In 1965, the BBC launched Tomorrow’s World, a pioneering program that ran for four decades, spotlighting innovations in technology, healthcare, and science—many of which became essential to modern life.

Today, the commercialization of groundbreaking inventions presents significant investment opportunities, but identifying, funding, and nurturing them demands vision, skill, and patience.

In this conversation, Peter Davies, Senior Partner and Portfolio Manager at Lansdowne Partners, shares insights into his approach and their latest fund designed to tap into these opportunities.

He discusses the appeal of UK intellectual property from leading British universities - often underfunded and overlooked - drawing on a decade of experience investing in this ecosystem.

From sourcing and financing to filtering and partnering, Davies explains how technological disruption creates both challenges and commercial opportunities.

He details exciting prospects, the fund’s structure, exit strategies, and why, despite the allure of high rewards, strict process and valuation discipline remain paramount.

Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube | Contact Lansdowne Partners

If science and innovation hold the keys to tomorrow’s kingdoms, then their successful discovery, nurturing, and commercialisation will give advantage to the nations where they are found and built and in turn, offer the potential for significant investment opportunities.

Greg Smith, is CEO of IP Group, one of the UK’s very few specialised, publicly listed, investors in science and innovation.

In this episode, Greg explains IP’s business and opportunity set. He discusses UK innovation and where and why it is world class.

He explains sourcing opportunities, the investment process, and why he is so excited about their portfolio (covering firms such as Oxford Nanopore, Istesso, Pulmocide, Oxa & Hysata). 

He continues with discussing the hurdles in the UK to commercialising and retaining more of the great innovations found here, and assesses their early mover position. 

Finally he discusses the share price’s discount to NAV, and what may lie ahead.

Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube | Contact IP Group 

“What could go right?” is a question investors sometimes need to ask, particularly when an asset class, region, or style of investing is unloved, out of favour and under allocated to. I’m referring to emerging markets. 

The Wall Street Journal recently published a chart showing emerging markets at a 50 year low relative to the S&P, which might remind us of George Soros’s comment that we should “discount the obvious and expect the unexpected”.

In this conversation, Christina explains what she believes are significant valuation anomalies, and the ‘immense’ opportunities in the universe where she invests.

She discusses EAM’s investment process, especially in the under-researched small to mid-cap domestic EM universe in which they invest.

She explains idea generation, the concentrated portfolio composition of 25 stocks, the 8 countries which they target, typical holding periods and the prerequisite of on the ground research.

She gives two examples of companies they own, dealing with liquidity and volatility, having the wind in your face, and the type of clients best-suited to this strategy. 

Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube | Contact EAM

--

EAM DISCLAIMER

Paul begins with explaining why his initial job at the Federal Reserve was so important for his subsequent future in finance.

He then details how he capitalised on those lessons at Merrill Lynch and JP Morgan before seeing potential opportunities developing from the emerging troubles in the world of banking in 2008, leading to the creation of Orchard Global.

He explains Orchard’s mission, expertise, typical client profiles and how they helped pioneer significant risk transfers (SRTs) during the GFC. A significant risk transfer (SRT) deal is a financial transaction that allows banks to reduce their regulatory capital requirements by transferring credit risk to third-party investors.

He discusses their private and public credit strategies, before covering how regulation such as Basel III is impacting the market.

Paul then explains how, in providing private & public market credit solutions, they play a particularly pivotal role in helping banks.

Finally, he explains why investors go to them in order to “stay rich”!

Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube | Contact Orchard Global

Santander Asset Management manages almost $230 billion*, employs over 850 people and operates in 10 countries. In this interview we’re pleased to feature Samantha Ricciardi, who has been CEO of the company since February 2022. 

Samantha begins by putting into context the perspectives she acquired after working at BlackRock and Schroders, before covering Santander’s investment philosophy, key strengths, and priorities for 2024/25.

She discusses the investment flows into and out of Latin America, the forces of digitisation, passive’s growth, and how they are judiciously building a private markets capability.

She then explains more about investment interest in local LATAM debt & Middle Eastern inflows to the region, and why - as a significant player in the UK market - the investment opportunities here remain compelling. Interview recorded in June 2024. 

Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Watch on YouTube | *As of March 2024

–

DISCLAIMER - SANTANDER ASSET MANAGEMENT UK LIMITED

This podcast has been approved by Santander Asset Management UK Limited (SAM UK). This podcast is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or other financial instruments, or to provide investment advice or services. Opinions expressed within this podcast, if any, are current opinions as of the date stated and do not constitute investment or any other advice; the views are subject to change and do not necessarily reflect the views of Santander Asset Management as a whole or any part thereof. While we try and take every care over the information in this podcast, we cannot accept any responsibility for mistakes and missing information that may be presented. The value of investments and any income is not guaranteed and can go down as well as up and may be affected by exchange rate fluctuations. This means that an investor may not get back the amount invested. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. All information is approved by Santander Asset Management UK Limited (Company Registration No. SC106669). Registered in Scotland at 287 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5NB, United Kingdom. Authorised and regulated by the FCA. FCA registered number 122491. You can check this on the Financial Services Register by visiting the FCA’s website: www.fca.org.uk/register. Santander and the flame logo are registered trademarks: www.santanderassetmanagement.co.uk.

DISCLAIMER - MONEY MAZE PODCAST

All content on the Money Maze Podcast is for your general information and use only and is not intended to address your particular requirements. In particular, the content does not constitute any form of advice, recommendation, representation, endorsement or arrangement and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining from making) any specific investment or other decisions. We try to provide content that is true and accurate as of the date of publishing; however, we give no assurance or warranty regarding the accuracy, timeliness, or applicability of any of the contents.Guests, presenters and other individuals involved in the production of this podcast may have positions in any of the investments discussed. Please note, Money Maze Curated Podcasts are funded by the interviewee or their featured organization, unlike the Money Maze Podcast, which is funded by third party advertising.

There is a growing recognition that the term “hedge funds”, rather than being an asset class, instead represents a range of approaches to access very different investment opportunities. 

Here at the Money Maze Podcast, we think that a better way of viewing them is through the lens of how a proven manager or style can help deliver a different, and less correlated, set of returns.

In this Money Maze Curated edition, we welcome Chris Dale, a seasoned investor in this space with an impressive long-term track record. He explains Kintbury’s approach, which offers an exposure to a universe of listed UK and European companies without having the market risk or beta.

Chris explains how they identify short and long opportunities, including why they shorted Wirecard, why they have been long Novo Nordisk for many years and the egregious price inflation in luxury goods.

He then explains their warning flags on the short side, and how sustained cash generation sits high on their list of priorities for their long investments.

MMP Newsletter | MMP LinkedIn | Contact Kintbury Capital

-- 

DISCLAIMERS

MONEY MAZE PODCAST

KINTBURY CAPITAL

In 1989, Japan represented 43% of the world’s stock markets. The eight largest banks in the world were Japanese, as were 7 of the world’s top 10 corporations. 10 years later not a single Japanese company made it into the top 10.

After an epic bubble and even more epic bust, today, 34 years later, Japan is the world’s 3rd largest economy, the world’s largest creditor nation, the second largest stock market globally, has the most undervalued currency of the major economies, and has the highest debt to GDP ratio of any G7 nation.

In this conversation, Peter and Mark, Co-Founders of Arcus Investment, explain the changed landscape, politically, economically, and from an investment perspective. 

The discussion begins with an overview of Arcus’s approach to investing after 25+ years managing approximately $2bn in AUM, as well as their value bias, what excites them, and an overview of the key macro forces shaping the world’s third largest economy. 

They reference that almost half of TOPIX trades below book and 40% of companies have no material research. They share their ‘bread and butter’ process of recycling the profits of appreciating stocks into undervalued firms (inspired by Buffett).

They speak about structural tailwinds, shifting allocations to equities, TSE reforms to “shame” companies resistant to change, the relatively cheap yen, and where they are identifying value and investing. 

