Small Managers - BIG ALPHA Episode 14

Tuesday March 26th 11am ET (3pm GMT, 4pm CET, 6pm Riyadh, 7pm Dubai)

With larger quantities of capital chasing the same Alpha strategies and continuing to erode Alpha, savvy investors are turning to smaller and/or emerging managers as they look for alternative sources of return.

Episode 14 of this ground breaking webinar series presents you another carefully screened panel of investment managers worth taking a look.

In one hour, you'll meet them all, get to know their top quartile strategies, and - since this an interactive session - can ask your questions.





You will be able to tune in to this webinar from any computer, tablet, or smartphone. The webinar will be recorded - in case you are not able to join, all registered participants will be provided a link to replay the webinar.

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Christian D'Urso
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David Nazar
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Eric Chan
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Thomas Bleimuth

PAST WEBINARS



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The Ultimate Alpha Strategy: Mastering Early-Stage Tech Investments

Excellent presentation! (JMA)

Very on point. (XB)

Good presentation. Could I get some material and possibly have a one on one call? (LC)

Great presentation. I will be in touch. (ES)

Excellent job, Ian (MJ)

Very interesting. Will be in touch! (FV)

Tuesday, February 27th, 2024

Investor Workshop with Investment Banker turned "Super Angel" turned VC Ian Sosso

Building direct exposure to early-stage start-ups can not only be a very profitable strategy but is vital for institutional investors, family offices and private investors alike in a world where we are seeing a redistribution of wealth towards tech businesses and tech entrepreneurs.

There is strong evidence that small, emerging managers outperform large established managers in venture capital. But there is also a growing number of investors who are investing directly in early-stage businesses. We have seldom met one that is not either already investing or at least considering it.

Yet, finding the right investment formula has been challenging for many: loss of capital in the first few investments, inadequate deal flow, lack of understanding of the due diligence process and investment process, ticket size too small for institutional investors to warrant the time and effort, etc.

Casual tech investors lose money. However, early stage venture investing is the ultimate alpha generation strategy: There is no index replication strategy. There is no proxy to being an active investor. But there is evidence that the leading angel and venture investors consistently generate substantial returns.

So, we all love tech, we all want to get involved, but how do you intelligently participate in the future of tech? How do you build a strategy that makes sense, how do you get the best of a high performing venture fund and build both exposure and experience in direct investing, and why it is so important that you do?

With a 7 year IRR of 38%, Ian Sosso, the Founder & Managing Partner of Monte Carlo Capital (www.montecarlocap.com), knows what he's talking about. Ian has over 15 years experience as a business angel and 16 years investment banking in Europe and Asia, and has built an award winning strategy that brings together the diversification and performance of a small venture fund, while offering his LPs significant direct co-investment opportunities.

Join this exclusive investor workshop and learn:

  • How to identify 20x investments
  • Why early-stage investment is the ultimate alpha generation strategy
  • What is the full cycle investment process, from deal sourcing, to due diligence, closing a deal and working with the company.
  • What is the most difficult in early-stage investing?
  • Why deal sourcing and due diligence are the main drivers of return
  • The channels to source high value tech deals across verticals
  • Why building tech investing know-how is not done by being a passive investor in funds. What you can do instead


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Small Managers - BIG ALPHA Episode 13

"Tremendously valuable content and well-articulated. I don't care if it's 11:22 pm at night, if Chris Addy is on the stage, I'm in!" (JG)

"Chris was great today. Much obliged!" (SW)

"Great job on the webinar today. Very helpful information and thank you for taking questions. We are all wrestling with the new regulatory regime and your webinars are incredibly on point." (CR)

"Thank you for an excellent presentation." (KM)

"Very helpful insights - appreciate the presentation." (AK)

"Very good information." (DG)

Tuesday, January 16th 2024

With larger quantities of capital chasing the same Alpha strategies and continuing to erode Alpha, savvy investors are turning to smaller and/or emerging managers as they look for alternative sources of return.

Episode 13 of this ground breaking webinar series presents you another carefully screened panel of investment managers worth taking a look.









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Service Provider Due Diligence: The Next ODD Challenge

"Boy, the SEC has been on a real roll with the new and proposed rules!! Thanks for the webinar!" (LG)

Extremely detailed and insightful session - thank you for putting it together! (HS)

Super job, well organized and very instructive. (TY)

Very comprehensive and informative. (GA)

Very well presented (TZ)

Great session. Thank you very much Chris and Matthias. (BL)

This was a really timely with great content packed into the 1-hour session. Invaluable to have access to such a highly respected operational due diligence leader with lots of practical takeaways from the INTERACTIVE session. Thank you for hosting and organizing. (TM)

Tuesday, December 12th, 2023

The new SEC proposal sits alongside other global rules which impact outsourcing (such as Prudential Standard CPS 230 in Australia) and the inter agency guidance recently issued by the US Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. IOSCO, the International Organization of Securities Commissions has also issued a global guide to outsourcing.

These rules have similar themes and objectives. They seek to clarify that the entity outsourcing – be it an asset manager or an investor – remains responsible for the activities outsourced. Then, rules seek to apply a structured, third-party vendor risk management framework to those third party providers, driven by effective due diligence.

Presenter: Chris Addy FCA CFA, President and CEO of Castle Hall Diligence

Moderator: Matthias Knab, Founder, Opalesque



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Small Managers - BIG ALPHA Episode 12

"Tremendously valuable content and well-articulated. I don't care if it's 11:22 pm at night, if Chris Addy is on the stage, I'm in!" (JG)

"Chris was great today. Much obliged!" (SW)

"Great job on the webinar today. Very helpful information and thank you for taking questions. We are all wrestling with the new regulatory regime and your webinars are incredibly on point." (CR)

"Thank you for an excellent presentation." (KM)

"Very helpful insights - appreciate the presentation." (AK)

"Very good information." (DG)

Wednesday, November 08th 2023

With larger quantities of capital chasing the same Alpha strategies and continuing to erode Alpha, savvy investors are turning to smaller and/or emerging managers as they look for alternative sources of return.

Episode 12 of this ground breaking webinar series presents you another carefully screened panel of investment managers worth taking a look.








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Tech Innovation in Fine Wine is Captivating Consumers, Investors, and the World's Leading Winemakers

Just wanted to say it was a great webinar. One of the most helpful/interesting ones I listened to in a long time. Thanks for putting this together. (ET)

That was fantastic and very helpful to have all the key points summarized in one place. (BL)

This is the best analysis I have seen on FTX and SBF. (KI)

Thursday, October 19th 2023

The Internet. iPhone. Web3. And now, Wine. Yes, tech is disrupting the millennia-old global wine trade, cutting out scores of middlemen. And this is to your advantage as a consumer or investor, because you can now securely access, buy and sell, store or ship the best wines in the world to your home.

