Colonial First State

Colonial First State (CFS) is an Australian investment and superannuation business founded in 1988 that manages over $150 billion in assets on behalf of nearly one million Australians. Its mandate centres on retirement outcomes: providing investment expertise, superannuation products and retirement solutions to individual savers, self-managed super funds, employers and financial advisers. Distribution runs through a partnership model with financial advisers and employers, with an emphasis on competitive fees and investment performance.

Two digital platforms anchor the wealth management proposition. FirstNet delivers wealth management and superannuation services to individual savers and self-managed super funds, while CFS Edge supports more sophisticated wealth management for clients across the same spectrum. Both are positioned around accessibility - extending adviser-grade capability to a broad retail and SMSF client base - and are the visible expression of a stated focus on continuous innovation in technology and customer experience.

Technical priorities cited by the firm include digital wealth management platforms, financial technology and customer experience innovation, and the integration of responsible investing (ESG) factors into investment processes. Governance and product development are framed around security, simplicity and retirement confidence for members. The company operates exclusively in Australia and competes across financial services, superannuation, wealth management, retirement solutions and investment management.

Operating history spans more than three decades, with scale of roughly one million clients providing a substantial fee-generating asset base. Strategic positioning rests on the digitisation of retirement savings, accessible wealth management technology, and ESG-integrated investment capabilities in the Australian superannuation market.