This episode is sponsored by Evercore, Davis Polk and Dawson Partners and first appeared on Secondaries Investor's Second Thoughts podcast
The secondaries market sits at a crossroads. Never before have LPs been presented with such an array of different liquidity offerings to back. There are specialised secondaries funds focusing on healthcare, on impact investing, on real assets in Asia or on acquiring direct minority equity stakes in companies in India. There are funds focusing on writing large cheques to multi-billion-dollar single-asset continuation funds; and there are funds focusing on making late primary commitments to buyout funds that are still in their fundraising mode. In short, if you’re an LP looking to back a secondaries fund, you’re spoiled for choice.
In this special episode, we sit down with Nigel Dawn, global head of Evercore's Private Capital Advisory group; Leor Landa, head of the investment management practice at Davis Polk; and Yann Robard, managing partner at Dawson Partners. We discuss why the performance of continuation funds is key to the further growth and branching out of this part of the market, and why the market is undergoing the fastest pace of innovation it has ever seen.
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45:54
Mentorship and the future of finance talent
Mentorship is a critical driver of success in finance, especially in Africa, where diverse talent pipelines and investment challenges shape the industry. In this episode, we begin our three-part New Faces of Finance miniseries.
Joining us is Doris Odit Achenga, founder of Odit Frontier Partners, who shares her insights on fostering emerging talent, navigating investment landscapes and the role of mentorship in building a sustainable private equity ecosystem.
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20:18
Inside the semi-liquid fund boom
No development has impacted the private equity market over the past year like the rise of semi-liquid and evergreen funds. Semi-liquid/evergreen funds are similar to mutual funds in that investors can buy in one day, sell another day and access a seeded portfolio from the moment capital is invested.
GPs seemed to launch some kind of semi-liquid fund on a weekly basis last year, with ICG, Pantheon, Coller Capital and Ardian being examples of firms that launched or said they would launch such vehicles last year.
In this episode, we sit down with Richard Hope, co-head of investments at global asset manager Hamilton Lane, to discuss semi-liquid funds and why they're one of the hottest topics in private markets.
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10:10
The energy transition’s next era
This episode is sponsored by Nuveen and Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners
The state of renewable energy is a series of contradictions. On the one hand, solar panels are cheaper, but they may not stay that way with the threat of tariffs from the incoming Trump Administration. Distributed energy and behind-the-meter power generation are promising, but there are persistent structural obstacles, especially around microgrids. Meanwhile, AI projects require more and more energy while so many grids are already struggling to meet current needs.
So what does this mean for energy investors today? Will the Trump Administration curb progress on renewables in favour of fossil fuels, or will energy demands boost every alternative available? Where are the opportunities worth pursuing and what technologies are living up to their promise?
In this episode, we’ll discuss these questions and more with Don Dimitrievich, the senior managing director and portfolio manager for energy infrastructure credit at Nuveen, and David Scaysbrook, a co-founder and managing partner of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners.
This episode first appeared on The Infrastructure Investor Podcast on 9 January 2025
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24:36
Secrets to raising a first-time fund in 2025
What does it take for new teams – first-time GPs and spin-out GPs – to succeed in today’s environment? That's a question we put to Warren Hibbert, founder and managing partner at Asante Capital, a placement agent and advisory firm.
Asante has raised capital for firms including GRO Capital, eevolve, Maguar Capital Partners and Artá Capital. The firm was the second-most active placement agent for private equity emerging manager capital-raising in Private Equity International's Placement Agent Ranking 2024, having helped sponsors raise $2.21 billion in capital over the relevant period.
In this episode, Hibbert discusses how to set a target for a first-time fund, why track record and team cohesion are critical, and why emerging managers in today's environment need to hold a one-and-done final close.
UK