"We are at the beginning of a revolution in the trade of fine wines," writes the REVUE DU VIN DE FRANCE, a monthly magazine which critics describe as "France's only serious wine magazine".

Behind this revolution is WineChain, founded by tech and wine geeks such as the former head of Amazon Europe, and financed by the deep pockets of the Motier family of Galeries Lafayette, the Rouzaud family known for leading wine brands including Champagne Louis Roederer, and Web3 venture capital FABRIC Ventures. Many of the world's leading champagne houses and winemakers are already on the WineChain platform.

WineChain's mission is to build a direct, secure and sustainable path between the creations of the top winemakers and their end consumers through a secure digital token marketplace. For the first time, the world's top winegrowers can connect directly with a global community of wine lovers and give access to their best wines and vintages.

By pairing each digital token to a physical bottle or case of wine direct from the winery, which are stored in WineChain's secure warehouse, WineChain clients not only get access to the finest wineries in the world and a wide range of choices, but also benefit from simplified logistics, frictionless liquidity, all with the ease of the digital era.

Wine as Investment

On top of preserving wealth through its intrinsic value, wines have performed well as an asset due to the constantly rising global demand and limited supply. Wine value is fairly uncorrelated to global macroeconomic trends and appreciates with age when stored properly, making it a strong option for long-term investment.

The digital token provides authentic proof of ownership, allowing you to either sell the wine within the WineChain marketplace, ship it to your home - or keep it stored with WineChain and watch its value go up.

The fine wine market has outperformed the stock market in recent years (+135% or 11.25 % p.a. between 2010-2022, based on Liv-ex Fine Wine 1000). This is due to a number of factors, including:

  • The increasing popularity of fine wine as an investment asset.
  • The limited supply of fine wine, which is driving up prices.
  • The high demand for fine wine from China and other emerging markets.
  • The positive long term outlook for wine as an investment.

A smart way to avoid fraud and provenance scandals

However, wine investment is also sensitive to fraud or suspect quality, with a number of provenance scandals happening just recently. Blockchain and digital token technology helps bridge this exciting asset class to a future where traceability and frictionless liquidity offer greater value and protection to the investor.

Join this interactive Opalesque INVESTOR WORKSHOP with WineChain co-founder Nicolas Mendiharat on Thursday, October 19th at 11 am ET and learn:

  • How blockchain technology revolutionizes the wine investment landscape
  • Understanding the concept of non-fungible tokens and their role in wine investments
  • Exploring global wine markets and investment opportunities through blockchain
  • Best practices for securing and managing your digital wine investment portfolio
  • Which champagne houses and winemakers are already on the WineChain platform
  • Your options to use WineChain and participate in WineChain's global success.

Who Should Attend:

  • Wine Enthusiasts: Whether you're a seasoned wine investor or just starting, this webinar is designed to cater to all levels of expertise.
  • Tech Enthusiasts: Discover the innovative blockchain technology disrupting traditional investment landscapes.
  • Financial Professionals: Learn how to incorporate wine investments using blockchain into your clients' diversified portfolios.


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INVESTOR WORKSHOP: How to Crack the Magic Triangle of Diversification, Crisis Alpha and Return

"Tremendously valuable content and well-articulated. I don't care if it's 11:22 pm at night, if Chris Addy is on the stage, I'm in!" (JG)

"Chris was great today. Much obliged!" (SW)

"Great job on the webinar today. Very helpful information and thank you for taking questions. We are all wrestling with the new regulatory regime and your webinars are incredibly on point." (CR)

"Thank you for an excellent presentation." (KM)

"Very helpful insights - appreciate the presentation." (AK)

"Very good information." (DG)

Tuesday, September 26th 2023

Obtaining the three coveted outcomes of diversification, crisis alpha together with an attractive long-term return has been the ultimate yearning of investors and aspiration of investment managers, particularly in the managed futures space.

Most investment strategies are susceptible to suffering devastating losses during equity market crisis. Diversification with managed futures might be the remedy to obtain real crisis alpha, but not many programs have been able to deliver the third, the longer term return outcome.

In this context, Vienna based SMN Investment Services stands out as for more than 26 years the firm has been generating annual returns in high single digits, with zero equity market correlation and remarkably strong "crisis alpha" when it averaged over 20% of the full calendar years of 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2020 and 2021.

SMN was also featured as a "Corona Fighter" during the COVID-19 pandemic by Opalesque (download the full eBook with 210 funds that were up or protected assets in Q1 2020 here: https://www.opalesque.com/ebook/), returning +14.55% in 2020, +40.81% in 2021 (S&P 500: +26.89%) and +13.18% in 2022 (S&P 500: -19.64%). As of Aug. 31st 2023, SMN is up +14.26% YTD.

Join us for this Investor Workshop and learn how Vienna based SMN has been achieving the three coveted outcomes of diversification, crisis alpha, and attractive long-term returns:

  • Discover how Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) can play a pivotal role in achieving attractive investment outcomes and explore their unique characteristics
  • Diversification Done Right: Learn proven strategies and techniques employed by successful CTAs to effectively navigate diverse market conditions and deliver consistent results. Explore the art of diversification and how to construct a well-balanced portfolio with CTAs to mitigate risk and enhance returns
  • Crisis Alpha Generation: Uncover the methods employed by CTAs to capture crisis alpha during periods of market volatility and economic uncertainty
  • Long-Term Return Potential: Discover how CTAs have historically delivered attractive long-term returns and explore the factors that contribute to their success
  • Portfolio construction: the reason behind building robust portfolios without style drift and SMN's risk management philosophy for crucial position sizing
  • Continuous Innovation: SMN's research process and academic ties.
  • Performance Attribution: A look-through how SMN's investment process has added value in a diverse market environment with asynchronous trends.


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INVESTOR WORKSHOP: How to Unlock Lucrative Opportunities through Secured Lending in Mispriced Niche Markets

Just wanted to say it was a great webinar. One of the most helpful/interesting ones I listened to in a long time. Thanks for putting this together. (ET)

That was fantastic and very helpful to have all the key points summarized in one place. (BL)

This is the best analysis I have seen on FTX and SBF. (KI)

Thursday, September 07th 2023

"Within two or three years, whenever we can get liquidity from our hedge funds, we will be primarily all out," Jagdeep Bachher, Chief Investment Officer of the University of California said. "Once we're out, we'll replace that obviously with private credit, which has been a better place to be."

"We find that private credit gives us not just the cash flow generation, but there is also a risk premium in there. That works for us," - Wyn Francis, Chief Investment Officer at Brightwell, the investment manager for the BT Pension Scheme.

In light of this growing institutional interest, we present this INVESTOR WORKSHOP with Chicago Atlantic, an investment firm achieving above market returns through their strategic approach to niches with fundamentally mispriced risk. Their opportunistic credit strategy targets time-sensitive, complex investments in underserved and dislocated markets, such as the cannabis industry.

