The global, unconventional venture fund TheVentureCity has launched a free tool to measure the healthy growth of any startup: Growth Scanner. The custom analysis gives startups invaluable insight into the true health of their product, through the lens of the VC organization’s experienced team of data scientists and investors, according the firm information.
Built by founders, for founders, TheVentureCity’s own data team crunches startups’ numbers to break down the crucial metrics needed to scale long-term.
Startups taking advantage of Growth Scanner first upload at least 6 months of data relating to users’ historical actions on their product to the platform. Those numbers are then transformed into a comprehensive, custom analysis of key metrics, benchmarks, strengths and weaknesses – all in a sharable, canvas-style dashboard with numbers and charts to help you visually tell your story to investors and stakeholders.
Moreover, every startup gets at least a 30-minute call in which TheVentureCity’s data experts will provide context and answer any questions. Also unlike similar products on the market, TheVentureCity’s Growth Scanner does not require startups to instrument their data, simply using the historical data they have already captured. The data is not shared with third parties.
“Most young startups do not have a data science team, nor much support when deciding how to get the most out of their data,” says Laura González-Estéfani, Founder and CEO of TheVentureCity. “They might only focus on revenue and number of users at investor meetings, which can be exaggerated or bought, while ignoring statistics on user engagement and retention – which are the true signals that reveal the potential for hyper growth.”
Growth Scanner focuses on key metrics like retention/churn, engagement, and growth accounting, using tactics derived from the original Facebook growth team. TheVentureCity uses this data to assess the strength of a startup’s product-market fit, and give founders a better understanding of their product growth levers and benchmark within their industry so they can reach smart business decisions. They are also the statistics investors are most interested in hearing about.
After building products in the early days of Facebook, WhatsApp and eBay, TheVentureCity’s international team came together to seek out high-potential startups regardless of zip code or time zone. Five years and over 100 investments later, these VCs know that to scale sustainably, startups must harness data instrumentation and analysis. As it analyzed countless startups’ transactional and usage data logs, TheVentureCity put together their own extensive data stack to train its data analytics technology.
Among TheVentureCity’s core beliefs is that VCs should not only give capital away but wisdom, and they decided to do so by democratizing data-driven advice for founders, regardless of whether or not they were in their portfolio. That is why it opened up its analytics technology up to all startups in the form of Growth Scanner. While this is a novel launch for the VC industry, it is just another step in TheVentureCity’s dedication to driving a more sustainable, data-driven approach among startups.
Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management announced the hiring of Edoardo Castelli in Miami from J.P. Morgan.
“Please join me in welcoming Edoardo Castelli to the Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management Branch in Miami!,” posted Dalia Botero, Executive Director, Branch Manager of Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management in the Florida.
The advisor with more than 12 years in the Miami industry started as a Private Bank Analyst for Brazilian clients at J.P. Morgan in 2010, then moved to Associate Banker until 2016, according to his LinkedIn profile.
After a brief stint at Brightstar Corp. he returned to J.P. Morgan where he was a Client Advisor until September of this year, according to his BrokerCheck records.
“Edoardo built a successful career at JP Morgan Private bank for over a decade before moving to Morgan Stanley PWM,” Botero commented in his posting.
Castelli has a BBA and Finance from the University of Miami Herbert Business School.
BNY Mellon will present an alternative approach with its Global Real Return Fund strategy at the VIII Funds Society Investment Summit.
“The BNY Mellon Global Real Return Fund is a flagship fund offering investors an unconstrained, multi-asset liquid alternative approach to markets, consisting of a flexible, dynamic and transparent portfolio of predominantly direct and liquid investments,” the firm says.
During the event, to be held October 5-7 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach, Carlos Rodríguez, Head of Portfolio Specialist & Intermediary Relations Group, Americas at Newton, will give evidence of how the portfolio “achieves lower volatility and reduced correlation to equity markets.”
This objective is achieved by investing in two components. Firstly, a return-seeking core and secondly, a stabilizing layer, according the firm’s information.
