ESG, what GPs need to know

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues have been steadily moving up the agenda for GPs in recent years. However, following the COVID pandemic and a greater focus on climate change, the spotlight is now clearly on making sure that GPs properly consider ESG issues, both for themselves and their portfolio companies. Although the concentration on…

Winding up a private equity fund

Private equity funds in Europe are usually considered to be ten-year funds.  Investors are told that this is the time frame within which the investment manager will source appropriate transactions, make the various investments and then effect realisations.  The documentation constituting the fund will usually provide for a fixed end date, subject to extension if…

What is a fund?

Bridget Barker Chair of the Board, Mainspring Fund Services An investment fund is an arrangement, usually managed by a third party, which allows participants to invest in one or more assets and share the returns and the risks of the underlying investments. A fund structure is typically used so that each investor can take a…

Blockchain And Its Role In Your Fund

This article summarises Mainspring’s research findings for blockchain’s suitability as a replacement for traditional SQL based systems for fund management and administration. The full findings are available for download here. Blockchain has the potential to shape industry in profound ways, so much so its introduction has been likened to the invention of the Internet. To…