What sets Chicago Atlantic apart is their founding team's unique blend of deep credit experience and substantial business operating expertise, with a strong commitment to prudent product structuring. With a team of over 50+, the company has deployed over $2 billion across 50+ closed investments.

The cannabis industry stands out because a very limited supply of capital chases a seemingly unlimited supply of deals. Most markets behave in the opposite manner, and so the firm's founders quickly realized that the supply and demand for capital was totally distorted and that there was a significant opportunity for both alpha as well as scale.

By participating in this workshop, you will gain firsthand insights into Chicago Atlantic's proven process and strategies, and learn how to leverage secured lending to unlock the full potential of mispriced niche markets.

Key Workshop Highlights:

  • The Rise and Limits of Private Credit
  • Explore the Principles of Secured Lending and Its Relevance in Niche Markets
  • Discover Chicago Atlantic's Distinctive Investment Approach and Success Stories. The Necessity to Specialize
  • How to Build a High-Quality Origination Pipeline
  • Master Five Key Rules for Sound Underwriting
  • Apply Risk Assessment and Product Structuring Methodologies
  • Learn How to Identify and Capitalize on Mispriced Opportunities in Emerging Industries
  • Engage in Interactive Sessions and Q&A with Industry Experts


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Opalesque INTERACTIVE with Chris Addy on Valuation, Cyber and the upcoming SEC "private fund" rule

"Your webinars are incredibly on point." (CR)

"Tremendously valuable content and well-articulated. I don't care if it's 11:22 pm at night, if Chris Addy is on the stage, I'm in!" (JG)

"Chris was great today. Much obliged!" (SW)

"Great job on the webinar today. Very helpful information and thank you for taking questions. We are all wrestling with the new regulatory regime and your webinars are incredibly on point." (CR)

"Thank you for an excellent presentation." (KM)

"Very helpful insights - appreciate the presentation." (AK)

"Very good information." (DG)

Wednesday, August 16th 2023

The new Opalesque INTERACTIVE session takes the popular webinar format to a new level, enabling each participant to interact with panelists and other registrants in real time, and contribute or ask questions through either chat, audio or on camera.

Surveying the investor and investment management landscape, Opalesque and Castle Hall have found the following three areas to be of heightened interest at the moment, and so we'll kickstart the inaugural Opalesque INTERACTIVE session on Wednesday, August 16th 11 am ET with the following themes:

  1. Keeping up with cyber security risks across third party asset managers
  2. Valuation issues for private equity
  3. Upcoming SEC "private fund" rule - changes around expenses, side letters and more


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Small Managers - BIG ALPHA Episode 11

Just wanted to say it was a great webinar. One of the most helpful/interesting ones I listened to in a long time. Thanks for putting this together. (ET)

That was fantastic and very helpful to have all the key points summarized in one place. (BL)

This is the best analysis I have seen on FTX and SBF. (KI)

Tuesday, June 13 2023

With larger quantities of capital chasing the same Alpha strategies and continuing to erode Alpha, savvy investors are turning to smaller and/or emerging managers as they look for alternative sources of return.

Episode 11 of this ground breaking webinar series presents you another carefully screened panel of investment managers worth taking a look.

  1. AlphaBee Asset Management: Being hedge fund investors since 1988, this family office backed investment manager's commodity arbitrage strategy trounces indexes: Luxembourg based AlphaBee Asset Management is backed by a Geneva family office and actively manages a portfolio of arbitrage and relative value strategies on energy, metals, and agricultural commodities, returning +15% during the last 12 months whereas the S&P Global GSCI Index and Bloomberg Commodity Index are negative with -26% and -20%.

    Coming from this family office background, hear from Frederic Guibaud, CFA, CAIA, why and how AlphaBee strives to provide stability over and for generations, aiming for net returns of between +10% to +20% p.a. in USD, with a target volatility of between 6% and 10% (which is still lower than the realized volatility of the equity market).

    AlphaBee Multi Arbitrage has won the recent The Hedge Fund Journal Awards 2023 for Best Performing Fund in 2022 and over 2 and 5 Years in its category "Arbitrage Strategies".

  2. Tall Trees Capital: Energy Transition needs experienced hands.

    Lisa Audet has over 25 years of experience across a diverse range of assets and industries and launched Tall Trees Capital Management LP in April 2022 with a strategic investment from Tiger Management.

    At Tall Trees, Lisa and her team execute a global, thematic, long/short equity strategy that invests in companies that accelerate the decarbonization of the global economy and enhance long-term energy security.

    Prior to founding Tall Trees, Lisa spent over 10 years managing investments in global energy and commodity businesses for Discovery Capital Management LLC, a global macro investment manager, generating superior, risk-adjusted returns over a multi-year period. Before that she was a Senior Investment Analyst at Hartford Investment Management Co. (HIMCO) covering the Oil & Gas, Mining and Chemical sectors and a Vice President and Regional Director with HSBC Equator Bank in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she managed structured lending to commercial banks and private sector clients in sub-Saharan Africa.

  3. Carbon Cap Management: A win-win for the climate and your portfolio: Absolute returns from global carbon markets

    Carbon and other environmental markets provide multiple opportunities to generate positive returns that are uncorrelated to other asset classes and traded more than $800 billion in 2022.

    Currently there are 13 Emissions Trading Systems in force with 6 scheduled and 12 being considered. Cap and Trade are a "market based" policy that caps and reduces emissions at the lowest cost.

    Michael Azlen, CEO of London based Carbon Cap Management LLP, has been a pioneer in trading carbon, making this uncorrelated and growing asset class available to professional investors. Launched in February 2020, the World Carbon Fund is up 87.83% ITD and now exceeds $205m AUM.

  4. NewSpace Capital: Down-to-Earth Investments in Space

    The Space Ecosystem represents one of the largest investment opportunities and holds the keys to a more productive, equitable and sustainable world. Space Tech is growing exponentially, transforming economies, businesses and everyday lives, and cannot be ignored. With enormous opportunities for both upstream and downstream businesses, Space should be on every investors radar:

    With a current market of €450+, it is 7x bigger than AI and Robotics combined. Space data traffic will grow 14x by 2030, and by 2050, the Space market will exceed commercial banking industry today (EUR 2+ trillion).

    Hear from Bogdan Gogulan, CEO/Managing Partner of NewSpace Capital, why growth-stage Space companies offer attractive risk/return (>25% target gross IRR) with lower tech & market risk. Led by a world class team with significant experience of investment in Space technologies and the Space domain, NewSpace invests in companies where the technology is proven and where they have growing customer bases.



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Opalesque Risk Briefing: Debt Ceiling Déjà Vu?

