Private equity has evolved dramatically over the past two decades, with many firms chasing progressively larger deals as they scale. Claire Smith, who leads Schroders Capital's private markets business in Australia, explains why they're deliberately swimming against this tide by maintaining a focus on small and mid-cap opportunities.

During our conversation at the 2025 Premium Alt Invest Forum, Claire reveals the mathematical logic behind their strategy: "It's much easier to double the size of a small company than it is to double the size of a large company." This simple principle drives their pursuit of diversification from listed markets through companies with truly idiosyncratic risk profiles.

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