What it takes to launch a hedge fund right now, according to the Wall Street pros who know

Goldman Sachs: Dean Backer, global head of sales and capital introduction

Pedestrian pass the offices of Goldman Sachs in London April 20, 2010.REUTERS/Toby Melville

What have been the biggest trends in 2017?

Backer highlighted the robustness of launches in Asian hotspots – Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo – while European launches are slightly above average. The US landscape is probably going to end the year right on average, he added.

What stands out in particular, according to Backer, is that there is more quality, rather than high quantity, launches. The average sized launch is also bigger.

“To get a fund launched in this environment when there is already a lot of product out there, a narrative that’s still forming is you really do have to be an experienced manager that can point to past performance, that has a team behind them and generally has had an anchor tenant to get launched,” Backer said.

The average launch size, whether median or average, is slightly higher, he said. “It’s too tough environmentally if you’re not one of the top-of-the-game managers,” he said.

What does it take to launch a hedge fund today?

According to Backer: high pedigree; solid institutional background; experience working in risk-taking role; and consistent outperformance.

“Consistent outperformance is the best way to distinguish yourself both internally and externally,” he said.

Other attributes include anchor investors and locking up with early investors.