"This is probably the best thing I've heard in a long time, I'll have to listen to the recording again. Very tight. Super explained. Super. Thank you." (PL)

"This has been a true value-add presentation and thoughtful dialogue." (PA)

"VERY USEFUL WEBINAR" (AB)

"Thanks a lot... very interesting!" (JB)

"Thank you for doing this. Very informative. (AC)

Wednesday, June 07 2023

We have scheduled this URGENT RISK BRIEFING on short notice for June 7 because the Debt Deal could be the start of a critically dangerous period for the economy... and portfolios. Here's why:

  • The stimulus of US Government spending is usually balanced by the tightening impact of the US Treasury issuing the same amount of Bills, Notes and Bonds.
  • But for the last six months, because of the Debt Ceiling, that stimulus happened all alone. Just like Quantitative Easing (QE), it compressed credit spreads, boosted equities, crushed volatility, and muted the impact of Fed tightening.
  • It also helped mask underlying economic weakness caused by higher interest rates.
  • Meanwhile, many companies have been waiting to issue more than a trillion dollars in new debt, hoping to issue it at lower rates than today.

With the Debt Ceiling lifted, starting June 8 the Treasury will issue more than $1 Trillion in new Debt.

  • This will act like a sudden burst of Quantitative Tightening (QT) -- at the same time Fed Chairman Powell is still committed to maintaining high rates to fight inflationary pressures.
  • The impact will be the opposite of QE (2022 redux): Pressure on stocks, higher volatility, with widening credit spreads.
  • Companies waiting to issue debt may give up, and proactively default rather than refinance at unfavorably high rates.

Any evidence from what happened last time?

  • After the big Debt Ceiling deal in 2011, the Treasury issued about the same amount of Debt.
  • VIX went from 25 to 45, High Yield yields went up by 4 percent, stocks dropped 10-15%.

Mike Green, Roy Niederhoffer and Michelle Makori will discuss the potential impact of these factors on stocks, bonds, and alternative assets, and how investors can prepare just in case 2011 repeats - or worse.



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INVESTOR WORKSHOP: Regulated UK platform democratising art with fractionalised Warhol starting at $3K says sweet spot are $1.5m - $20m paintings

Just wanted to say it was a great webinar. One of the most helpful/interesting ones I listened to in a long time. Thanks for putting this together. (ET)

That was fantastic and very helpful to have all the key points summarized in one place. (BL)

This is the best analysis I have seen on FTX and SBF. (KI)

Wednesday, April 26th 2023

Led by a stellar key team of global art leaders such as the former Worldwide Chairman of Christie's, as well as investment and tech experts, Mintus is the first UK regulated investment platform democratising access to art as an alternative asset through fractionalisation. The firm is also registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Art has strong historical performance, outperforming major indexes like the S&P 500 over long periods. The ArtPrice 100 index, an index of the top 100 artists at auction, outperformed the S&P 500 by 363% from 2000 to 2022.

But, until now, opportunities to invest in high value art have been closed off from many investors. Buying 'investment-grade' artwork requires enormous capital, established relationships with art market participants, and market expertise.

With Mintus, investors can now buy shares and invest in multi-million-dollar artworks from artists such as Andy Warhol and George Condo, starting at $3000 only.

  • How Mintus overcomes the four main structural barriers to entry for successful art investments
  • Why 85% of wealth managers believe art should be included in an investment portfolio
  • How does Mintus select art to be offered onto its platform? Which other pieces of art are in the Mintus pipeline?
  • Why buying art for investment purposes is very different to buying art to hang on your wall
  • Why Mintus focuses $1.5m - $20m paintings. What returns can investors expect?
  • Mintus' privileged procurement and professional selection process. How Mintus' AI driven screening and analytical tool supports their origination and sourcing activity
  • How Mintus adds a margin of safety to manage downside risk
  • How will art perform in a higher interest rate environment? Has inflation affected art negatively in the past?
  • Benefits for art sellers to work with Mintus
  • Why Mintus focuses on fine art and not other collectible alternative investments like whiskey, classic cars or watches
  • The artwork currently available on the Mintus platform for investment

With Bevan Duncan, COO, Mintus: Bevan was previously the Managing Director of the Strategic Equity division at Gresham House. Prior to that he was part of the Value Strategy Group at mid-market private equity firm Livingbridge. Bevan qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG.

Vedat Mizrahi PhD, CFO Mintus: Vedat Mizrahi was with Deutsche Bank as an investment banker for over 12 years. He then joined Bank J. Safra Sarasin's Wealth Management team. Vedat has a PhD in Finance and has been lecturing in Corporate Finance and Valuations at King's College in London.



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How to Run a Due Diligence Fire Drill - What Should Investors Do?

Straight forward answers, thank you. (JF)

Great panelists & insights - very informative. Thank you all. (RG)

Excellent information, thank you! (SS)

Appreciate the insights and continued focus, thanks everyone! (MS)

Very instructive insights - thank you all. (RB)

Excellent session. Thank you. (ED)

Excellent panel, thank you all so much!! (CH)

Thursday, March 2nd 2023

We are pleased to continue our series of Opalesque Risk Briefings, offering 45 minute, focused webinars to discuss time sensitive issues impacting our industry.

Our next Opalesque Risk Briefing will be an ODD (Operational Due Diligence) Alert, discussing best practices for investors faced with an ODD "fire drill". The discussion will draw on the challenges faced by investors and investment managers responding to the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, pressure on other US mid-tier banks, and the merger of Credit Suisse and UBS.

Time: Monday April 17th, 11am EST (4pm GMT, 5pm CET)
Presenter: Chris Addy FCA CFA, President and CEO of Castle Hall Diligence
Moderator: Matthias Knab, Founder, Opalesque

Chris will cover a range of due diligence best practices to help investors create a best practice due diligence monitoring program including:

  • How to be proactive....not reactive!
  • Best practices to gather core reference data across a portfolio in advance of a crisis
  • How to engage with managers / GPs on an informed and targeted basis
  • Assessing results and identifying risk in a portfolio
  • Lessons learned - and what could be the next crisis?


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Longevity Biotech: Investing in a healthier future

Just wanted to say it was a great webinar. One of the most helpful/interesting ones I listened to in a long time. Thanks for putting this together. (ET)

That was fantastic and very helpful to have all the key points summarized in one place. (BL)

This is the best analysis I have seen on FTX and SBF. (KI)

Wednesday, April 5th 2023

With many headlines quoting Silicon Valley titans' investments in longevity companies, longevity biotech has received a lot of traction.

However, there are still numerous misconceptions and mysteries floating around for investors that are starting to learn more about this up-and-coming space. In this webinar, we provide a primer on what longevity biotech investing is and a toolkit to navigate the rapidly evolving longevity biotech investment ecosystem:

  1. What is longevity biotech
  2. Timing, opportunities and risks
  3. Main company and investment models

With Robin Lauber, CEO infinitas capital, Davide Ottolini, Founding Partner at Korify Capital, James Peyer, CEO and Co-Founder of Cambrian Bio.



