Stanhope Capital Group, a global independent wealth management and advisory firm overseeing USD26 billion in client assets, is launching Stanhope FFT Global Ventures, a new vehicle dedicated to investing with some of the world’s best performing venture capital firms.
Stanhope FFT Global Ventures will be managed by Stanhope Capital.
Stanhope FFT Global Ventures will invest in a concentrated group of top performing US venture capital funds and, via an innovative structure, will also give its clients the option to co-invest directly into some of the most promising mid to late-stage tech businesses held by these venture funds and other top investors.
Venture capital has historically presented investors with returns substantially in excess of public equity markets and other private market strategies. However, the dispersion in performance within venture capital is far greater than in other private markets strategies, emphasising the need for manager selectivity. Additionally, the best performing venture funds tend to put a cap on their size and are typically over-subscribed through existing relationships. The strength of the combined Stanhope Capital and Forbes Family Trust networks makes it possible for the clients of both firms to have access to this exclusive group of managers.
Stanhope Capital Group has a long-standing history of over fifteen years of successfully investing in private markets on behalf of clients through access vehicles and direct funds managed by the group. The firm was an early backer of S4 Capital, the multi billion dollars digital advertising group founded by Sir Martin Sorrell. The launch of this new vehicle marks the next stage in the development of the group’s client offering, following its merger with Forbes Family Trust.
Daniel Pinto, Chief Executive of Stanhope Capital Group, says: “Part of the rationale behind the merger of Stanhope Capital and Forbes Family Trust earlier this year was bringing together the private markets expertise of both companies and using our combined geographic reach, scale and connectivity to offer clients access to genuinely unique investment opportunities.
“Public markets have witnessed a level of correction in tech valuations, but this correction has not yet filtered into private markets. When it eventually does, the most capable venture capital funds will outperform, due to their long experience, the underlying quality of their existing portfolios and their ability to continue to deploy into the most exciting next generation companies.”
