Growing need for multi-asset support drives acquisition of Lionpoint

Technology and operational consultancy for the alternatives industry Lionpoint has been acquired by UK-based Alpha FMC, a publicly-listed consultancy for the asset management, wealth management and insurance industries, the former announced on Thursday.

The sale will allow Lionpoint to expand its operations into Singapore and Asia, as well as “more aggressively” into Canada, its co-founder Jonathan Balkin told Private Funds CFO. Lionpoint focuses specifically on the alternatives investment industry, but the sale will also expand its services and clientele base, the company said in a statement. It’s clients will now include multi-strategy investors combining alternative assets with traditional ones.

Balkin said that Lionpoint’s clients, including insurance company investors, had increasingly been asking for support with initiatives to, for example, blend a public market investment strategy into their existing private market strategies. For Alpha’s part, the company similarly had seen increasing requests to add private market capabilities to its offering.

“By joining forces, both firms will complement each other’s capabilities as the line between alternative investments firms increasingly permeates retail investors and other traditional asset managers, dramatically reshaping client requirements,” the company’s statement said.

Co-founders Nick Moore and Jonathan Balkin will continue to head up Lionpoint’s 120-strong team of operations and technology consultants in New York, Denver, London, Geneva and Sydney.