In this year’s “Women in Alternative Investments Report” (“WAI Report”), KPMG LLP highlights the successes and insights of women in alternatives while fostering a dialogue about the unique issues, such as capital-raising, which confront women in the industry.

The Report incorporates insights from over 300 female alternative investment fund managers, investors and other professionals in the alternative investment industry. From their responses, some of the key themes that emerged.

Over the next 18 months:

• Most fund and investor respondents expect fund launches will increase
• Expected performance for hedge funds is more optimistic than that of private equity and venture capital funds
• 88% of hedge fund respondents and 64% of private equity and venture capital respondents plan to be on the fundraising trail
• One-third of investor respondents, including fund of funds, have an emerging manager program or fund, and 4% plan to implement on

• Capital-raising is the most pressing concern for our fund respondents across sectors, more so than core investment functions.
• None of the investors surveyed expect a decrease in their allocations to women-owned/managed funds, and 26% expect an increase.
• 72% of investors surveyed say the greatest barrier to investing in women-owned or managed funds is lack of supply of such funds.
• Women are most often seen in C-level positions in compliance, marketing and financial roles at alternative investment funds, and they represent 14% of CEOs and 21% of CIO/Portfolio Manager roles in the firms represented in our survey.
• 18% of fund respondents plan to be managing their own fund in the next five years, and 11% plan to launch a new fund.

For more findings and themes download the full report.