Key Takeaways
- • CI Financial Corp. launched Axia Real Assets LP, a joint venture alternative investment manager focused on global real estate and infrastructure investments, announced June 8, 2026.
- • Axia's four founding partners—Kelsey Boland, Darrell Shipp, Greg Stevenson, and Joshua Varghese—bring combined experience managing over $50 billion in real assets for institutional and retail clients.
- • The new venture complements CI's existing alternative investment platform, including liquid alternative funds and mandates in private real estate, private credit, and private equity.
- • Axia plans to launch its first investment solution in summer 2026, expanding CI's alternative investment lineup with new solutions.
- • CI CEO Kurt MacAlpine positioned the joint venture as a strategic response to increasing investor demand for alternatives in complex market environments.
Summary
Toronto-based CI Financial Corp. announced the formation of Axia Real Assets LP on June 8, 2026, a joint venture alternative investment manager dedicated to global real estate and infrastructure opportunities. The venture brings together CI with four founding partners—Kelsey Boland, Darrell Shipp, Greg Stevenson, and Joshua Varghese—who collectively have managed over $50 billion in real assets investments across institutional and retail client bases.
The joint venture strategy reflects CI's broader commitment to expanding its alternative investment capabilities. According to CI CEO Kurt MacAlpine, the formation addresses investor demand for alternatives in an increasingly complex investment landscape. MacAlpine noted that alternative mandates can play a critical role in helping investors achieve financial objectives, positioning Axia as a complementary offering to CI's existing suite of liquid alternative funds and private real estate, private credit, and private equity mandates.
Axia Real Assets LP is scheduled to launch its first investment solution during summer 2026. The venture's focus on global real estate and infrastructure positions it within a competitive landscape where institutional investors and family offices are actively deploying capital into tangible assets. By leveraging the founding partners' operational expertise and CI's distribution and infrastructure capabilities, the joint venture aims to deliver institutional-quality solutions to the alternative investment market.
The joint venture strategy reflects CI's broader commitment to expanding its alternative investment capabilities. According to CI CEO Kurt MacAlpine, the formation addresses investor demand for alternatives in an increasingly complex investment landscape. MacAlpine noted that alternative mandates can play a critical role in helping investors achieve financial objectives, positioning Axia as a complementary offering to CI's existing suite of liquid alternative funds and private real estate, private credit, and private equity mandates.
Axia Real Assets LP is scheduled to launch its first investment solution during summer 2026. The venture's focus on global real estate and infrastructure positions it within a competitive landscape where institutional investors and family offices are actively deploying capital into tangible assets. By leveraging the founding partners' operational expertise and CI's distribution and infrastructure capabilities, the joint venture aims to deliver institutional-quality solutions to the alternative investment market.
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