“An active, dynamic and flexible portfolio designed to maximize returns in favorable markets while preserving capital in turbulent times,” concludes the BNY Mellon presentation.
Carlos Rodriguez
Rodríguez leads a team of portfolio specialist who are responsible for representing Newton’s investment team in North America. His responsibilities include working with our distribution partner BNY Mellon and other financial intermediaries. Rodríguez works closely with our investment teams in London and regularly joins investment team meetings. As a Senior Portfolio Specialist, he represents our core strategies to investors in the US, Canada, and Latin America.
U.S. short term bonds may be one of the outlets in the face of market volatility, according to the “Consider Short Duration” presentation to be led by Amundi at the VIII Funds Society Investment Summit in Palm Beach.
According to Amundi, “It has been a volatile year for bond investors, with stubbornly high inflation and rising interest rates. Investors looking to weather the uncertainty may turn to short-duration bonds, which tend to be less sensitive to interest rate movements than longer debt instruments.”
During the event, which will be held October 5-7 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach, Amundi will present its Amundi Funds Pioneer US Short Term Bond strategy.
” In particular, Amundi Funds Pioneer US Short Term Bond’s floating rate focus can be used within a laddered approach to liquidity to bridge the gap between cash and core fixed income,” says the description of the strategy that will be presented by Meredith Birdsall, CFA, Senior Vice President, and Client Portfolio Manager for the Amundi US.
Birdsall is a Senior Vice President, and Client Portfolio Manager for the Amundi US Fixed Income team. In that capacity, she meets with prospects and clients to discuss the firm’s economic and market outlook, as well as Amundi US’s fixed income strategies. She has been involved in the investment industry for over thirty years.
Sales team: Roberto Gonzalez, Regional Vice President for the US Offshore business and Felix Canela is a Hybrid Wholesaler – US Offshore at Amundi US.
Roberto González
Roberto González is a Regional Vice President with Amundi Asset Management US, and covers Texas, Arizona, south of California and other relationships in Miami. These relationships include: Wirehouses, Banks, and Independent broker/dealers. Roberto provides financial strategies and market updates to help clients to achieve their financial goals. He is passionate about cultivating long-term customer value, he is bilingual English and Spanish, and conversant in Portuguese.
González has more than 25 years of sales experience. Prior to joining Amundi Asset Management US in 2018, he worked in different capacities for Legg Mason for 14 years. Prior to that, he was at Franklin Templeton for two years, in Latin America and the US.
He earned his MBA in 1996 from University of Florida, and prior a bachelor’s degree from Universidad Metropolitana, Caracas, Venezuela.
Felix Canela
In this role, he supports the international business with strong client and sales relationship management skills.
He serves as an international client and relationship manager with over nine years of experience working with Latin America Pension Funds (AFPs) US Offshore Accounts and
Mexican Pension Companies (Afores). Canela is experienced in the area of offshore mutual fund services, focusing on marketing, retail and institutional sales and operations with an emphasis on project management.
He holds a BS in Finance and Accounting from the University of Massachusetts.
U.S. food supply chains are still struggling due to labor shortages, weather and trade disruptions, says a report from ING bank.
According to ING, food manufacturers will be looking for a balance between quick fixes and structural solutions to increase resilience. Economic headwinds could ease pressure, but also cast uncertainty over investments.
For U.S. food and beverage manufacturers, many disruptions in their supply chains began with the pandemic. In terms of consumption patterns, the impact of the initial COVID-19 has clearly subsided.
Food spending has recovered to normal levels and now accounts for 52% of all food and beverage spending. However, demand remains dynamic, as food inflation tightens household finances and leads some consumers to switch from premium products to cheaper offerings. This forces food manufacturers to review aspects such as product ranges, production volumes and marketing.
In addition, food processors have to deal with many other issues. Supplier delays are commonplace for many companies, and labor shortages are one of the biggest problems on the supply side.
