US-based alternative investment management platform iCapital Network raised an undisclosed amount today from investment banking firm Morgan Stanley’s Investment Management division, adding to a round that already included financial services firm UBS.
Asset management firm BlackRock is leading the round, which has increased iCapital’s overall funding to $50m, the company said in a statement. It had raised $22.4m in funding between 2013 and 2015, before BlackRock invested an undisclosed sum in December 2016.
The funding will be used to expand iCapital’s online platform, which offers investors and advisers access to alternative investments like hedge funds or private equity funds, automating the subscription, administration and reporting of those investments.
Morgan Stanley Investment Management will use iCapital’s technology to streamline and automate part of its private fund activities. UBS announced a similar arrangement when it invested in iCapital earlier this month.
Dan Simkowitz, head of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, said: “iCapital’s technology and investment platform successfully removes many of the operational impediments that high-net-worth investors face when seeking to increase their commitments to these strategies.
“In doing so, we believe that iCapital has significantly improved the client experience for individual investors and those who serve them.”
The company’s past investors include Credit Suisse Private Fund Group, part of the Credit Suisse financial group, as well as Eaton Partners, Park Hill Group, Evercore, Pivot Investment Partners, Monument Group, Capstone Partners and Gen II Fund Services.