Fundspire Sees Growth in ‘Cloud’

HEDGE FUND ALERT: February 8, 2012, 5 Marine View Plaza, Suite 400, Hoboken NJ 07030. 201-659-1700

Fundspire has signed up hundreds of new users in the past year for a “cloud computing” product that generates perfor- mance measures and other analytics for hedge fund managers.

The New York technology firm, founded in 2009, entered 2011 with about 25 users for a web-based program that calculates monthly returns, net asset values and leverage ratios, among other metrics. By year end, Fundspire’s user roster had grown to 400.

About two-thirds of the new business came from managers that previously obtained their data-analysis technology from more traditional software companies. Cloud-based systems can be both easier to use and less expensive than programs run and maintained in-house.

Fundspire got a boost from a partnership it formed last May with CAIS Group, a financial-technology company that offers wealth managers access to alternative-investment products.

In response to the growth, Fundspire last month opened a Chicago office. It also recently hired Al Capulong as head of sales. He previously worked at Cogency Software of San Francisco and Pertrac, a leading hedge fund data provider.

Fundspire is led by founders Christophe Frerebeau, Lucas Ward, Nicolas Brice and Carlos Garcia.

Columbus Avenue Cans Contractor

HEDGE FUND ALERT: May 25, 2011, 5 Marine View Plaza, Suite 400, Hoboken NJ 07030. 201-659-1700

Fund administrator Columbus Avenue Consulting has fired PerTrac as its main software provider.

Like most small and mid-size administration firms, Columbus Avenue relies on an outside contractor for computer programs that can calculate monthly returns, net asset values and leverage ratios for hedge fund managers and their inves- tors. For the past seven years, the New York firm has worked with PerTrac, a dominant player in the hedge fund-reporting space.

But that relationship abruptly ended last week after New York-based PerTrac hiked its software-licensing fees by 400%. Columbus Avenue responded by switching to PerTrac competitor Fundspire, which provides similar services via a web- based system.

The contract with Fundspire means Columbus Avenue’s technology costs will still go up enough that it will have to pass along some of the increase to its 80-some hedge fund clients.

“They’re going to be facing nominal cost” increases, said a person familiar with Columbus Avenue’s business. “You’re looking at hundreds of dollars per year. It will depend on the client.”

Columbus Avenue has about $6 billion under administration.
PerTrac commands about 50% of the market for asset- management analysis and reporting software, according to industry sources. Its clients include fund administrators, as well as hedge funds, funds of funds and family offices. New York-based Fundspire is a relative newcomer that has quickly emerged as PerTrac’s main competitor in the fund-reporting sector.

Columbus Avenue was founded in 2004 by Joe Holman, who previously worked at Rothstein Kass and Paul Scherer & Co. His partner, Bonny Han, oversees the firm’s accounting and investor-relations groups.

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CAISfunds Forms Strategic Partnership with Fundspire

Initiative Brings Robust Suite of Analytical Tools to CAISfunds Advisor Portal

NEW YORK – May 19th, 2011. CAISfunds, a New York based financial technology company providing an independent, alternatives investment platform to the wealth management community, has announced a strategic partnership with Fundspire, a leading provider of hedge fund analytics and portfolio management tools.

The Fundspire technology integration will add statistical analysis capabilities to the CAISfunds platform and allow advisors to analyze funds, optimize allocations, and construct client portfolios. Further, it will offer robust charting and report creation functions reflecting rolling statistics and correlations of a fund over varying investment periods. Fundspire provides a wide set of performance and risk metrics and market data for more than 1,500 indices covering global equity, fixed income, and hedge fund benchmarks.

“We are very pleased to enter into this strategic relationship with Fundspire,” said Rafay Farooqui, Co-Founder & Managing Principal of CAISfunds. “Like CAISfunds, Fundspire shares our drive for innovation and commitment to client service. We are confident that this new partnership will help us in our mission to provide a truly independent, comprehensive solution for global wealth managers.”

CAISfunds has made a meaningful commitment to technology, recently announcing the hiring of a Chief Technology Officer and incorporating technology benefits into all aspects of the business, including client service, operations and vendor integration.

“CAISfunds is a truly unique company that in a short period of time has made a meaningful impact on the global wealth management community,” said Christophe Frèrebeau, Founder and CEO of Fundspire. “We look forward to integrating the Fundspire analytics and reporting platform with the firm’s advisor portal and building a mutually beneficial partnership with CAISfunds.”

CAISfunds has begun work on the integration of Fundspire and anticipates a Q2 2011 release of the capability, termed CAISanalytics.

For more information, please contact Dana Taormina at dana@jcprinc.com or +1 973-850-7305.

About CAISfunds

CAISfunds is a New York-based financial technology company providing an alternatives investment platform to the wealth management industry. The CAISfunds end-to-end solution offers improved access and independent oversight to a diversified menu of top-tier alternative investment funds coupled with streamlined execution and integrated reporting. The CAISfunds secure web-based interface provides advisors a menu of individual funds, strategy information, independent due diligence reports and a schedule of manager road-shows and educational events.

A true partner to the global wealth management industry, the CAISfunds proprietary solution empowers wealth advisors to compete for clients and assets while delivering a robust level of service. As a dedicated service provider, CAISfunds avoids key conflicts of interest by neither managing a wealth management business nor trading internal funds. Securities offered through CAIS Capital LLC, member FINRA, SIPC.

For more information, please visit www.CAISfunds.com.

About Fundspire

Fundspire Inc., a leading financial technology provider in the hedge fund industry, provides the next generation platform for analytics and reporting. Fundspire's innovative web-based platform enables investment professionals to source ideas, analyze risks, create portfolios, and build client reports.

Fundspire's easy-to-use and intuitive interface is used by a wide-range of clients in the alternative investment industry ranging from hedge funds, fund of hedge funds, family offices, fund administrators and diverse service providers. For more information, please visit www.fundspire.com.