“Labor shortages range from truck drivers to warehouse workers to factory personnel to stockers to restaurant staff. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that absenteeism due to illness remains higher than before the pandemic,” asserts the research.
There are currently two job openings in the United States for every unemployed American. In addition, trade suffered setbacks and input prices soared.
“For U.S. manufacturers, elevated price levels for raw materials and non-food inputs, such as packaging, energy and fuel, are the result of strong domestic demand and overseas developments,” ING’s experts say.
Increased port delays have caused additional difficulties for food producers in the past two years, as they affected import flows of foreign ingredients and commodities (such as coffee and cocoa) and export flows of U.S. products. Increased lead times have also made it more difficult to obtain the equipment, parts and packaging materials needed to keep production lines running.
“Although the United States is not particularly dependent on agricultural products from the Black Sea region, the impact of the war on world prices had an impact on the country’s grain and vegetable oil buyers,” the report says.
Some of the causes of supply chain disruptions may be receding, but the impact on the food industry is far from disappearing, experts assert.
It will be a trade-off between what companies want to do and what they can do, because creating a more resilient supply chain comes at a cost. While these costs may be harder to bear in times of input cost inflation, the costs of production line stoppages and empty shelves could be even higher, experts estimate.
To read the full report you can access the following link.
Sanctuary Wealth announces the appointment of Mary Ann Bartels to the newly created office of Chief Investment Strategist.
A veteran of more than 35 years in financial services, she spent more than two decades at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where she was Head of Technical & Market Analysis and led the Research Investment Committee (RIC).
She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will provide tremendous value to Sanctuary partner firms and allow them to offer additional innovative investment solutions to clients, the firm said.
During that time, she created research that advisors and clients relied on to make informed decisions regarding their investments and received the prestigious Institutional Investor All-American Research award for six consecutive years.
Bartels has been a frequent commentator on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox Business and is regularly quoted in publications including Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times. She has been a regular presenter at the annual Barron’s Advisor Women Summit, including serving as a keynote speaker.
“Mary Ann has built an outstanding and well-deserved reputation on Wall Street over the last 30-plus years for her research skills and thoughtful insights,” said Jim Dickson, CEO and Founder of Sanctuary Wealth. “She’s fiercely dedicated to providing the best solutions to advisors and their clients as well as being a tireless advocate for women in the financial world. Independent financial advisors don’t normally have access to someone of Mary Ann’s caliber. Our network will have direct access to collaborate with her as much as they want.”
During her time in the Merrill Lynch Chief Investment Office (CIO), she produced thought leadership on investment guidance and portfolio strategies for advisors and their clients, including the creation of the first client roadshow and spent six years educating advisors, clients, and prospects about the markets, the economy, and world events. Mary Ann also created the first research products for Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) for a large investment banking firm covering over 500 ETFs, according the firm release.
“I’m excited to be joining Sanctuary Wealth because I love the markets, but what I love most is working with best-in-class advisors and their clients to assist them in building out their future plans. It’s a passion I’ve had for decades, and Sanctuary is the ideal place for me to put that passion to work in the service of others,” said Bartels. “I’ve always felt that an important part of my mission was to help people understand the markets and market behavior so they can make better informed decisions with their advisors. I look forward to continuing to do that with Sanctuary’s growing roster of advisor partners.”
Bartels has been a strong advocate for women in financial services due to the mentorship of her aunt Bernadette Bartels Murphy, who started working on Wall Street in the 1950s and rose to become one of the first woman traders and a trusted source for investment counsel for countless clients, the firm says.
She immersed in the world of decentralized finance (DeFi), blockchain, and cryptocurrencies, taking several courses and joining the London Real Investment Club, a prestigious investment club that specializes in the space.
“We will probably go through many changes as this new form of technology evolves under the umbrella of decentralized finance including cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and the metaverse, and I want to be able to help Sanctuary’s advisors and their clients understand and participate in this exciting new development,” she explained.
