Matt Marsh

Don't get "stuck in the middle." A recent Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) white paper highlighted the tensions and concerns that institutional LPs are having over the race for "retail" by alternative asset managers. Balancing the needs and demands of both institutional and wealth channel LPs is a question that’s moving to the forefront of conversations between GPs and LPs as the industry evolves to cater to the needs of the new, relatively untapped LP: the wealth channel. Institutional LPs are wondering how GPs that decide to work with the wealth channel will handle the influx of capital from private wealth and what that means for their own relationships with GPs. Scott Ramsower, Head of Private Equity Funds at the $221B AUM Teacher Retirement System of Texas, said this topic is “is top of mind for limited partners.” Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) then said the quiet part out loud. "More pointedly, ILPA elevates these issues at a time when the underlying mix of investments of these products may exacerbate a strategy-structure misalignment ..." Reorienting an asset manager to be able to properly serve the wealth channel requires capital, commitment, and comprehension. Perhaps the most important “c” for firms to internalize? Comprehension. Asset managers will do well to comprehend the nuances of balancing the needs of both the wealth channel and their long-standing existing customers, the institutional LPs. EQT Group CEO Per Franzen said it well when he remarked recently that responsible growth is critical: “If I had a magic wand, I would use that and make sure that every larger player in the private markets industry pursues that opportunity in a long-term responsible way.” Responsible is the keyword here. With people’s retirements hanging in the balance, it’s never been more important to get retail right. If asset managers — and the industry — want to be successful, they can’t afford to get “stuck in the middle” of not serving either institutional or wealth channel LPs well. Read on for more👇 This week's Alt Goes Mainstream's AGM Alts Weekly, brought to you by Nomura Capital Management, covers: 🗂️ AGM Index, an index that tracks the leading publicly traded alternative asset managers. 💻 Who is hiring: Senior-level positions from companies Blackstone, KKR, Apollo Global Management, Inc., Blue Owl Capital, Franklin Templeton, iCapital, Goldman Sachs, Partners Group, Ultimus Fund Solutions, Allocate, SageSpring Wealth Partners, MSCI Inc. Subscribe👇 to see the latest trends & navigate this rapidly changing landscape as alts go mainstream. https://lnkd.in/ehsbjSBA

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Wealth professionals looking to introduce private market investments into client portfolios are finding that client education is essential. Managing Director James Martin shares a key insight from our Global Private Wealth Survey that highlights how stronger education equips clients to confidently embrace private markets.

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Search funds and small business acquisitions have evolved dramatically over the past few decades. I recently spoke with Jon S., Founder of Agate Hound Fund, to talk about the original search playbook and what he thinks the next decade of small business acquisitions looks like. Topics we discussed include: - The early Stanford days of search and the people and culture that shaped the ecosystem - The case for diversification: 7–9 funds × 20–25 acquisitions each → exposure to a couple hundred companies - Trends in small business deal multiples and what that could mean for buyers today - How value can be created through multiple arbitrage, leverage and organic growth - Why AI & basic software systems (CRM, field service, scheduling) could be the biggest value driver in the next wave of small business ownership - How the broader ecosystem is evolving and what's next 🎥 Watch on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/ehDfXZ_g 🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/ehMpNRKX

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Operating companies permanently changes how you invest. When you’ve lived through payroll cycles, commodity volatility, grid constraints, and board pressure in down markets, you stop starting with upside. Operators underwrite downside first: what breaks margins, what disrupts cash flow, what fails under stress. Capital doesn’t solve those problems but execution does. Operators: what risks do you underwrite first that others miss?

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💡Emerging GP Fundraising Insight #8: Rolling Closes Keep You Moving Small funds can't always afford to sit still until the target is hit. Rolling closes let you start deploying earlier, build a track record, and show momentum to prospective LPs. One GP told me that for Fund I ($5M target), he took capital as it came, signed, wired, and got to work. It wasn't perfect, but it kept the lights on and the deals moving. Sometimes the "sign and wire as it comes" approach is the only way to get moving. Takeaway: Momentum is a fundraising asset and rolling closes can help you keep it. Has anyone here used rolling closes as a strategic advantage?

