Key Takeaways
- • CAIS, an alternative investment platform for independent financial advisors, unveiled a modernized brand refresh and a new public website, framed around a "New Era of Access" in alternatives.
- • Founder and CEO Matt Brown said the industry expects trillions to be reallocated to alternative investments over the next decade.
- • A CAIS-Mercer survey found nearly 88% of financial advisors intend to increase alternatives allocations over the next two years, and 89% of alternative asset managers and financial professionals rank the private wealth channel as a higher priority than two years ago.
- • CAIS cites a backdrop of one of the lowest annual performances of the 60/40 portfolio over the last two decades, per HFR and Venn data as of April 2022.
- • CAIS reports over 8,300 advisor firms/teams overseeing more than $3 trillion in network assets and more than $21 billion in cumulative transaction volume since its 2009 founding.
Summary
CAIS announced a brand refresh on March 28, 2023, positioning the company as a leader in what it calls a "New Era of Access" in alternative investing. According to the company's press release distributed via Business Wire, the shift is driven by financial advisors seeking the performance benefits of a modern, three-dimensional portfolio, asset managers pursuing growth in the wealth channel, regulatory changes to the accredited investor definition, and technology that improves efficiency.
CAIS Founder and CEO Matt Brown said the industry expects trillions of dollars to be reallocated to alternative investments over the next decade, citing McKinsey research. The company also cited a CAIS-Mercer survey finding that nearly 88% of financial advisors plan to increase alternatives allocations over the next two years. The same study found that 89% of alternative asset managers and other financial professionals surveyed now view the private wealth channel as a greater priority than they did two years earlier. CAIS attributes this demand partly to weak performance of the traditional 60/40 portfolio, which it describes as one of its lowest annual returns in two decades, based on HFR and Venn data as of April 2022.
Abby Salameh, CMO and Managing Director of CAIS IQ, said brand research found that clients and stakeholders view CAIS as trusted, inventive, connected, transformative, and vital. The refreshed identity includes a new public website and visual elements meant to represent the advisor, home office, and alternative asset manager ecosystem. The "CAIS Wave" symbolizes connectivity and information flow, while the "CAIS Dot" pattern represents the firm's technology platform.
CAIS describes itself as the leading alternative investment platform for independent advisors, offering hedge funds, private equity, private debt, real estate, digital assets, and structured notes. Most funds on its marketplace undergo independent due diligence by Mercer. The company reports serving more than 8,300 advisor firms/teams overseeing over $3 trillion in network assets, with more than $21 billion in cumulative transaction volume. CAIS Capital LLC is a FINRA and SIPC member. The release is promotional in nature and the figures are company-reported.
CAIS Founder and CEO Matt Brown said the industry expects trillions of dollars to be reallocated to alternative investments over the next decade, citing McKinsey research. The company also cited a CAIS-Mercer survey finding that nearly 88% of financial advisors plan to increase alternatives allocations over the next two years. The same study found that 89% of alternative asset managers and other financial professionals surveyed now view the private wealth channel as a greater priority than they did two years earlier. CAIS attributes this demand partly to weak performance of the traditional 60/40 portfolio, which it describes as one of its lowest annual returns in two decades, based on HFR and Venn data as of April 2022.
Abby Salameh, CMO and Managing Director of CAIS IQ, said brand research found that clients and stakeholders view CAIS as trusted, inventive, connected, transformative, and vital. The refreshed identity includes a new public website and visual elements meant to represent the advisor, home office, and alternative asset manager ecosystem. The "CAIS Wave" symbolizes connectivity and information flow, while the "CAIS Dot" pattern represents the firm's technology platform.
CAIS describes itself as the leading alternative investment platform for independent advisors, offering hedge funds, private equity, private debt, real estate, digital assets, and structured notes. Most funds on its marketplace undergo independent due diligence by Mercer. The company reports serving more than 8,300 advisor firms/teams overseeing over $3 trillion in network assets, with more than $21 billion in cumulative transaction volume. CAIS Capital LLC is a FINRA and SIPC member. The release is promotional in nature and the figures are company-reported.
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