Also joining Sanctuary Wealth is Laura Anacker, Portfolio Strategist. She brings over 18 years of experience in the financial services industry, holding various positions at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs. She’s spent the better part of the last 9 years as an Investment Advisory Specialist where she was responsible for providing fiduciary portfolio construction and guidance to over 700 domestic and international Merrill Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors.
J.P. Morgan announced that Paul Halpern has joined as Chief Marketing Officer for U.S. Wealth Management, one of the firm’s top areas of focus for customer growth. Halpern will lead an extensive team at a crucial time when the business is set to launch multiple new products later this year.
“We have the right strategy, the right culture, and the right people,” said Kristin Lemkau, CEO of J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. “Paul has the perfect combination of creativity, tenacity and experience to help us grow this business, and he understands that the number one role of a marketer is to do just that.”
During his three decades of experience in the financial industry, Halpern has promoted digital banking products and worked with financial advisors. Halpern held the role of CMO at Betterment before moving to Morgan Stanley as head of Deposits and Cash Management for its Private Bank. He previously worked at Merrill Lynch, where he led marketing for affluent and mass affluent segments, and E*Trade, covering investing product and site marketing. He started his career at Capital One.
“Paul brings the growth mentality and client obsession to deliver the best service to our clients in an environment of accelerated growth,” said Carla Hassan, CMO of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
J.P. Morgan leaders announced major investments in the Wealth Management business earlier this year. The firm has several channels that cater to each client’s unique financial needs, including online investing, and in-branch and office advisors. Later this year, the firm will launch a new remote advice channel and a digital money coach to help Chase clients plan for the future. The bank has said it will add 1,300 new financial advisors and reach $1 trillion in client assets by 2025.
As a member of J.P. Morgan Wealth Management’s leadership team, Halpern will report to CEO Kristin Lemkau and JPMorgan Chase Chief Marketing Officer Carla Hassan.
As asset owners address increased complexity of portfolio management, incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles into their portfolios, and mitigate ongoing market volatility, they are seeking services offered through investment consultants.
According to Cerulli’s latest report, U.S. Investment Consultants 2022, one-third (35%) of asset owners are likely to start using or increase their use of investment consultants.
More than half of asset owners (53%) expect to use investment consultants over the next two years at roughly the same rate they are using them today.
About 13% expect to use them more often, with a significant minority (22%) expecting to begin using an investment consultant for the first time.
“Investment consultants provide services that go far beyond identifying investment options and conducting due diligence,” says Laura Levesque, associate director.
“Even smaller clients that typically did not use consulting services are likely to see value in their expertise as the markets and the investment landscape grow more complex,” she adds.
Re-evaluating asset allocation (77%), portfolio risks (67%), portfolio holdings (69%), and capital markets expectations (68%) are topics that are expected to be discussed with investment consultants in 2022.
At the same time, consultant relationship professionals at asset managers are striving to win mindshare and marketshare among investment consultants. Yet, strategies that have worked the best in the past, such as meeting with manager research team members in their office, are harder to rely on in the hybrid work environment.
“The pandemic has had a significant impact on how many consultant relations teams are able to interact with investment consultant contacts,” says Levesque.
“Now, most organizations are operating in a hybrid working environment.” 100% of consultant relations professionals report that in-person periodic updates for existing clients are required less and can be substituted with some type of virtual meeting. Another 88% say the same for investment consultants.
Consultant relations professionals at asset managers aim to improve the quality of interactions and strengthen operations and support to maintain client relationships. 100% of consultant relations professionals relay that proactive alerts about events that impact the strategy or company are important in maintaining strong relationships.
81% of consultant relations professionals report that strong operations and client support are integral in maintaining strong relationships with consultants.
“Having robust client support and operations is often what can set a strategy apart,” says Levesque. “Consultant relations teams should spend significant time highlighting these strengths and features, particularly for strategies in crowded areas of the market.”
