Canton |
Revenue model | Deposits, lending, product fees | Advisory and management fees only |
Product shelf | Primarily in-house | Open — any global manager |
Who do they answer to? | Parent institution | The client |
Capabilities | Wealth management | Wealth + asset management + advisory |
Asset custody | On bank's balance sheet | BNY Mellon Pershing — segregated |
The open-architecture investment shelf means LC can access any product from any global manager — the one that works best for its client and their wealth aspirations.
Families who want their advisor to be structurally unconstrained, and who want investment management, private market access, and business advisory under one roof, will find LC's model more aligned with their interests.
What Does "Independence" in "Independent Wealth Manager" Mean?
The word is used loosely in wealth management. Many firms describe themselves as independent while still receiving distribution fees or soft commissions from fund providers.
At Lighthouse Canton, independence means the firm is not compensated differently based on which product a client buys. There is no financial incentive to push one fund over another.
Is My Money Protected With an Independent Manager?
Lighthouse Canton is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
MAS is among the world's most rigorous financial regulators. For any firm managing client assets, MAS regulation requires minimum capital to be maintained at all times, regular independent audits, strict conduct standards on how advice is given, and, most importantly, the legal separation of client assets from the firm's own balance sheet.
Client money cannot be used for the firm's operations.
Beyond regulation, client assets are held with BNY Mellon Pershing, one of the world's largest custodian banks, under a segregated structure — providing an aggregate loss limit of USD 1 billion for eligible securities across all client accounts, with a sub-limit of USD 1.9 million per client for cash.
Lighthouse Canton holds trading authority within an agreed mandate. It does not hold client cash or securities. If the firm were to face any financial event, client assets would be ring-fenced — the custody standard used by major institutional investors and the largest single-family offices globally.
What Does LC Provide, Especially for Families Across Multiple Countries?
The scope of LC's wealth management goes well beyond portfolio construction. For families navigating a move, a business transition, or a generational transfer, the practical list is considerably longer.
It provides investment advisory and discretionary portfolio management across public and private markets. It also helps establish and run family office structures, which include governance frameworks, investment policy statements, and family constitutions — for families who want to institutionalise their wealth management without the cost of building a full single-family office.
For families arriving in or departing from a geography, LC's advisory extends to cross-border structuring: trust and holding company frameworks, tax-efficient asset ownership across jurisdictions, and working alongside legal and tax counsel to ensure wealth is structured appropriately for both the current country of residence and the next one.
Estate and succession planning, philanthropic vehicles, and education planning for the next generation round out the offering.
Discretionary Management — What Is It and How Does It Work?
Discretionary management means LC can act within an agreed investment mandate without seeking approval on every individual transaction. For families managing assets across multiple markets and time zones, this matters: markets move faster than a phone approval can.
The safeguards in place are structured and legal. The mandate is a binding legal document that defines exactly what LC can and cannot do. It specifies the asset classes LC can invest in, the maximum concentration in any single position, the risk level the portfolio should maintain, and the geographic or sector restrictions the client wants applied. LC cannot step outside those parameters without the client's explicit instruction to amend the mandate.
Clients have real-time visibility through the LC Vantage platform, backed by regular formal reporting. The mandate can be reviewed or changed at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lighthouse Canton regulated and safe for large-scale wealth? Where is Lighthouse Canton based?
LC is headquartered in Singapore and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). It also has a strong presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where it is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
With an extensive and growing footprint across several locations in India, Lighthouse Canton is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in the country.
In 2025, the asset and wealth manager also expanded its presence in the United Kingdom and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to arrange investment transactions, facilitate deals, and provide investment advice.
Additionally, since H1 2026, Lighthouse Canton has been actively using Taiwan as a strategic springboard to expand its wealth and asset management presence in North Asia.
It uses BNY Mellon Pershing for segregated custody, with USD 1 billion in per-account investor protection — equivalent to major private bank standards, without the bank's conflicts.
What types of investments can LC access for me?
LC spans public equities, private equity, private credit, real estate, and structured products, across 50+ global markets and 20+ currencies. It also has its own in-house private market funds for accredited investors.
What is the minimum AUM to engage Lighthouse Canton?
LC works with accredited investors, corporates, family offices, and UHNW individuals. For specific eligibility and minimums, it is best to speak directly with an LC advisor — the conversation begins with understanding a client's goals, not a product pitch.
Has Lighthouse Canton won any major awards recently?
Euromoney named LC Asia's Best Independent Wealth Manager in 2026, alongside Best in Singapore and Best in UAE. It has also been recognised by Asian Private Banker for four consecutive years.
