Betterfront has developed a range of industry-specific data analytics tools designed to connect the track record of fund managers with their fundraising story. This allows managers to visualize their track record and review it from a partner’s perspective. Combined with a fundraising platform, users can then raise capital from institutional investors more successfully. An intelligent data room enables improved communication with investors. According to its own information, Betterfront has supported fund managers in raising over 4 billion euros in capital since its founding in 2019.
Equation, founded in 2020, is an active investor in primary and secondary transactions. The Munich-based company relies on data-driven and technology-enabled decision-making. To this end, the investor has also developed its own software platform designed to enable better investment decisions in private markets. Behind Equation are Mark Schmitz (CEO), formerly founding member and partner at venture capital fund Lakestar, and Prof. Dr. Reiner Braun (Chairman), a leading researcher in the field of private market research at the Technical University of Munich.
With the acquisition, the two companies aim to improve the speed and efficiency of fundraising for fund managers while giving them full control over the data they share. As an additional expansion, the Betterfront platform now also enables fund managers to offer limited partner secondary stakes on their digital marketplace.
“Today marks a new chapter for Betterfront”
Michel Geolier, co-founder and CEO of Betterfront, is joining Equation as VP of Business Development as part of the transition. His startup will continue to grow as an independent brand. He says:
“I’m very excited to work with Equation’s exceptional team. Like Betterfront, they are convinced that analytics enable better investment decisions and are the key to success in private markets. This acquisition helps us accelerate the development of our platform and provide even greater product value to fund managers and institutional investors worldwide. I’m grateful for the trust of our team, customers, and investors throughout Betterfront’s development into a leading fundraising and secondary platform. Today marks a new chapter for Betterfront and the beginning of an exciting future for private markets.”
And Mark Schmitz, co-founder and CEO of Equation, adds:
“As active fund investors in both primary and secondary transactions, we are firmly convinced that private markets can become substantially more efficient through the use of data and intelligent software solutions. Track record analysis is a cornerstone of due diligence, but the lack of standardization makes it unnecessarily difficult for capital allocators and fund managers to find common ground. With Betterfront, fund managers can radically improve their fundraising process and provide liquidity to their existing investors, which is often the key to securing new fund commitments. We are on a shared mission to promote transparency in private markets at a time when such investments are essential for economic growth. We have been following Betterfront’s progress from the beginning and are delighted to welcome the company into the Equation family.”