Ultimately, the biggest challenge that remains for a consultant relationship team is how to best get the attention of investment consultants, particularly in a hybrid work environment. “Consultant relations teams are working hard to adapt to continue building those important relationships,” concludes Levesque.
iCapital and Ares Wealth Management Solutions announced an expansion of their partnership to provide financial advisors and registered independent advisors with greater access to a broadened menu of alternative investment solutions and a comprehensive set of tools to support the development of client portfolios.
Ares is leveraging the broad capabilities of iCapital’s technology to offer investment solutions tailored for the global wealth management community across Ares Management’s credit, private equity, real estate and secondaries asset classes.
The firm will launch an Ares-branded, iCapital-powered site to support the Ares team as they manage the distribution, marketing and client management activities for various investment solutions, including evergreen, drawdown, exchange and ’40 Act funds, according the firm information.
With approximately 110 dedicated professionals backed by the scale of the Ares investment management platform, Ares is one of the most resourced wealth distribution and client service teams in the alternative investment industry.
iCapital will provide feeder fund structuring and management, present the investment for the offering and facilitate the ongoing servicing, the firm said. This includes investor onboarding, electronic subscription processing, fund servicing and reporting for the life of the investments.
In addition to the launch of Ares’ branded distribution and servicing platform powered by iCapital, Ares offers access to a subset of its investment products via the iCapital flagship platform, the firm said.
“We work tirelessly with our strategic partners to continually elevate the experience for advisors and their high-net-worth clients accessing alternatives investing opportunities,” said Lawrence Calcano, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of iCapital. “We are excited to announce our enhanced and evolving partnership that utilizes many of iCapital’s capabilities to support AWMS in providing broad access to their diverse investment offerings to the global wealth management community.”
“This is a differentiating partnership that advances AWMS’ commitment to providing financial advisors and their clients greater access to the breadth of Ares’ institutional-quality products and services,” said Raj Dhanda, Global Head of Wealth Management in Ares Wealth Management Solutions. “In expanding our relationship with iCapital and powered by its leading digital platform, we are further enhancing AWMS’ ability to meet high-net-worth investors’ demand for alternatives and better support their desired portfolio outcomes.”
Photo courtesyMarco Morelli, Executive Chairman of AXA IM
AXA Investment Managers announces the launch of an ETF platform (“AXA IM ETF”) focused on active strategies and Responsible Investing (RI) to provide investors looking for enhanced liquidity with access to its strengths across responsible, thematic and quantitative investing.
The platform will initially launch with two actively UN SDG (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) aligned ETFs, classified as Article 9 funds under SFDR regulation , which have dual objectives of seeking to deliver long-term financial growth and a positive and measurable impact on the environment, the firm says.
The first two ETFs launched will focus on climate and biodiversity themes.
Commenting on the launch of the new platform, Marco Morelli, Executive Chairman of AXA IM, said: “To meet the changing demands of investors we must continue to innovate and enhance our investment offering, and through the launch of this new platform we do this by combining our active investment insight with the flexibility of an ETF.
“With the support of AXA and leveraging our key strengths, primarily within active management and responsible investing strategies, this platform will complement our existing fund range while answering client demand for ETF structured vehicles and offering them a better trading experience as well as easy access to such strategies, high liquidity, and enhanced transparency due to the nature of these products,” Morelli adds.
Hans Stoter, Global Head of AXA IM Core, added: “We are observing long term trends such as blockchain technology, banking disintermediation and the emergence of online brokerage platforms which can transform the way funds are distributed. In that regard, we believe active ETFs will play an important role in the evolution of the asset management industry and we believe we are well placed to embrace such an evolution.
“Even though ETFs are often viewed as passive investments, historically replicating the portfolio holdings and performance of broad market indices, the ETF market has evolved to now offer a range of non-traditional custom-built portfolios. Today’s ETF can be actively managed, further expanding investor choice. In that regard, our new ETF range will complement our wide range of mutual funds.”
In the context of this launch, Brieuc Louchard has joined AXA IM as Head of ETF Capital Markets, joining from Euronext where he was Head of ETF.