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Early exits solve one problem and quietly create another. Early exits are often rational. Fund timelines. Liquidity needs. Capital recycling. None of that is inherently wrong. The danger is not the exit. It is what exits carry forward. When assets change hands before operating changes have fully settled, unresolved assumptions do not disappear. They transfer. Sometimes quietly. Sometimes into the next owner’s problem set. The distinction that matters is not “exit ready” versus “not ready.” It is: What is durable. And what is still provisional That distinction is easy to miss when speed is rewarded.

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ASVLP 2026 | EMERGING FUND MANAGERS ROUNDTABLE Navigating the 2026 VC Cycle: Opportunities, Constraints & Competitive Edge for Emerging Fund Managers Raising and deploying capital as an emerging fund manager in 2026 is no longer about momentum. It’s about positioning, credibility, and structural advantage. LP expectations have tightened. Capital formation is slower and more selective. And differentiation is no longer declared — it’s demonstrated. At ASVLP — Africa Startup & VC Landscape Preview, this high‑signal roundtable brings together experienced investors, capital allocators, and ecosystem leaders to unpack what it truly takes to compete — and survive — as a new fund manager in the current cycle. This is not a discussion about starting funds. It is a candid examination of how capital is actually being allocated, where emerging managers face real constraints, and what separates those who scale institutional credibility from those who stall. Speakers Emmie van Halder — @/MPower Netherlands Varun Turlapati — Chaanakya Capital Abiola Adediran, MBA, FCA, FIMC, CMC, M.CIoD — GENEA FAMILY OFFICE Emmanuel Adegboye — Madica Mope Abudu — AfriGloCal VC Zachariah George — Launch Africa Ventures Amb. Dr. Dunston P. — Private Office of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Faisal Al‑Qassimi Moderator Maha M. — COREangels MEA The conversation will explore: • What LPs are truly underwriting in emerging managers today • Where structural constraints — not talent — limit fund performance • How new managers can build defensible edge in portfolio construction, signalling, and partnerships • What must change for emerging funds to graduate into durable institutions Who should attend Emerging fund managers, LPs, DFIs, and ecosystem builders focused on shaping Africa & MENA’s next generation of venture capital — with discipline, not hype. ASVLP 2026 Participation is FREE but strictly by invitation. To join: Repost and comment #ASVLP2026 — your registration link will be sent via DM. This Session is Powered by COREangels MEA

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Collin West went on the VC10X podcast to dive deep on a key point of Ensemble VC's approach that we don’t think has fully sunk in: data-driven investing isn’t a black box bolt-on that picks unicorns, but a fundamentally different way of operating a venture firm. Instead of siloed spreadsheets and tribal knowledge, it means building a shared system that improves how firms source, evaluate, and win the best deals. It’s not just about better data, but turning that data intoa more scalable and repeatable investment process. Collin breaks it down in this great interview — worth a listen if you’re thinking about what it really means to build a modern venture firm. #VentureCapital #AI #DataDrivenVC #EnsembleVC 🎧 Full episode here → https://lnkd.in/gvBtB_34

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At Brightstar Capital Partners, we believe success begins with strong relationships built on trust, alignment, and a shared vision to help great businesses grow. While capital is essential, we focus on building long-term partnerships built through hands-on experience and a commitment to lasting value. Our investment evaluation process is grounded in sectors we know deeply. We focus on cash-flowing businesses where we see an opportunity to optimize operations and foster ownership culture, helping to grow the company better than it could on its own. Ultimately, we judge success by a simple question. Five or 10 years after we exit, if someone calls a founder or partner we’ve worked with and asks, “Should I work with Brightstar?” I want the answer to be yes. That is our definition of real value creation.

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