Building Winning Portfolios Through Private Investments

Building a portfolio that incorporates both private equity and venture capital investments is not straightforward. It requires skill and discipline. In this paper, we review recent private investment performance, discuss how these investments have benefited institutional portfolios, and provide some high-level tips on how to build winning portfolios.

August 2021

Global ex US PE/VC Benchmark Commentary: Calendar Year 2020

In 2020, the Cambridge Associates LLC Developed Markets (ex US) Private Equity and Venture Capital (PE/VC) Index® returned 33.1% in USD terms. The index suffered in first quarter during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic but recovered quickly and ended the year with the fourth-highest quarterly return since the inception of the benchmark. Because the […]

July 2021

US PE/VC Benchmark Commentary: Calendar Year 2020

In 2020, the US private equity and venture capital (PE/VC) indexes shook off first quarter declines to enjoy one of their best years ever, with returns in each quarter surpassing the previous one; for the year, the Cambridge Associates LLC US Private Equity Index® returned 27.8% and the Cambridge Associates LLC US Venture Capital Index® […]

July 2021

Are the Strong Recent US Venture Capital Returns Bankable?

No, not yet, as just over 10% of last year’s performance was realized.

July 2021

Is It Now Growth at Any Price?

In private investing, it appears that way, but a deeper look suggests there could be a method to the valuation madness.

March 2021

Private Investments: Early 2020 View

In this video series, you will hear our practitioners’ thoughts on deal and sector trends, investing in prior recessionary environments, near-term expectations, emerging opportunities, and ways in which they are putting their ideas to work for our clients every day.

May 2020

Are Retail Investors the Vanguard of Private Equity?

Yes, and they have been for some time. Progress has been slow, but current market and regulatory conditions could enable a breakthrough. The impact will be felt primarily in the upper registers of the private equity arena. I’m viewing Vanguard’s recent private equity–related announcement as the first of a two-step process. The first step is […]

February 2020

Venture Capital Positively Disrupts Intergenerational Investing

Families of wealth face three key questions about intergenerational wealth planning: how best to invest to sustain future generations; how best to engage the next generation; and how best to ensure family unity endures. Often each question is addressed independently. We find that a conversation across generations about the impact of a meaningful venture capital allocation can help address all three questions in an integrated manner.

January 2020