Brookfield and iCapital team up for tool to sharpen advisor conversations on alternatives

Brookfield and iCapital have launched a new portfolio modeling tool aimed at helping financial advisors make the case for alternative investments in client portfolios.

Called The Alts Allocator, the interactive platform allows advisors to build and test allocation scenarios across alternative asset classes and compare results to traditional portfolios.

John Sweeney, CEO of Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions told InvestmentNews that the tool is meant to make conversations about alternatives more relatable for clients.

“With it, advisors can create portfolios, test allocations, and turn client conversations into something personal, tangible, and data-driven,” he said.

According to iCapital’s 2025 Global Advisor Survey, 96% of financial professionals plan to maintain or increase their use of alternatives this year and Brookfield’s research suggests that investors, too, are ready to engage, if their advisors are leading the discussion.

“In our 2024 survey, we learned that 80% of investors said they would begin investing in alternatives if their financial advisor focused on the overall benefits of the portfolio - not just the products themselves,” Sweeney said.

Brookfield’s research, conducted through its Alts Institute, also identified three key investor segments shaping the firm’s approach: Alts Champions, Emerging Adopters, and Traditionalists.

The groups reflect different levels of comfort and commitment to alternatives, from those willing to invest up to 30% of their portfolio to those testing allocations closer to 10%.

The survey found that 62% of existing alts users in North America plan to increase their allocations within the next two years and that 85% of respondents believe that alts are essential to a successful portfolio strategy.

Brookfield selected iCapital to develop the technology behind The Alts Allocator, citing the firm’s experience creating fintech solutions for the private markets. For iCapital, the collaboration reflects a shift in how advisors are thinking about portfolio construction as access to private market strategies widens.

“As transparency grows and technology keeps advancing, demand for and access to alternatives is opening up in a big way,” Dan Vene, co-founder and co-head of iCapital Solutions at iCapital told InvestmentNews. “The challenge now isn’t getting in the door - it’s finding the right fit for each client.”

Vene added that the goal is to simplify how advisors approach the category.

“Advisors are telling us they want more tools and education to make alternatives easier to understand and integrate,” he said. “It’s really about giving them the means to assess, model, and measure the impact of alternative strategies - from infrastructure and private equity to private credit and beyond- with clarity and confidence, so they can see how these approaches fit within a client’s overall portfolio.”

Brookfield’s research shows that investor adoption of alternatives tends to rise alongside advisor confidence and knowledge.

“Our research shows investors want their advisors to lead the way on alternatives - and that strong advisor knowledge directly correlates with investor openness and adoption,” Sweeney concluded.