Australian Investment Council

Thank you to all our dedicated members who joined us at our annual general meeting this week to celebrate an active year of achievements, and to welcomed our newest board member Karen Chan from Perennial Partners.   It has been a busy year. The Council continued to step up its advocacy initiatives, our professional development offering went from strength to strength, and our flagship events were oversubscribed. We also added some exciting new initiatives, including a Team Australia event with Asian LPs in Singapore and the Australian Innovation Investment Day in Canberra next week. A huge thank you to our retiring board members for their significant contributions, and to all our members for their strong support throughout the year – this all happens because of you. Thanks also to our gracious hosts EY. Looking ahead, we are gearing up for another powerhouse year anchored by our purpose to empower private capital to invest in Australian ideas, businesses and communities. Stay tuned over the summer for more details. Read more in our 2024 Annual Report here: https://lnkd.in/ggUXFGGF  #InvestmentCouncilAU

Thank you to everyone who joined us today in Sydney for our inaugural Fundraising and Investor Relations Masterclass. Our attendees gained valuable perspectives from Nicole Connolly, Director of Investor Relations at Allegro Funds, Scott Thomas, Principal and Head of Private Wealth at Hamilton Lane, and Leila Lee, CFA, Partner and Head of Distribution at Square Peg. Together, they offered a deep dive into the fundraising landscape in Australia and globally, along with key practices in relationship-building, reporting, and compliance. Thank you to our event host Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Find out what's coming up next on our professional development calendar here: https://lnkd.in/gm7vJprg #InvestmentCouncilAU

Thank you to everyone who joined us today in Sydney for our Principles of Venture Capital course. Participants had the opportunity to gain insights from Deborah Johns, Partner at Gilbert + Tobin, and Danny Gilligan, co-founder of Reinventure Group, on the unique approach of venture capital investing, including strategies and trends in the Australian market. Thank you to our event host Gilbert + Tobin. Find out what's coming up next on our professional development calendar here: https://lnkd.in/gm7vJprg #InvestmentCouncilAU

Australia-focused private capital assets under management (AUM) have more than doubled in the last five years, reaching $65 billion in December 2023. In absolute terms, dry powder has also seen significant growth, with $18.4 billion currently available for investment into Australian businesses by private capital. Meanwhile, we have seen fluctuations in the level of dry powder as a percentage of AUM, peaking at over 38% in December 2019 before decreasing to 28% by December 2023. For more data, research and insights visit: https://lnkd.in/gbDVsTnH #InvestmentCouncilAU #DryPowder #AssetsUnderManagement

It has been a week of lively discussion and expert insights at our three-day private capital deep dive in Sydney. Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Foundations of Private Capital course, one of our flagship professional development offerings, specially tailored for early-career investment professionals. Find out what's coming up next on our professional development calendar here: https://lnkd.in/gwm3GqPE #InvestmentCouncilAU

Family offices have emerged as the fastest growing proportion of private capital investors, increasing from 7% to 36% in the four years to December 2023. The number of active Australia-based family offices is eight times higher than four years ago, data from Preqin shows.    Meanwhile, the proportion of superannuation funds as private capital investors has more than halved, dropping from 47% to 20% over the same period. This decline is potentially due to a trend of mergers between superannuation funds and their need to invest at scale.    Government agencies, insurance companies, banks, endowment plans, fund of funds, and other limited partners have remained relatively consistent during this time. For more data, research and insights visit:    https://lnkd.in/gxdh2ffK   #InvestmentCouncilAU 

"Australia is a hidden gem, particularly for international investors" - Australian Investment Council CEO Navleen Prasad discusses opportunities in Australia for foreign investors, as well as current trends in the private capital sector, in this video from the recent SuperReturns Asia conference in Singapore. Watch the video update here: https://lnkd.in/gX77aGfQ #InvestmentCouncilAU

ARTICLE (member log-in required): ASIC recently handed down a record $12.9 million penalty against Vanguard for greenwashing.   This article - written exclusively for Australian Investment Council members by Allens - explores the key issues in this case and also how PE and VC members can mitigate their risk of greenwashing. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/grWym_7S

ARTICLE: As many organisations prepare for the introduction of mandatory climate and sustainability reporting laws, and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) issues move ever higher up the agenda, here's a first hand account and some key takeaways from Australian Investment Council’s recent Principles of ESG course in Sydney: https://lnkd.in/g3qVg47R EVENT: Find out about the implications for the private capital sector of mandatory climate reporting at our webinar on 6 November: https://lnkd.in/gbSh9-fu #InvestmentCouncilAU

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Female Founders event in Melbourne yesterday evening. It was an inspiring gathering of founders, investors and industry leaders, with an engaging conversation from our panellists: * Liesl H., CEO & Co-Founder, Gapdrone * Nikki Tugano, MAPPCP, CEO & Founder, SeenCulture * Amanda Price, Head of High Growth Ventures, KPMG * Daniel Ervin, Director, Transaction Services & Deal Analytics, KPMG. Thank you also to our event hosts KPMG Australia. Find out what is coming up next on our events calendar here: https://lnkd.in/gPP-zEHs #InvestmentCouncilAU