BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HighVista Strategies LLC (“HighVista”), an alternative asset manager investing in private and public markets, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the U.S. private markets business of abrdn Inc. (“abrdn”), abrdn plc’s US subsidiary, including the U.S. private equity and venture capital assets, and the investment and operational teams. This strategic acquisition will increase HighVista’s assets under management to approximately $9 billion. Terms of the transaction, expected to close later this year, were not disclosed.
Based in Boston, HighVista has a singular focus on specialized alternative investments in less efficient markets, investing globally on behalf of sophisticated institutions, including pensions, insurers, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and high net worth individuals and families. This transaction augments HighVista’s investment program with very strong capabilities in lower middle market private equity and early-stage venture capital, and it broadens the offering for clients seeking enduring alpha and meaningful diversification of portfolio return drivers.
Kirsten Morin and Peter Mooradian, co-heads of abrdn’s global venture capital investments, will continue to manage the global venture capital strategy, with industry veteran Peter Lawrence assuming a Senior Advisor role. The senior U.S. private equity team, including John Dickie, Scott Reed, Whit Matthews, Rob Nagle and Ryan Tiffany will continue to manage the U.S. private equity strategy. The acquisition is anticipated to add $4 billion of assets under management and 30 employees to HighVista.
“The combination of abrdn’s U.S. private equity and venture capital business with HighVista unites two teams that are culturally and philosophically aligned, especially around our investment approach and pursuit of alpha in inefficient markets,” said André Perold, CIO, co-founder and partner at HighVista Strategies. “Our teams have known each other for years, and we expect this collaboration to lead to significant cross-pollination of investment ideas over time.”
“This strategic acquisition is a significant milestone in our firm’s nearly 20-year history,” said Caroline Page, partner at HighVista Strategies. “We are very enthusiastic about bringing this highly talented and seasoned team of private market investors aboard at HighVista to help meet the growing and evolving needs of our clients.”
PL Advisors served as financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to HighVista Strategies LLC, while Rothschild & Co served as financial advisor and Proskauer Rose LLP served as legal advisor to abrdn in connection with the transaction.
About HighVista Strategies LLC
HighVista Strategies LLC is an alternative asset manager that brings investors the power to go anywhere in pursuit of enduring, outsized alpha. Based in Boston and founded in 2004, HighVista manages nearly $5 billion of capital on behalf of sophisticated investors globally. The firm's unique culture combines inquisitive thinking with rigorous discipline to find inefficiencies across public and private markets. This flexibility and approach make HighVista a preferred partner for investors looking outside the standard playbook for differentiated ideas that can amplify returns. Investment strategies include opportunistic private credit and equity, biotechnology equities, hedged public markets strategies, and multi-strategy alternatives. For more information, please see: https://www.highvistastrategies.com/
