HONG KONG, June 3 (Reuters) — Online brokerage Tiger Brokers plans to double its Hong Kong staff over the next two to three years, aiming to capture a larger share of growing offshore Chinese wealth, CEO and founder Tianhua Wu told Reuters.

The Singapore-headquartered firm, which began in Beijing in 2014, currently employs around 60 people in Hong Kong. It entered the local market in late 2022.

“Hong Kong is a key global financial centre—not just because of its several million residents, but because it’s backed by China,” said Wu, a former tech executive. He added that as more Chinese wealth moves offshore, demand for investment services is increasing rapidly.

Tiger’s parent company, UP Fintech Holding, went public in the U.S. in 2019.

Offshore Momentum Builds

Securities trading activity from Chinese investors has grown since Beijing introduced a series of economic stimulus measures last September. According to analysts at CICC, capital inflows via the Southbound Stock Connect program reached HK$651 billion ($83 billion) so far this year—more than double the HK$283 billion during the same period in 2024.

This momentum favors brokerages with strong ties to mainland Chinese clients. And amid global geopolitical tensions—particularly between China and the U.S.—many Chinese investors are shifting their focus away from American assets.

Major Chinese firms are also strengthening their presence in Hong Kong’s financial sector. In April, Ant Group, an affiliate of e-commerce giant Alibaba, acquired a 50.55% stake in local brokerage Bright Smart.

Wu noted that demand is rising as more high-net-worth Chinese individuals establish family offices in Hong Kong and more mainland companies seek offshore expansion. “We see sizable growth opportunities from both individual and institutional clients,” he said.

Tiger Brokers, which manages over $50 billion in assets globally, also operates in the U.S., Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.

Rising Assets and IPO Pipeline

Assets under custody in Tiger’s Hong Kong accounts quadrupled in Q1 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to company data. Wu attributed part of this growth to increased investor interest in upcoming IPOs, especially as prominent Chinese firms prepare to list in Hong Kong.

Tiger and its competitor Futu Holdings have rapidly expanded their offshore operations in response to tighter regulations on cross-border trading.

Beijing’s 2023 regulation prevented brokers from onboarding new mainland clients for overseas securities trading unless they had existing offshore accounts. Since then, both companies have shifted their focus to serving mainland clients through their offshore platforms.

Wu said the new rules didn’t alter Tiger’s broader international ambitions: “Our mission from day one has been to become a top global broker,” he said. “This is not a reactive move.”

While Tiger doesn’t have a license to operate in China’s onshore market, it maintains a research and development hub in Beijing.

“When the game rules become clear, it benefits business,” Wu said. “For any entrepreneur, that’s a huge relief.”