Warburg Pincus private equity strategy launches

Warburg Pincus' private equity strategy is now available to Australian wholesale investors.

Newly launched Continental Funds Group has brought the Warburg Pincus Access Fund (WP ACE) to the local market, with the help of Channel Investment Management as the responsible entity. Apex Fund Services is the administrator and registrar of the fund.

Structured as an open-ended Australian unit trust, WP ACE is a sub-fund of the Warburg Pincus Access Fund S.A. SICAV. The minimum investment amount is $100,000.

The underlying and master funds seek to generate risk-adjusted returns with lower volatility than public markets and achieve medium-to-long-term capital growth by constructing a diversified portfolio of global private market investments.

This is primarily via direct private equity and equity-related investments alongside Warburg Pincus-managed strategies.

According to Continental, the underlying strategy launched with a seeded portfolio of private equity assets, providing immediate exposure to about 190 companies across sectors, geographies and vintage years.

The portfolio spans industries including financial services, healthcare, industrials and technology across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Warburg Pincus managing director and chief executive of WP ACE, Christopher Turner said the firm's investment approach has remained consistent over six decades.

"Warburg Pincus has spent 60 years focused on a simple idea: identifying exceptional businesses, partnering with management teams and helping them grow," Turner said.

Led by founder and managing director Angus Coote, Continental formally launched last November and partnered with Channel Capital for governance and operational support.

Coote said the launch reflects a broader evolution in adviser demand and the calibre of global managers increasingly seeking Australian distribution partners.

"Advisers are increasingly looking for ways to access growth opportunities beyond listed markets, but they also want diversification and institutional-quality managers," Coote said.

Coote is the co-founder and chair of Jamieson Coote Bonds. He also serves as a non-executive director of Continental.

In its stable, are US-based NZS Capital, a global growth equities investor, and local investment manager LSN Capital Partners specialising in high-quality emerging companies.

Challenger recently announced it entered into a binding agreement to merge its multi-affiliate funds management business, Fidante, with Channel Capital.

Channel will centralise operational expertise across shared infrastructure, including responsible entity and governance services. Within the group, Channel, Fidante and Continental Funds Group will continue to operate as distinct, client-facing businesses.