NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iCapital Network, the financial technology platform democratizing alternative investments for high-net-worth (HNW) individuals and their advisors, today announced it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire the US Private Equity Access Fund Platform from the Asset Management division of Deutsche Bank.
The US Private Equity Access Fund Platform is comprised of 33 funds representing a range of investment strategies and underlying managers with approximately $2.5 billion in invested assets and more than 7,000 domestic and international investors. iCapital Advisors LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser, will take over as investment manager for the portfolio of private equity access funds and iCapital’s end-to-end technology solution will be leveraged to streamline and automate the ongoing administration of the funds and provide operational support for investors. With the transfer of assets, iCapital will service approximately $5 billion in private fund assets making it one of the largest US-based independent alternative investment platforms for the HNW community.
“We see this deal as an important step forward in our mission to connect alternative asset managers with high-net-worth individuals, and are excited to work with a new universe of advisors and investors who can benefit from our state-of-the-art tech-enabled services,” said Lawrence Calcano, Chief Executive Officer of iCapital Network. “This strategic acquisition perfectly complements our existing business and brings with it an outstanding team of experienced professionals as well as expanded relationships with leading general partners, which will strengthen our value proposition to the marketplace and our growing investor network.”
To ensure continuity of service, iCapital plans to maintain relationships with the funds’ third-party service providers and will offer positions to the 18 employees currently managing the fund portfolio and servicing the investors within Deutsche Asset Management. As part of iCapital, the team will continue to support existing fund investors, which include clients of Deutsche Bank Wealth Management and Raymond James.
“iCapital is a well-known leader in the alternative investments space delivering a suite of digital capabilities that are well-suited to foster and grow the US Private Equity Access Fund Platform,” said Pierre Cherki, Head of Alternatives at Deutsche Asset Management. “We remain committed to Private Equity as part of our growth strategy for the Alternatives platform in the institutional space.”
“The core of our offering is the technology behind it, which gives us the ability to scale exponentially while continuing to offer the high-touch, seamless service that our network expects when investing in alternatives,” said Tom Fortin, Chief Operating Officer of iCapital Network. “This acquisition presents new possibilities for consolidation and growth, and further solidifies our position as the preferred alternative investments technology solution for asset managers and wealth managers.”
The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2017. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About iCapital Network
iCapital Network is a financial technology platform that provides modular alternative investments solutions for registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, private banks, family offices and other sophisticated investors. The state-of-the-art online portal offers a curated menu of private equity, private credit, venture capital, real estate and hedge funds, along with extensive due diligence support, an automated subscription process and integration with a wide range of custodians and reporting packages. The firm’s configurable technology and specialized suite of services is also used by asset managers and financial institutions to streamline and automate their private fund operational infrastructure.
For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.icapitalnetwork.com | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/icapital-network-inc | Twitter: @icapitalnetwork | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/icapitalnetwork/
About Deutsche Bank
With EUR 711 billion of assets under management (as of June 30, 2017), Deutsche Asset Management¹ is one of the world’s leading investment management organizations. Deutsche Asset Management offers individuals and institutions traditional and alternative investments across all major asset classes.
¹ Deutsche Asset Management is the brand name of the Asset Management division of the Deutsche Bank Group. The respective legal entities offering products or services under the Deutsche Asset Management brand are specified in the respective contracts, sales materials and other product information documents.
Disclosures: This material is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as, and may not be relied on in any manner as legal, tax or investment advice, a recommendation, or as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to purchase or a recommendation of any interest in any fund or security offered by iCapital. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Alternative investments are complex, speculative investment vehicles and are not suitable for all investors. An investment in an alternative investment entails a high degree of risk and no assurance can be given that any alternative investment fund’s investment objectives will be achieved or that investors will receive a return of their capital. The information contained herein is subject to change. Securities may be offered through iCapital Securities, LLC, a registered broker dealer, member of FINRA and SIPC and subsidiary of Institutional Capital Network, Inc. iCapital and iCapital Network are registered trademarks of Institutional Capital Network, Inc. All rights reserved.
