- Innovative approach aims to increase fund management efficiency and broaden investor
access by automating and integrating traditionally separate functions - First to feature new share-class is Hamilton Lane’s Luxembourg based USD 3.6bn Global Private Assets (GPA) Fund which has an annual average performance growth of 13.91 percent since 2019
- DLT-registered share class enables significantly lower fund entry points – while retaining
the full advantages of the GPA Fund’s traditional shares
Sygnum Bank, Hamilton Lane, and Apex Group today announce a cross industry project that expands global private market access to significantly larger and more diverse groups of qualified investors. Leveraging the power of the blockchain, the new DLT-registered share class automates and integrates traditionally separate fund management functions, increasing both accessibility and efficiency. The first fund to feature the new share class is Hamilton Lane’s USD 3.6bn GPA Fund, which has an annual average performance growth of 13.91 percent and has outperformed the MSCI World Fund by 4.74% since inception in 2019[i].
Leveraging Sygnum’s tokenisation solution, the minimum investment has a significantly lower fund entry point than direct investments into traditional private markets’ evergreen funds. This tokenized asset will be available exclusively to Sygnum professional, institutional and corporate clients[ii].
The unique investment opportunity is the result of a strategic, cross-industry project underway for more than a year. Hamilton Lane, a leading global private markets investment firm with over USD 850bn in assets under management and supervision[iii], will serve as investment manager for the new offering. Apex Group is the transfer agent and fund administrator and, via the Luxembourg-regulated entities Apex Fund Services and FundRock-LRI, is leveraging Sygnum’s tokenisation solution to manage the on-chain share registry.
Victor Jung, Head of Digital Assets at Hamilton Lane, says “We strongly believe that tokenisation has the potential to transform the way investors gain access to the historically strong returns and performance opportunities within the private markets, and are delighted to announce this digital-native, institutional-grade offering with Sygnum and Apex. This joint initiative with the Swiss Private Wealth team underscores the region as a leading digital asset hub that will serve as a catalyst for broader adoption within the banking and wealth management industry. We would like to invite the community to join us in this movement.”
Fatmire Bekiri, Sygnum Head of Tokenisation, says “The new DLT-registered share class in Hamilton Lane’s GPA Fund marks the first entry in Apex’s on-chain share register. This is a significant breakthrough in making private markets more broadly accessible and investible via tokenisation. We are proud to join forces with other industry leaders like Hamilton Lane and Apex, and we look forward to this strategic partnership delivering a series of new and unique opportunities for investors, as well as heralding positive, blockchain-powered change for the industry.”
Bruce Jackson, CFA, Apex Group Chief of Digital Asset Funds and Business says “Hamilton Lane will raise new investor capital, while expanding direct access to their GPA Fund offering. Clients of Sygnum Bank now have access to a sophisticated alternative asset class, designed to achieve significant alpha through uncorrelated investment returns. Apex continues to meet its goal of increasing access for our clients’ alternative strategies and will continue to perfect our Framework Operating Model for the distribution of alternative asset funds using blockchain as the subscription, onboarding, operating, administration, and transfer agency platform.”
This unique investment opportunity is made possible by Sygnum’s expertise in leveraging the blockchain’s unique capabilities in a fully regulated environment. Novel project aspects include the “fractionalisation” of assets to enable smaller investment entry-points, streamlined compliance, the end-to-end automation of the on-chain share registry and transfer agent activities as well as increased levels of transparency due to the open nature of DLT. This project is built on the Polygon blockchain.
According to McKinsey[iv], the +300% growth of global private markets fundraising between 2009 and 2022 was due to its consistent outperformance of public markets. However, the multi-million-dollar commitments that were typically required to participate in this high-growth market have, until now, limited private markets exposure for many in the broader investment community.
About Sygnum
Sygnum is a global digital asset banking group, founded on Swiss and Singapore heritage. We empower professional and institutional investors, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets with complete trust. Our team enables this through our institutional-grade security, expert personal service and portfolio of regulated digital asset banking, asset management, tokenisation and B2B services. In Switzerland, Sygnum holds a banking licence and has CMS and Major Payment Institution Licences in Singapore. The group is also regulated in the established global financial hubs of Abu Dhabi and Luxembourg. We believe that the future has heritage. Our crypto-native team of banking, investment and digital asset technology professionals are building a trusted gateway between the traditional and digital asset economies that we call Future Finance. To learn more about how Sygnum’s mission and values are shaping this digital asset ecosystem, www.sygnum.com
Sygnum media contact:
Dominic Castley, Chief Marketing Officer
About Hamilton Lane
Hamilton Lane (Nasdaq: HLNE) is one of the largest private markets investment firms globally, providing innovative solutions to institutional and private wealth investors around the world. Dedicated exclusively to private markets investing for more than 30 years, the firm currently employs nearly 700 professionals operating in offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Hamilton Lane has $854.0 billion in assets under management and supervision, composed of $119.2 billion in discretionary assets and $734.8 billion in non-discretionary assets, as of September 30, 2023. Hamilton Lane specializes in building flexible investment programs that provide clients access to the full spectrum of private markets strategies, sectors and geographies. For more information, please visit www.hamiltonlane.com or follow Hamilton Lane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hamilton-lane/.
Immy Ransom, Marketing and Communications Manager Europe
Forward-Looking Statements: Some of the statements in this release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “will”, “expect”, “believe”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “plan” and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements discuss management’s current expectations and projections relating to our financial position, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. All forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause actual results to be materially different. You should evaluate all forward-looking statements in the context of the risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of Hamilton Lane’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023 and subsequent reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date hereof. Hamilton Lane undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events, except as otherwise required by law.
About Apex Group
Apex Group Ltd., established in Bermuda in 2003, is a global financial services provider. With over 112 offices worldwide and 12,000+ employees in 45 countries, Apex Group delivers an expansive range of services to asset managers, financial institutions, private clients and family offices. The Group has continually improved and evolved its capabilities to offer a single-source solution through establishing the broadest range of services in the industry; including fund raising solutions, fund administration, digital onboarding and bank accounts, depositary, custody, super ManCo, corporate services and a pioneering ESG Ratings and Advisory solution. Apex Group’s purpose is to be more than just a financial services provider and is committed to driving positive change to address three core areas; the Environment and Climate Change, Women’s Empowerment and Economic Independence, Education and Social Mobility.
Apex Group media contact
Chanel Townsend, head of media relations
Chanel,Townsend@apexgroup.com
+447391046830
[i] Global Private Assets Fund | Hamilton Lane
[ii] Sygnum operates solely on a reverse solicitation basis outside Switzerland
[iii] As of September 30, 2023
[iv] McKinsey and Company: Global Private Markets review 2023
