CAIS unveils alts model portfolio marketplace for advisors

CAIS has launched a new Models Marketplace that aims to make it easier for financial advisors to incorporate alternative investments into client portfolios using model-based strategies.

The platform, announced during the CAIS Live event in Georgia on Monday, offers access to multi-asset, multi-manager portfolios and is designed to simplify allocation to private markets and hedge funds. The marketplace is integrated with CAIS Compass, the firm’s portfolio construction tool that allows users to evaluate how alternatives may affect portfolio characteristics.

In a statement, Neil Blundell, Chief Investment Officer at CAIS Advisors and Head of Investments at CAIS, highlighted how the process of designing, implementing, and managing portfolios that include alternatives has traditionally been complex and time-intensive.

The rollout comes as many advisors continue to grapple with operational frictions tied to alternative allocations. According to the 2025 CAIS-Mercer Alternative Investment Survey, 48 percent of advisors identified administrative burden and paperwork as a leading challenge, followed by concerns around liquidity and due diligence. However, fewer respondents cited high investment minimums as a barrier compared to previous years – just 9 percent in 2024, down from nearly a quarter in 2023 – suggesting growing accessibility through registered products.

With the latest enhancements to the CAIS platform, Blundell said financial advisors have "another pathway to integrate alternatives with a suite of alternative investment model portfolios."

The Models Marketplace will feature three types of model configurations. Wealth firm model portfolios are built by wealth management firms to align with client-specific goals. Asset manager model portfolios are developed by firms offering alternative strategies. CAIS said it will initially onboard single-manager, multi-asset portfolios from Ares Management, BlackRock, Blue Owl, Carlyle, Franklin Templeton and KKR, with additional managers expected to join over time.

The third category – CAIS Advisors Models – is scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2025. These portfolios will be constructed using CAIS’ proprietary model technology and will include products currently available through its platform.

Advisors’ interest in model-based approaches appears to be expanding. Nearly half of advisors (47 percent) in CAIS and Mercer's joint survey cited model portfolios as one of their most relied-upon tools for constructing portfolios, while 77 percent said they already use or would consider using them for allocating to alternatives. Among advisors serving clients with less than $5 million in investable assets, model usage was even more common. Yet even those advising clients with over $100 million in assets showed comparable interest in models, underscoring their cross-market appeal.

Meanwhile, broader adoption of alternative strategies appears firmly entrenched. The survey found that 92 percent of advisors are currently allocating to alternatives, and 91 percent plan to increase those allocations over the next two years. About 76 percent of those allocating have more than five percent of client portfolios in alternatives, and 50 percent reported allocations above 10 percent.

According to the survey, many advisors are adopting alternatives not only for diversification, but also as a way to differentiate their practices. Eighty-six percent said access to alts offers a differentiating edge in the market. More than half also pointed to its ability to drive organic growth, including 63 percent saying it helps win new clients and 53 percent who said it allowed them to gain wallet share from existing ones.