MMP Newsletter | MMP LinkedIn | Contact Arcus Investment

--

MONEY MAZE PODCAST - All content on Money Maze Curated Podcasts is for your general information and use only and is not intended to address your particular requirements. In particular, the content does not constitute any form of advice, recommendation, representation, endorsement or arrangement and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making (or refraining from making) any specific investment or other decisions. We try to provide content that is true and accurate as of the date of publishing; however, we give no assurance or warranty regarding the accuracy, timeliness, or applicability of any of the contents. Guests, presenters and other individuals involved in the production of this podcast may have positions in any of the investments discussed. Please note, Money Maze Curated Podcasts are funded by the interviewee or their featured organization, unlike the Money Maze Podcast (which is funded by third party advertising). Full disclaimer here. 

ARCUS INVESTMENT LIMITED - All content on the Podcasts, including ideas, opinions, views, predictions, forecasts, commentaries, suggestions, or stock picks, expressed or implied, are for informational, entertainment, or educational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation, investment advice, or recommendation to buy or sell a security or other investment product or to engage in or provide investment advisory services or activities. The information discussed in the Podcast is not intended to constitute investment, legal, tax or any other type of advice. Individuals should not use the information discussed on the Podcasts as the basis of an investment decision. The information discussed may include errors, inaccuracies or “forward looking statements,” which are inherently unreliable. Any investment involves risk. Individuals should undertake their own due diligence before investing or consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. The value of investments in any financial assets may fall as well as rise. Investors may not get back the amount they originally invested. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Arcus conduct business only with professional clients, as defined by the Financial Conduct Authority. Arcus Investment Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

In this interview, Hugo explains why he established Newcore 13 years ago, explaining its purpose and approach. He outlines why the specific opportunities afforded by investing in UK social infrastructure offers the potential of strong returns, allied to prudent capital management. 

Hugo discusses the demand drivers, as the appetite for education, healthcare, waste management and even crematoria continues to grow (in line with rising populations & public sector spending).

He describes the dislocations in supply, and the headwinds faced by many operating in the real estate and infrastructure space, who employed too much leverage and are struggling to adjust to an environment of higher rates.

Hugo then describes how “virtual-resistant” real estate is vital as the internet continues to change consumption trends, why investing with a strong eye is good to governance & sustainability, and their guiding principles (underscored by their B-Corp status).

MMP Newsletter | MMP LinkedIn | Contact Newcore

--

DISCLAIMER

Litigation finance is a small but growing industry, proving to be an attractive opportunity for investors looking for a new uncorrelated alternative asset class.

Over the past five years, the UK litigation finance market has doubled (up from £1 billion in 2017).

Given this growth, it’s not surprising that private equity and venture capital investors are increasingly interested in the space.

To understand more, we were pleased to be joined by Robert Rothkopf, Managing Partner of Balance Legal Capital. He set up the firm in mid-2015 and is supported by litigation titans like Lord David Gold and Ian Terry.

The firm is pioneering the development of the industry in the UK and internationally, being ranked by Chambers and Partners 2021 in both the UK and APAC regions. Balance Legal Capital is also listed in this year’s Legal 500 as a key player in UK litigation funding.

It is also a proud member and supporter of the Association of Litigation Funders (ALF). The ALF is an independent body that has been charged by the Ministry of Justice with delivering self regulation of litigation funding in England and Wales.

Please enjoy and listen to our insightful discussion above to learn more about this fascinating sector, and discover where opportunities may lie.

Sign up to our Newsletter | Follow us on LinkedIn | Contact Balance Legal Capital

--

In 2017 Brian founded and continues to serve as Chairman and CEO of TechMet, a permanent capital vehicle investing in a portfolio of technology metal projects.

TechMet acquires and manages projects that produce, process and recycle the key strategic technology metals that go into batteries, electric vehicles and renewable energy systems; cobalt, lithium, nickel, tin, tungsten, rare earth metals and vanadium.

He explains how the world is undergoing a seismic transformation in how it produces and uses energy. A part of this is a mobility revolution with the mass adoption of electric vehicles.

These radical shifts represent ‘once-in-a-century’ investment opportunities and will re-shape not just whole industries, but also the geopolitical landscape.

The West has been late to recognize the significant advancements made by the Chinese in this area over the last 20 years, and it now needs to play a tough game of catch-up.

A key to success will be the ability to secure the supply of its building blocks – the technology metals.

Sign up to our Newsletter |  Follow us on LinkedIn | Contact Team TechMet

--