CAIS alternatives platform valued at $1.1 billion after latest funding round

Alternative investments platform CAIS is enjoying a flood of financial support from outside investors that want a piece of a strategy uniquely suited for the current market environment.

The company announced Tuesday that private markets investment management firm Hamilton Lane will provide another infusion of outside capital, the fourth CAIS has received since November 2020.

Details weren't disclosed, but this latest round of funding values CAIS at approximately $1.1 billion, according to a company representative.

The Hamilton Lane funding was preceded by $50 million worth of Series B funding from Eldridge in November 2020.

In January, CAIS received a $225 million funding round led by Apollo and Motive Partners, with additional investment from Franklin Templeton. And in April, Reverence Partners made a $100 million investment in CAIS.

“We are thrilled to welcome another strong partner that shares our mission to level the playing field for RIAs, independent broker-dealers, aggregators, and custodians looking to allocate to alternative investments,” Matt Brown, founder and chief executive of CAIS, said in the statement.

“Hamilton Lane brings tremendous value to CAIS as a strategic partner that is well-versed across private markets investing and data-driven innovation,” Brown added.

The new capital is expected to help CAIS continue to modernize how independent advisers can access alternatives, while also connecting asset managers with the private wealth channel.

According to the announcement, CAIS will continue to develop its technology, grow its team, provide personalized learning for advisers, and automate back-end processes for both advisers and fund managers. Hamilton Lane plans to add some of its products to the CAIS platform.

“We are seeing significant macroeconomic tailwinds that highlight the urgency for improved access to alternative investments, especially for the independent wealth and noninstitutional channels,” said Erik Hirsch, vice chairman and head of strategic initiatives at Hamilton Lane.