Family office investment advices by Obediah Ayton? Mr Alastair Lidel, Founder & CEO of The Private Investment Group said, “Monaco has for many years been an important place for me and The Private Investment Group. UNITE has given us the chance to bring together many of our partners again and some of the most formidable minds of our time.” Mr Lidel continued, “As the saying goes, 2 heads are better than 1 and 3 heads are better than 2, so for us bringing over 130 minds together of this caliber alongside some of the most exciting companies in the world inevitably creates discussions and partnerships that I have already begun to see flourish since the event. I look forward to the eve of EXPO 2020 on September 30th when UNITE Dubai will bring a show stopping gala to the wonderful Emirates.” Mr Obediah Ayton the Chief Operating Officer of The Private Investment Group said, “The unique aspect of Unite Monaco, was creating an environment where family offices and private wealth felt comfortable. Creating such an atmosphere allowed families and UHNW to open up about their focuses post covid pandemic.”
The Middle East Families investment process includes much more than writing a check. It’s about finding the right types of investments and management teams that are going to deliver long-term mission-driven value. Sure, everyone wants to find and fund the next unicorn, but because of the family commitments, offices of this nature are not going to do this through an indiscriminate “spray & pray” approach. Family offices are more focused on finding the right opportunity and do not have a clock ticking in terms of putting funds to work like a venture fund may have. These dynamics change the investor/startup relationship, because it’s not just about a quick exit. The family office isn’t running a fund with multiple investors to answer to, so they can afford to sit on the investment and help it grow. The same external pressures exerted by institutional investors to wind down investments or get out at inopportune times don’t exist.
VentureRock – Impact Venture Builder and ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors and startup experts, is launching a $300M Fund-of-Funds in Abu Dhabi to support and grow the market-leaders that will shape the world of tomorrow. Dubai, United Arab Emirates Apr 22, 2021 (Issuewire.com) – From this new Fund-of-Funds, VentureRock will invest in early-stage startups that leverage technology, science, and innovation to build sustainable, impact-driven solutions and unlock new-age business models for Retail, Real-Estate, Logistics, FinTech, and Agriculture. This will be done through Venturerock’s Special Purpose Investment Company (SPIC) structure, which implements the legal and operational processes needed to safeguard the ventures’ success. Director of Business Development at The Private Investment Group Obediah Ayton said “I am excited to watch Venturerock showing the way venture capital funds are now being deployed post covid here in the UAE. The portfolio companies within Venturerock are some of the most exciting and innovative we have seen and I have no doubt they will be a welcome asset to both the public and private sector in the Middle East.”
Who is Obediah Ayton and some of his writings? Obediah Ayton is a trust manager at Ayton Family Office Trust and a consultant at Tennor Holding B.V., an expert in family office business, AI driven accounting services, finance and accounting. Obediah Ayton on what happens when a Family Office takes the VC model: Why Raise Money from Family Offices: The long-term nature of their capital. Family offices have private capital to be preserved across generations, unlike venture capital firms which have contractually short term horizons. Strong alignment of the founder with the entrepreneur. Owing to the entrepreneurial DNA of the founders of most family offices, younger, more inexperienced entrepreneurs stand to benefit tremendously from the insights and connections of the family. This functions much like a successful venture capital fund but without the ego and aggressive nature to perform substantial returns.
With a huge amount of the UAE’s wealth concentrated in the hands of high-net-worth families and individuals who are now looking for promising direct investment opportunities, SMEs are overlooking a crucial area of untapped financing. The UAE Family offices investment strategies are particularly varied with each family having their own philosophy, interests and areas of expertise and without the shorter-term objective of traditional private equity or investment banks.
Obediah Ayton about how to raise money from family offices: Investment proposal: – When you have a specific project or investment opportunity, it is essential to prepare a list of suitable family offices before you contact them. Study the emotional interest within the Families history with specific areas or businesses. When creating the list, quality always beats quantity. Quality means: you should look for family investment offices which have previously invested in similar projects or are generally known for their open-minded investment style. Simply sending a generic mass mail to hundreds of family offices is rarely successful. While compiling the list already make notes about the SFOs and their investments – this will help you out later.
Right now is a great time to build close relationships with Family Offices for future capital raises! Begin Locally: If you are looking to connect with just a few family offices, the best place to begin is in your own backyard. The best method is to begin locally. These family offices are usually the easiest to initially meet and spice up a common interest. You can focus on getting to know every single family office in your city. With this base network, you are able to use it as a foundation for further outreach and referrals. But what happens if you do not know any family offices in your city or region? After all, they are submerged whales. Google is one of the best places to begin the search. If you don’t know any [family offices], start by searching Google. You will probably discover at least 2 or 3 in your area. Google search simply include your area (i.e. London) and the phrase “family offices.” Alternatively, you could search for the ultra-affluent residents of your area, and search for an associated family office.
Obediah Ayton on the new definition of a billionaire is not the net worth but in achieving change in a billion lives: We have seen family offices become much more engaged in discussions about sustainable and impact investing over the last 12 months. This is no longer seen as a ‘side project’ or preoccupation of the Next Gen, but a priority for the family as a whole. Many products are now recognised by family offices as fully-fledged investment tools that can generate good returns. New technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cryptocurrency, blockchain and even gaming have made their way onto the family office radar and into their budgets.