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Hacking VC: How private investors can strategically access early-stage VC

Straight forward answers, thank you. (JF)

Great panelists & insights - very informative. Thank you all. (RG)

Excellent information, thank you! (SS)

Appreciate the insights and continued focus, thanks everyone! (MS)

Very instructive insights - thank you all. (RB)

Excellent session. Thank you. (ED)

Excellent panel, thank you all so much!! (CH)

Thursday, March 2023

The year 2022 saw a long-awaited, yet still strong correction of both public markets (in particular "meme" stocks and overhyped tech companies) as well as private markets (in particular growth-stage VC companies). Consequently, private investors withdrew large amounts from their public equities, reconsidered fixed income assets as interest rate were increasing and yet are still struggling how to treat private market allocations (e.g., private equity, private debt and VC) as part of their investment portfolio.

This webinar will cover:

  • The New Normal of early-stage VC: What trends will prevail, how will strategies change and what are new ways of investing?
  • NextGen Family Offices: How to become more autonomous and strategic as a family office/ private investor
  • Integration of ESG: How to utilize simple frameworks to ensure impactful investing?

With Robin Lauber, CEO and Co-Founder infinitas Capital (Single-Family Office) and VC investor and Strategy Consultant Kilian Graulich, Founding Partner Prediction Capital.



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Is there still ALPHA in HEDGE FUNDS?

Just wanted to say it was a great webinar. One of the most helpful/interesting ones I listened to in a long time. Thanks for putting this together. (ET)

That was fantastic and very helpful to have all the key points summarized in one place. (BL)

This is the best analysis I have seen on FTX and SBF. (KI)

Thursday, February 9th 2023

Since 2009, hedge funds have been widely criticized for their underperformance versus both liquid equity markets and other alternative asset classes.

However, 2022 is the come back year for hedge funds with the HFRI 500 Fund Weighted Composite Index outperforming the decline of technology equities by nearly 3000 basis points, the largest annual outperformance by the Index since inception in 2005. Meanwhile, the classic 60/40 model - a portfolio with 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds - had its worst year since 2008.

Register for a fascinating session with Marc Malek, Founder and CIO of Conquest Capital Partners, and Per Ivarsson, CIO of RPM Risk & Portfolio Management.

  • How to define and quantify "alpha" and how it is different from "alternative beta"
  • Specific examples of hedge fund strategies and managers that do (and do not) generate alpha
  • Today's opportunities, including techniques funds can employ to generate alpha in any market environment

About Marc Malek:

Marc Malek, Founder and CIO of Conquest Capital Partners, is an industry thought-leader with over 30 years of quantitative and discretionary trading experience. Marc's research has been published extensively in academic journals and books including Risk Books and The Journal of Alternative Investments. He is a pioneer of the Alt-Beta strategy, authoring the first paper on the concept in 2002, as well developer of the Bloomberg-published Conquest Risk Aversion Index (2005-19) which statistically proves the significant effect of risk environment on strategy performance. Prior to founding Conquest in 1999, Marc was the Global Head of FX and Derivatives Proprietary trading at UBS. He received a B.S. with Honors in Engineering and Applied Science from Caltech as well as a B.A. in Mathematics from Reed College.

About Conquest:

Conquest Capital Partners is an alternative asset manager focused on global systematic macro trading strategies. Its flagship fund, Conquest Quantitative Macro, is an "all-weather" offering designed to capture independent alpha from short-term trading opportunities regardless of the risk environment. It is differentiated from other CTA and quantitative strategies by its approach of combining both bottom-up trading models with a quantitative top-down allocation process.

About Per Ivarsson:

Per Ivarsson, CIO of RPM Risk & Portfolio Management, has been an active investor in the systematic CTA space over 20 years. Special areas of interest are the factors that drive CTA returns and the life-cycle of managers/strategies. Prior to that Per was advising institutions on risk and valuation in the areas of interest rate/credit derivatives and structured products. Per holds a Master of Science Degree in Engineering Physics and a degree Financial Economics.

About RPM Risk & Portfolio Management:

RPM has been a specialized investor in the systematic CTA space for over 25 years. The focus is to invest in CTA managers during their most promising development stage and actively allocate between different CTA sub-strategies. In addition to the flagship fund, RPM offers custom-made solutions as well as risk and advisory services in related areas.

You will be able to tune in to this webinar from any computer, tablet, or smartphone. The webinar will be recorded - in case you are not able to join, all registered participants will be provided a link to replay the webinar.



...

ILS Life Settlements: The Institutional Approach (Asian Time Zones)

Straight forward answers, thank you. (JF)

Great panelists & insights - very informative. Thank you all. (RG)

Excellent information, thank you! (SS)

Appreciate the insights and continued focus, thanks everyone! (MS)

Very instructive insights - thank you all. (RB)

Excellent session. Thank you. (ED)

Excellent panel, thank you all so much!! (CH)

How ILS and Life Settlements found their way into SWFs and institutional portfolios

ASIAN Time Zones: Thursday, January 19th 2023

Life Settlements is an asset class with great promise for producing genuinely non-correlated returns which many investors are not taking advantage of. This may be due to a number of issues including lack of experience, lack of familiarity, or lack of research and analysis they feel they can trust.

To help address these questions, we have assembled an expert panel of experienced professionals who will offer unique insights from their various areas of expertise: as a multi-billion dollar institutional investor, as a Life Settlement asset manager, and in the fields of immunology, drug development, and mortality trends.

Karim Dellal is a former Senior Portfolio Manager at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), one of the world's largest and most respected Sovereign Wealth Funds. Karim spent 20 years of his career at ADIA. In that time Karim specialised in Alternative and Quantitative strategies; his focus on the last 4.5 years has been in Insurance Linked Securities (ILS) and Life Settlements.

  1. How and why institutions should consider Life Settlements,
  2. The role the asset class can play in institutional portfolios,
  3. How to diversify an ILS portfolio, and
  4. Unique issues that must be addressed when implementing an allocation to this asset class.

Karim has a Master of science Degree from E.N.S.A.E (Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering) in Toulouse, France and worked as Aerospace Engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, before moving on to finance in 1993.

Tony Bremness is the Founding Partner and CIO of Laureola Advisors, a boutique Investment Advisory Firm dedicated to managing Life Settlement assets exclusively. Tony has over 35 years' experience in investment management, with over 10 years in Life Settlements. Tony founded Laureola in 2012; the firm has been managing Life Settlement assets since 2013. The Laureola team has grown to 13 professionals with over 200 years of relevant experience..

Tony will discuss:

  1. The asset class and current market conditions
  2. The right structure for Institutions to access Life Settlements
  3. The risks of the asset class and how to manage them
  4. The unique due diligence questions for LS Managers

Tony has a Master of Business Administration degree from McGill University in Canada and has been awarded the CFA designation

Khadija Benlhassan, PhD is a biotechnology executive and entrepreneur with 20 years' experience in preclinical and clinical research and development. Currently Expert for European Community, founding director of Voynich Biosciences Inc, Chief scientific officer of Wellness Group Intl SA and part of scientific advisory board of Laureola Advisors Inc.

