TILLIT, the UK-based fund investment platform founded by former Baillie Gifford fund manager Felicia Hjertman, has announced it is closing.
The investing platform, known for its curated fund universe and focus on simplifying investing, is no longer accepting new customers and has begun the process of helping existing users transfer their investments elsewhere.
In a statement on its website, TILLIT said the decision to close was difficult and unexpected for many, but reassured customers that their money remains safe. Funds are still protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), and the company is working with its third-party custodian, Seccl, to manage the wind-down process responsibly.
Felicia Hjertman, in a candid and heartfelt post on LinkedIn, said the decision marks the end of a five-year journey. “Statistically, yesterday was a day that was bound to come. 90% of startups fail,” she wrote. “But as a Founder, you fiercely believe that the impossible is possible… and more than anything, you never give up. But, devastatingly, sometimes it’s not enough.”
Hjertman and co-founder Paul O’Neill launched TILLIT with a mission to empower everyday investors with the confidence and clarity needed to make better investment decisions. Unlike many tech-first platforms, TILLIT was rooted in fund management experience. Hjertman had previously managed more than $2.4 billion in Japanese equities, delivering benchmark-beating returns. Her frustration with the lack of simple, trustworthy investment tools led to the birth of TILLIT.
TILLIT stood out by curating a select list of high-quality funds, roughly 100 across major asset classes, instead of overwhelming users with tens of thousands of choices. Its “TILLIT Universe” and “Portfolio Builder” helped investors either pick individual funds or build a diversified portfolio with minimal friction. There were no dealing fees, and account charges decreased the longer you remained a customer, starting at 0.4% and reducing annually down to 0.25%.
The fund platform also emphasised transparency and investor education, offering plain-English fund write-ups, manager interviews, and its own “TILLIT View” commentary. It sought to fill the space between DIY investing and expensive financial advice, providing curated, informed fund access without being prescriptive.
In her final note, Hjertman thanked her team, customers, investors, and partners. She expressed no regrets — only gratitude for the journey and belief that it was all worth it. Her closing words: “Yes, it was worth it. No, I have no regrets. And – I’d do it all over again.”
Richard is the founder of the Good Money Guide (formerly Good Broker Guide), one of the original investment comparison sites established in 2015. With a career spanning two decades as a broker, he brings extensive expertise and knowledge to the financial landscape.
Having worked as a broker at Investors Intelligence and a multi-asset derivatives broker at MF Global (Man Financial), Richard has acquired substantial experience in the industry. His career began as a private client stockbroker at Walker Crips and Phillip Securities (now King and Shaxson), following internships on the NYMEX oil trading floor in New York and London IPE in 2001 and 2000.
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