Robo-advisors emerged in 2008–2010 in the US (Betterment, Wealthfront) and reached Switzerland around 2015. Swiss leaders include True Wealth, Selma, VIAC (3a-focused), Findependent and Inyova. Total advisory fees typically range 0.4–0.75% all-in including the underlying ETFs, versus 1.5–2.0% for a typical Swiss bank's discretionary mandate.
Under the hood the algorithm is simple: a questionnaire scores risk tolerance, the platform maps to a model portfolio (mix of equity, bond, real-estate and gold ETFs from major issuers), monthly contributions are auto-invested and drift is rebalanced quarterly. Pillar 3a robos like VIAC and Frankly let you put 99% of 3a in equities, which is unattainable at traditional insurers.
Robo-advisors suit accumulators who want a hands-off, diversified portfolio at low cost. They do not provide tax, estate or pension-buyback advice — for complex situations a fee-only human adviser remains valuable. For pure portfolio management of CHF 50,000–2,000,000 they are typically the rational choice over a traditional Swiss bank.
An investor moves CHF 100,000 from a UBS mandate (1.8% all-in) to True Wealth (0.5% all-in). Fee saving: CHF 1,300/year, compounding to roughly CHF 60,000 of additional wealth over 25 years assuming 6% gross return.