Dr Benlhassan worked in the past for ImmunoClin Corporation (IMCL) and for Biopharm Centre of Excellence in Drug Discovery at GlaxoSmithKline R&D, UK. She holds a PhD in Immunology from Paris Descartes University and has extensive R&D experience in drug development for international biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

Khadija will discuss:

  1. Recent CDC Report on mortality trends
  2. What's behind the recent drop in life expectancy in the USA?


...

ILS Life Settlements: The Institutional Approach (US Time Zones)

Just wanted to say it was a great webinar. One of the most helpful/interesting ones I listened to in a long time. Thanks for putting this together. (ET)

That was fantastic and very helpful to have all the key points summarized in one place. (BL)

This is the best analysis I have seen on FTX and SBF. (KI)

How ILS and Life Settlements found their way into SWFs and institutional portfolios

US Time Zones: Wednesday, January 18th 2023

Life Settlements is an asset class with great promise for producing genuinely non-correlated returns which many investors are not taking advantage of. This may be due to a number of issues including lack of experience, lack of familiarity, or lack of research and analysis they feel they can trust.

To help address these questions, we have assembled an expert panel of experienced professionals who will offer unique insights from their various areas of expertise: as a multi-billion dollar institutional investor, as a Life Settlement asset manager, and in the fields of immunology, drug development, and mortality trends.

Karim Dellal is a former Senior Portfolio Manager at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), one of the world's largest and most respected Sovereign Wealth Funds. Karim spent 20 years of his career at ADIA. In that time Karim specialised in Alternative and Quantitative strategies; his focus on the last 4.5 years has been in Insurance Linked Securities (ILS) and Life Settlements.

  1. How and why institutions should consider Life Settlements,
  2. The role the asset class can play in institutional portfolios,
  3. How to diversify an ILS portfolio, and
  4. Unique issues that must be addressed when implementing an allocation to this asset class.

Karim has a Master of science Degree from E.N.S.A.E (Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering) in Toulouse, France and worked as Aerospace Engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, before moving on to finance in 1993.

Tony Bremness is the Founding Partner and CIO of Laureola Advisors, a boutique Investment Advisory Firm dedicated to managing Life Settlement assets exclusively. Tony has over 35 years' experience in investment management, with over 10 years in Life Settlements. Tony founded Laureola in 2012; the firm has been managing Life Settlement assets since 2013. The Laureola team has grown to 13 professionals with over 200 years of relevant experience..

Tony will discuss:

  1. The asset class and current market conditions
  2. The right structure for Institutions to access Life Settlements
  3. The risks of the asset class and how to manage them
  4. The unique due diligence questions for LS Managers

Tony has a Master of Business Administration degree from McGill University in Canada and has been awarded the CFA designation

Khadija Benlhassan, PhD is a biotechnology executive and entrepreneur with 20 years' experience in preclinical and clinical research and development. Currently Expert for European Community, founding director of Voynich Biosciences Inc, Chief scientific officer of Wellness Group Intl SA and part of scientific advisory board of Laureola Advisors Inc.

Dr Benlhassan worked in the past for ImmunoClin Corporation (IMCL) and for Biopharm Centre of Excellence in Drug Discovery at GlaxoSmithKline R&D, UK. She holds a PhD in Immunology from Paris Descartes University and has extensive R&D experience in drug development for international biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

Khadija will discuss:

  1. Recent CDC Report on mortality trends
  2. What's behind the recent drop in life expectancy in the USA?


...

Investor Workshop: Conducting ODD on Crypto and Digital Assets

Hugely informative. Thank you! (ON)

Straight forward answers, thank you. (JF)

Great panelists & insights - very informative. Thank you all. (RG)

Excellent information, thank you! (SS)

Appreciate the insights and continued focus, thanks everyone! (MS)

Very instructive insights - thank you all. (RB)

Excellent session. Thank you. (ED)

Excellent panel, thank you all so much!! (CH)

Tuesday, December 13th 2022

As the catastrophic collapse of the crypto exchange FTX continues to unfold, operational due diligence (ODD) on digital assets has become a key topic. Is it even possible to reach an ODD conclusion on a crypto fund - or is it simply not possible to give investors enough ODD comfort that their assets are secure?

While FTX itself was an exchange, not an asset manager, crypto investors face new uncertainties around ODD. For those investors who have already invested in digital asset funds and strategies, was their initial ODD reliable - or was it fundamentally flawed? For investors considering future investments in crypto, what are best practices for crypto ODD 2.0 in the post FTX world? And for those investors who feel that crypto is simply a front for crime and that a NFT of Madonna is worth precisely nothing - are there operational structures which could make digital assets attractive even to the most crypto cynical allocators?

This Opalesque Skillslab webinar looks at key elements of the crypto ODD process:

  • A recap of the basics - crypto assets, exchanges and the blockchain
  • Custody, exchanges and wallets - can investors be comfortable that digital assets actually exist?
  • What do you need internal to an asset manager: back office resources and systems
  • Valuation issues - from Bitcoin to the obscure
  • Compliance and regulation
  • Cyber security
  • Business risk of any asset manager: ownership, conflicts, financial stability and succession
  • Words of advice and war stories: What to avoid post FTX


...

Due Diligence Lessons from FTX: Opalesque Interactive Risk Briefing with Castle Hall Diligence

"The best summary of the compliance situation I have seen." (AC)

Just wanted to say it was a great webinar. One of the most helpful/interesting ones I listened to in a long time. Thanks for putting this together. (ET)

That was fantastic and very helpful to have all the key points summarized in one place. (BL)

This is the best analysis I have seen on FTX and SBF. (KI)

We are pleased to introduce Opalesque Risk Briefings, offering a new format of 45 minute, focused webinars to discuss time sensitive issues impacting our industry. Our first Opalesque Risk Briefing will be an ODD Alert, looking at due diligence lessons from the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX crypto exchange. The session will discuss points specific to crypto and also look for lessons which impact operational due diligence across all strategies.

Time: Thursday November 17, 2022
Presenter: Chris Addy FCA CFA, President and CEO of Castle Hall Diligence
Moderator: Matthias Knab, Founder, Opalesque

The replay is a user-friendly video, so you can fast forward and navigate to the following sections as you wish:

  1. 04:47 (min:sec): Conflicts of interest and affiliated entities
  2. 11:34 (min:sec): The need for an adequate operational infrastructure
  3. 15:34 (min:sec): Regulation and compliance
  4. 20:30 (min:sec): Auditor and audited financial statements
  5. 24:32 (min:sec): Transparency
    See here for FTX org chart: https://d1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net/production/8566b562-d5e8-412d-80eb-77ff899f0d29.jpg
  6. 27:35 (min:sec): Inability to rely on other investors' due diligence
  7. 30:18 (min:sec): Fear of Missing Out
  8. 32:48 (min:sec): CONCLUSION: A structured ODD process should have raised at least (the following) red flags ("reject") on FTX
  9. 34:17 (min:sec): Cult of the founder
  10. 41:51 (min:sec): Did your crypto fund tell you they are "doing due diligence" on their exchanges?
  11. 44:38 (min:sec): Q&A: Why did investors fail to identify red flags as part of the due diligence process?

