As the alarm bells sound on the urgency to build a new energy order, whilst balancing the need for pragmatism, the key priorities of investing in energy infrastructure continue to accelerate. In particular, decarbonization and electrification are focusing the minds of investment managers and capital allocators.

In this Curated Podcast episode, Anthony Catachanas, CEO of Victory Hill Capital Advisors LLP, explains their mission, including their private equity approach, making direct investments in global energy infrastructure, and targeting the energy transition.

Anthony also explains the relevance of his career up to founding Victory Hill Capital Advisors LLP, with specific emphasis on the work with energy transactions at Mizuho as well as time at Goldman Sachs. He explains their broader investment philosophy, before examining the distinct character of local energy markets and the varying opportunities presented in the mid-market space.

Furthermore, he discusses the identification, acquisition and management of assets, and alongside this he describes their priorities, the geographic dispersion of investments and potential returns.

Finally he explains their sustainability and ESG credentials and the speed with which change is taking place in this regard.

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In this Money Maze Podcast curated discussion, we explore Lansdowne Partners’ European Long Only Equity Fund with Daniel Avigad, its manager.

Daniel has been with Lansdowne Partners since 2006, and has achieved striking results in a concentrated, large cap portfolio, investing in European and UK stocks.

Daniel’s modest and quiet passion for the opportunities he and his team have identified shine through in this conversation. He explains the approach of seeking long-term investments in European equities based on deep diligence, fundamental analysis and active engagement.

He describes the library of knowledge accumulated, their approach to meeting management teams - and presenting them with potential routes and opportunities - and how this can make allies of the companies in which they invest.

Daniel explains their approach to capital cycles, leading to a discussion on the key themes of digitisation, decarbonisation and electrification. He talks about some of the key investments they own, the excellence residing in capital goods in Europe, the challenges of ESG, and why the potential for compelling returns may reside more in Europe than is the general consensus.

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The Fat Gladiator is a unique and exclusive investment club that tracks the world’s most powerful trends, and identifies the companies and asset classes most likely to profit from them.

In this interview, Nick Finegold, Founder and long time investor, describes the growth of this business which seeks to identify compelling and potentially profitable investment themes, through collaboration and idea sharing with a growing club of institutional and seasoned investors.

Nick describes how the club operates, and provides examples of some of the investment themes discussed, and pursued by club members. These have included nuclear renaissance, MIPS smart cycle helmet technology, to the new world of digital marketing and communication, and a solution to the world’s food security problems – cell cultured foods.

Nick also describes how speakers from multiple disciplines are asked to join and explains their investment concepts, as well as to discuss their relevance. The range of ideas has incorporated Nick Jones of Soho House to Sir Martin Sorrell at S4 Capital, and in the year ahead there is a dazzling list of investment ideas which will be explored.

For further information please contact [email protected]

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In 2017 Brian founded and continues to serve as Chairman and CEO of TechMet Ltd, an investment vehicle for 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. A key to success will be the ability to secure the supply of its building blocks – the technology metals.

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In a world where financial solutions tend to be sliced into those designed for institutions and those for individuals, the large family offices and super high net worth families often grapple with a dilemma of which partners they work with and how; whether to do it predominantly themselves and access a variety of institutions for solutions, or to contemplate the idea of outsourcing their whole CIO function to one entity (or something in between).

In this conversation, we explore how one of the world's most respected financial institutions helps families think about this very challenge, and how they seek to preserve wealth for future generations, maintain consistent cash flows and outperform public markets. With over $60 billion in assets under management, 800 clients and operations across 25 markets (as of 31/12/21), BlackRock looks to partner with family offices across a host of solutions to deliver on their unique goals. So we’re delighted to welcome Sheryl Needham, BlackRock’s Head of EMEA Family Offices, to the Money Maze Podcast for an in-depth discussion about the space. 

Simply listen above to learn more! The episode can also be played in the background on your browser on both mobile, tablet and desktop devices.

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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,  with total assets under management in the sector now worth £2 billion (up from £1 billion in 2016/17). 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.

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