Fidelity and CAIS form Strategic Alliance to Provide Access to Alternative Investment Funds

Press Release

October 28, 2013

Fidelity Custodial Clients Benefit from Integrated Solution and Unique Fund Menu

CAIS, and Fidelity have formed a strategic alliance to provide Fidelity’s custodial clients access, education, oversight and execution to a robust menu of alternative investment funds including hedge funds and private equity funds.

Fidelity Investments is committed to building the most comprehensive, integrated alternative investment offering for its clients, which include registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, multi-family offices and other financial intermediaries. To that end, Fidelity has selected CAIS as the operating platform that will offer hedge funds and private equity funds to the approximately 3,500 wealth management firms that custody at Fidelity.

“CAIS is very pleased to be selected as the hedge fund and private equity gateway to Fidelity’s network of wealth management firms,” said Matt Brown, co-founder and CEO of CAIS. “CAIS will provide wealth management professionals the needed solution to meet client demand,” Mr. Brown continued.

Fidelity custodial clients will benefit from the elimination of annual custody-related fees for all fund orders executed through CAIS and held at Fidelity. Additionally, wealth management firms will benefit from an integrated Fidelity-CAIS technology experience with electronic trade execution, streamlined workflow and above-the-line reporting.

“The Fidelity – CAIS alliance offers meaningful benefits to CAIS clients,” said Rafay Farooqui, CAIS Co-Founder and President. “The combination of cost savings and improved product access aligns with advisors’ mission to provide the most competitive offerings to their clients.”

Benefits for Wealth Management Firms that Utilize CAIS

Access to a centralized and diverse menu of top-tier hedge funds and private equity funds
Lower investment minimums (standard $100,000 per qualified beneficiary)
Independent, third-party due diligence and monitoring on all funds provided by Mercer
Portfolio construction and performance analytics tools
Electronic trade execution
Fund support and education

Benefits for Hedge Funds and Private Equity Funds that List on CAIS

Efficient access to the fragmented independent wealth management channel
Distribution and marketing support
Mercer due diligence review and ongoing monitoring
Subscription / redemption management
Ongoing client communications

The strategic alliance further strengthens CAIS’s standing as the leading independent marketplace for the global wealth management industry. Earlier this year, the company announced the launch of its capital markets product offering, which includes access to IPO and follow-on offerings as well as structured products. Fidelity and CAIS will introduce the benefits of the strategic alliance with a nationwide road show and CAIS will also be a key sponsor of Fidelity’s upcoming 2014 Alternative Investment Forums.

About CAIS

CAIS is the pioneer in democratizing access to and education about alternative investments and structured notes for independent advisors, asset managers, and bank issuers, empowering them to engage and transact on a massive scale. We believe that the combination of industry-leading technology and human interaction throughout the pre-trade, trade, and post-trade experience delivers superior operational efficiency and a world-class client experience.

 CAIS provides advisors with access to a broad selection of alternative investment strategies, including hedge funds, private equity, private debt, real estate, infrastructure, and structured notes, allowing them to capitalize on opportunities and withstand ever-changing markets.

CAIS streamlines the end-to-end transaction process through digital subscriptions and powers integrated reporting through leading US custodians and reporting providers, making investing in alternatives simpler.  CAIS also enables advisors to centralize all their alts and notes on one platform, whether they were purchased on or off the CAIS platform, through CAIS Solutions, and helps advisors create custom fund vehicles around ideas they source.

Founded in 2009, CAIS, a fintech leader, supports over 32,000 advisors who oversee more than $4 trillion in network assets. Since its inception, CAIS has facilitated over $30 billion in transaction volume. CAIS has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Austin, and London. For more information about CAIS, please visit www.caisgroup.com.   

Securities offered through CAIS Capital LLC, member FINRA, SIPC.  