Please also share or forward this video link to friends and colleagues.

We'd love to get your feedback on the webinar and in particular how useful you found it - simply hit reply and send me your comments... thank you!



...

Winter is Coming: Billion-dollar hedge fund manager (+75% YTD) with decades of experience can prepare you for the storm

Amazing clarity of thought! Thank you Roy, and thank you Matthias. (RB)

Wednesday, November 2nd 2022

Stocks and bonds no longer provide the diversification they used to. The Fed Put is gone. Central Banks are intent on tightening, until they break something. And investors are in uncharted territory.

Markets have the potential to move in ways that are unprecedented, and unknown risks abound. The pain that has occurred so far may not be over.

  • Is moderate stagflation the only outcome?
  • Are stocks actually a buy?
  • Is downside protection useful in an inflating world?
  • Is crypto and Bitcoin still a thing?


...

Alternative data: Early peek into US election results and other macro-economic analytics

This webinar was an exquisite experience and a great opportunity to widen my investment opportunities. (TB)

Thursday, October 20th 2022

Opalesque has invited QuantCube Technology to discuss the application of real-time alternative data in financial applications. During the webinar we will review case studies including US mid-term election and macro regime analysis. Elections can often affect the market behaviour, and consequently, they influence investor's behaviour. Therefore, it is important to understand the potential impact of election results.

We will also discuss how best to assess current macroeconomic regime using real-time alternative data with a particular focus on GDP and Inflation nowcast. The webinar will conclude with the discussion about commodity market analysis using QuantCube's in-depth proprietary AI and data science technology.

Interactive webinar session and Case Study with Thanh-Long Huynh based on Live Data and Intelligence from Quant Cube:

1. Red or blue? Predicting US midterms results at district level with social media analytics

  • How did US stocks perform in the past post-midterm election?
  • The role of alternative data to predict election results - why is it important to reflect real-time sentiment in investment strategies?

2. Assessing current macroeconomic regime with real-time macro analysis

  • What are the main drivers of regime changes?

3. Commodity markets insights through the lens of alternative data

  • AI technology for in-depth commodity markets intelligence


...

Small Managers - BIG ALPHA Episode 10

PRESENTERS, YOUR PASSION AND COMMITMENT SHINED THROUGH (MM)

Thank you to all presenters and Matthias. Perfect webinar as always. (VP)

Very interesting! Thank you! (AG)

Thank you indeed! Very informative presentations. (ON)

Wonderful session! (SS)

Excellent webinar (MW)

"Thank you for putting this presentation together and all the work you are doing to provide access to these unique managers and opportunities." (RR)

Tuesday, October 4th 2022

With larger quantities of capital chasing the same Alpha strategies and continuing to erode Alpha, savvy investors are turning to smaller and/or emerging managers as they look for alternative sources of return.

Episode 10 of this ground breaking webinar series presents you another carefully screened panel of investment managers worth taking a look.

  1. Manjeet Mudan, Ph.D.,Carmika Partners: Absolute Return Options Strategy

  2. Aman Oberoi, K2Q Capital: Statistical systematic Japan macro strategy

  3. Ted Parkhill, Incline Investment Management: Trend Following, Systematic, Quantitative

  4. Pascal Rohner, Katch Investment Group: European Secured Lending Strategy


...

Live: Bahamas Securities Commission Presents Framework For Digital Assets Business

This webinar was an exquisite experience and a great opportunity to widen my investment opportunities. (TB)

Wednesday, Sept. 28th 2022

Interactive session with Christina R. Rolle, Executive Director, Securities Commission of The Bahamas

With its groundbreaking Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges Act (DARE Act) in 2020 and the Government's 2022 white paper "The Future of Digital Assets in The Bahamas", The Bahamas has managed to lay a wide regulatory foundation for digital assets. This includes the facilitation of digital token exchange registration and the provision of services related to them, the regulation of digital assets-based payment service businesses, and for the registration of financial services related to the creation, issuance or sale of digital tokens and other digital assets.

Based on a five year plan, the Bahamas Government's white paper is not only opening the door to accept the new payment systems that are coming, but demonstrates the Government's long-term commitment which provides the certainty that clients and businesses need to strategically plan and execute their digital assets business.

Get an in-depth look at the business and regulatory environment for digital assets in The Bahamas and how the jurisdiction is taking steps to maintain and enhance this environment:

  1. Overview of The Digital Assets Policy White Paper
  2. Overview of the DARE Act
    1. The registration process - who can participate?
    2. Reporting and Disclosure Requirements
    3. Investigation and Cooperation Offences and Penalties
  3. AML/CFT and DARE
  4. Investor Protection Elements
  5. What differentiates the Bahamas' digital assets regulatory framework from that of other countries
  6. Enhancements to the Regulatory Framework On the Horizon


...

DIVERSIFICATION MATTERS - Episode 3

PRESENTERS, YOUR PASSION AND COMMITMENT SHINED THROUGH (MM)

Thank you to all presenters and Matthias. Perfect webinar as always. (VP)

Very interesting! Thank you! (AG)

Thank you indeed! Very informative presentations. (ON)

Wonderful session! (SS)

Excellent webinar (MW)

"Thank you for putting this presentation together and all the work you are doing to provide access to these unique managers and opportunities." (RR)

Wednesday, Aug. 31st 2022

Focus session on European mezzanine debt, an underinvested asset class which offers equity-like returns with downside protection and Innovations in Artificial Intelligence for Investment Strategy development.

SIG-i Capital

  • Concentrated European mezzanine debt: European mezzanine debt is an underinvested asset class which offers equity-like returns with downside protection. This is likely due to the exodus of traditional banking players from certain segments of the market as well as the lack of understanding on the investees' side of potential benefits of mezzanine instruments.
  • SIG-i plays an active role in originating deals and educating investees of the pros and cons of junior debt in their capital structure. This, in turn, allows the firm to win deals in a relatively low-competition process.
  • SIG-i was founded by former executives of Special Investments Group of Credit Suisse in 2019. The two senior team members have known each other for over fifteen years.
  • Historically, the strategy delivered mid-teen returns

Rubinstein & Schmiedel

  • Founded in 2019 after more than six years of fundamental research and development, pushing the boundaries of AI in financial market forecasting. The result: a novel AI which extracts information and learns complex strategies without human input solely based on data.
  • 20+ experts in Switzerland and Germany with research backgrounds in AI, Software Engineering, Data Science, Big Data, and High-Performance Computing develop and operate fully automated, high-precision trading systems capable of creating systematic and sustainable returns - so far unmatched by professional traders and rule-based algorithms.
  • The AI utilizes multiple strategies simultaneously, investing in digital assets for very short periods of time and extracting returns while preserving portfolio capital otherwise. The annualized value of Alpha is 123% with a Beta of 0.12. Bitcoin was used as a benchmark.


