Hamilton Lane (NASDAQ:HLNE), a leading global private markets asset management firm, has expanded its Australian presence and offerings to provide access to private markets to a wider group of investors, including the wholesale and high-net-worth (HNW) markets in Australia.
The recently launched Global Private Assets Fund (AUD) (“GPA Fund” or “the Fund”) has already received more than $134 million AUD in inflows to date from HNW investors.
Principal and Australian Country Head James Martin said the firm has been encouraged by strong investor interest, as the GPA Fund aims to meet a unique market need for local investors.
“Traditionally, there have been very few options for high-net-worth investors to access the private markets,” Mr Martin said.
“In today’s low-rate environment, investors are seeking competitive returns at both an individual and institutional level, and are increasingly interested in alternative, high-performing assets. We believe the GPA Fund fills this gap and allows Australian investors greater diversification and access to private assets which have historically been less correlated to the public equity markets.”
A unique investment offering
The GPA Fund allows Australian wholesale and HNW investors access to traditionally high-performing private markets through an Australian Unit Trust with a minimum investment of $25,000 AUD.
The Fund focuses on secondary and direct private equity and credit, across industries, investment types, strategies and geographies, allowing investors to access a diverse portfolio through a single allocation.
While private equity has traditionally been an illiquid asset class, the Fund’s structure provides investors with limited liquidity, through monthly applications and redemptions, while maintaining exposure to global private markets.
“The GPA Fund is one of the first offerings of its kind in the Australian market,” Mr Martin said. “The Fund enables us to provide an innovative way for investors to access the private markets outside of traditional, closed-end fund structures.
“We have managed highly tailored accounts, including co-investing with some of Australia’s largest industry super funds, and the GPA Fund introduces a new structure into our global product suite,” Mr Martin added.
Mario Giannini, CEO of Hamilton Lane, commented: “Hamilton Lane has nearly three decades of experience working with some of the largest and most sophisticated private markets investors around the world. Through this new GPA Fund we are able to offer a differentiated product that is now accessible to high-net-worth investors in Australia.”
Hamilton Lane has also focused on growing its local team with its most recent appointment of Principal Anastasia Di Carlo, further demonstrating its commitment to the Australian market.
Di Carlo is based in the firm’s Sydney office and is focused on client relations, including portfolio construction and strategic planning, as well as working with Hamilton Lane’s investment team for coverage of Australian private capital managers.
She has more than 12 years of experience in private capital globally, across Australia, Europe and the U.S. Prior to joining Hamilton Lane, Di Carlo was an Associate Director in the Investment team at Quentin Ayers, an Australian adviser on global private capital portfolios. She began her career at the European Investment Fund (EIF), based in Luxembourg, where she held roles in both the Private Equity Risk Management and Investment teams.
“Anastasia’s deep knowledge of private markets will be valuable as we look to build relationships with new investors and seek investment opportunities in the region,” Mr Martin said.
“The private markets in Australia continue to grow in size and importance within the global landscape and for institutional and retail investors alike, so we’re pleased to have Anastasia on board to support our growing client base as well as our investment efforts in Australia.”
In Australia, Hamilton Lane plans to continue to grow thoughtfully and strategically in this important region. Globally, the firm has approximately 375 employees across 16 offices and manages about USD $473 billion in assets under management and supervision as of June 30, 2019.
