Partnership gives family offices greater access to private markets

Partnership gives family offices greater access to private markets
ShareNett, an investment platform for family offices, announced a partnership with digital trading platform ClearList
JUN 09, 2020
By  Bloomberg

A network of more than 400 family offices and a venture backed by hedge fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones are partnering to help simplify deal-making for the ultra-wealthy.

ShareNett Holdings said it will offer its members access to ClearList, a digital-trading platform developed by U.S. market-maker GTS that allows investors to buy and sell shares of private companies.

The agreement will provide greater liquidity and more transparent pricing, ShareNett Chief Executive Clifford Friedman said Tuesday in a statement.

“We’d like to be that one-stop shop that connects all of these different venues,” Friedman said in an interview. “We want to become and are becoming a comprehensive super-distribution system.”

Family offices are increasingly turning to private markets as they look for early access to hot startups and seek returns beyond those on publicly traded securities. They’re often able to adopt longer time frames and target smaller deals than institutional firms, making them well-placed for such investments.

Family offices have proliferated so far in this century, spurred by surging growth among the super-rich in technology, finance and real estate. There are more than 10,000 single-family offices globally, at least half of which were started in the past two decades, according to accounting firm EY. While some family offices rival big institutional investors, the vast majority are smaller.

“Family offices don’t have a big edge in public markets,” said Angelo Robles, founder of Family Office Association, a membership and research group. “Their edge is in the private markets.”

While other firms also match buyers and sellers of pre-IPO shares, trading can be difficult, given the lack of liquidity and price uncertainty. ShareNett’s partnership will help “level the playing field and democratize access by giving family offices the first look at appealing investment opportunities of many kinds,” Friedman said in the statement.

GTS, one of the top electronic-trading firms at the New York Stock Exchange, launched ClearList this year. Its backers include Jones’s Tudor Investment Corp.

Latest News

Florida non-compete bill backed by Citadel bodes ill for advisor mobility
Florida non-compete bill backed by Citadel bodes ill for advisor mobility

As other states curb non-competes, the East Coast growth hub could soon become the most employer-friendly jurisdiction in the US.

Private placement executives from GPB Capital, guilty of fraud, get seven and six years in prison
Private placement executives from GPB Capital, guilty of fraud, get seven and six years in prison

Last summer, the two, David Gentile and Jeff Schneider, were found guilty of fraud in federal court in Brooklyn and received their sentencing today.

Advisory firm moms share high satisfaction but report early parenthood hurdles
Advisory firm moms share high satisfaction but report early parenthood hurdles

Early parenthood linked to lower fulfillment and fewer leadership roles, despite otherwise strong industry-wide support.

Creative Planning CIO warns of short-term private equity flips
Creative Planning CIO warns of short-term private equity flips

“It's the Golden Age, we're all blessed that this is where we are, what we do for a living, and that the sun is shining on the transition towards the RIA space," Creative Planning CIO Jamie Battmer said at a forum hosted by Goldman Sachs.

Munis poised to outshine fixed income in coming summer redemption season
Munis poised to outshine fixed income in coming summer redemption season

Strategists expect municipal bonds to best Treasuries during the four-month window from May until August, following a historical trend.

SPONSORED The evolution of private credit

From direct lending to asset-based finance to commercial real estate debt.

SPONSORED Compliance in real time: Technology's expanding role in RIA oversight

RIAs face rising regulatory pressure in 2025. Forward-looking firms are responding with embedded technology, not more paperwork.