...

Investor Workshop: Conducting ODD on Crypto and Digital Assets

PRESENTERS, YOUR PASSION AND COMMITMENT SHINED THROUGH (MM)

Thank you to all presenters and Matthias. Perfect webinar as always. (VP)

Very interesting! Thank you! (AG)

Thank you indeed! Very informative presentations. (ON)

Wonderful session! (SS)

Excellent webinar (MW)

"Thank you for putting this presentation together and all the work you are doing to provide access to these unique managers and opportunities." (RR)

December, 13th 2022

As the catastrophic collapse of the crypto exchange FTX continues to unfold, operational due diligence (ODD) on digital assets has become a key topic. Is it even possible to reach an ODD conclusion on a crypto fund - or is it simply not possible to give investors enough ODD comfort that their assets are secure?



...

Small Managers - BIG ALPHA Episode 9

This webinar was an exquisite experience and a great opportunity to widen my investment opportunities. (TB)

Thursday, July 7th 2022

Ascender Capital:

Ascender Capital is a Hong Kong based boutique, investing across Asia since 2012, with a process designed to systematically exploit reoccurring inefficiencies across local public equity markets. The resulting portfolio of high-quality businesses has a small and mid cap bias, and minimal overlap with passive or larger funds.

With economic growth and 22,000 listed stocks, Asia is a region that shouldn't be ignored. Boutique investor Ascender Capital has outperformed indices (and peers) on a 1, 3, 5 and 10 year basis, reflecting the consistency of their process and a disciplined investment philosophy:

Deep Field Capital:

Based in Zug, Switzerland, Deep Field Capital's quantitative intraday and short-term programs are built on more than 20 years of trading experience.

Deepfield's Intraday Crisis Alpha (ICA) is a pure intraday momentum program, focusing on large tail events in global equity index futures, aiming to stay away from the average daily trading ranges that tend to be mean-reverting. It is up 14.7% YTD after returning 5.5% in April during the equity sell-off and 4.4% in May when equity markets crashed-up again, annualizing net returns of 8.3% since inception in May 2017.

Skylar Capital Management:

Based in the U.S. Virgin Islands, with offices in Houston, Skylar Capital Management employs a fundamental, discretionary and analytical approach to trading the liquid energy markets with a focus on North American and European natural gas.

The founder, William O Perkins III, has more than 25 years of experience in trading and risk management. He launched Skylar after a successful 10-year tenure as a senior portfolio manager at Centaurus Energy, a multibillion-dollar hedge fund, where he generated over $1bn in profit.

MoSAIQ - Icon Asset Management AG:

Zurich based Icon MoSAIQ is an all weather absolute return strategy that seeks to generate double digit average yearly returns throughout market cycles with no negative years an objective the strategy has met since inception:

"We're proud of our strong absolute returns (+41.33% in 2020 and +0.64% YTD 2022 as of June 17th 2022), meeting our objective of generating double digit average yearly returns since inception with no negative years. For our flagship strategy, the net IRR since inception above +25.6%," says Elias Nechachby, CFA, MoSAIQ Founder and Portfolio Manager, Icon Asset Management AG.



...

Small Managers - BIG ALPHA Episode 8

I was there. I really enjoyed it. Thank you. I have already reached out to all four managers. I am putting together a 'Fund of Funds' of Undiscovered Managers. Do you have any other managers presented for you in the not too distant past that I can contact? (JP)

PRESENTERS, YOUR PASSION AND COMMITMENT SHINED THROUGH (MM)

Thank you to all presenters and Matthias. Perfect webinar as always. (VP)

Very interesting! Thank you! (AG)

Thank you indeed! Very informative presentations. (ON)

Wonderful session! (SS)

Excellent webinar (MW)

"Thank you for putting this presentation together and all the work you are doing to provide access to these unique managers and opportunities." (RR)

Wednesday, June 8th 2022

Prestige Funds:

Prime Alternative Finance: Renewable Energy / Infrastructure Finance

Prime seeks to generate uncorrelated, absolute returns by investing in a diverse portfolio of senior secured, debt based, renewable energy / waste to energy infrastructure opportunities, many of which receive long term UK government incentives. Prime was launched at the end of 2018, although the wider ‘alternative finance' strategy has been operational for more than 13 years and has produced positive returns for investors every year since inception.

R. G. Niederhoffer Capital Management:

A 28-year track record of innovation in short-term trading

R. G. Niederhoffer Capital Management, Inc. (RGNCM) was founded in 1993 by Roy Niederhoffer, who graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a degree in Computational Neuroscience. The firm is a pioneer in short-term, quantitative futures trading exploiting behavioral biases, and has been recognized for its combination of strong absolute return and consistent protection in difficult periods for most strategies. The manager's 30 years of research into how behavioral biases affect financial markets has identified over 60 situations in which markets are predictable.

Eagle's View Contrarian Macro Fund, Ltd.:

Eagle's View Contrarian Macro strategy seek to capitalize upon the view that asset prices have just begun a multi-year process of re-pricing downward due to global central bank regime change toward a more restrictive liquidity environment. The primary objective is to generate superior returns during periods when markets decline and preserve capital during periods when markets are in ‘risk-on' mode.

Helm Investment Partners:

Helm Investment Partners seeks to generate superior absolute returns by investing in securities of the largest and strongest domestic companies listed in out-of-favor countries that are recovering from a temporary political or macroeconomic dislocation. Helm believes these specific situations represent some of the least competitive hunting grounds in which to identify and invest in high quality, industry-leading franchises, at extremely attractive valuations.



...

MANAGER WORKSHOP: Market Entry Into Europe - Made Easy

This webinar was an exquisite experience and a great opportunity to widen my investment opportunities. (TB)

Thursday, May 19th 2022

As we all know, the structuring of Alternative Investments poses a challenge, because the set-up, regulation and reporting is highly complex. However, with the right know-how, process and partners, your market entry into Europe can be a major success.

Hear from our expert panel:

  • What is the set-up of the European market?
  • How does the structuring process for Alternatives work in Europe?
  • How can managers get the best and most cost efficient guidance through the jungle of regulatory requirements?
  • Case Studies and practical examples

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CONTACT

Problems, comments, questions? Please email support@opalesque.com or call Opalesque Sales & Support at +1 914 619 5223 (Telephone support is available Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM GMT).
To speak with our editor Matthias Knab, dial +49-89-2351-3055