Key takeaways
- Abra Bridge Partners helps fund managers prepare and run a fundraise: the fund narrative, the investor map and the process to a first close.
- Our founder has raised over $350M for companies and funds, with a background in asset management, venture lending and banking.
- We work with managers in London and the UK, the UAE and the Gulf, Romania and wider Europe.
- Fund marketing is regulated in every one of these markets, so the process is planned with your fund counsel from the start.
What does capital raising for fund managers involve?
Raising a fund is a longer, more relationship-driven sale than raising a startup round. Limited partners judge the team, the strategy and its edge, the track record and the terms, and they compare you with every other manager in their pipeline.
We help on three fronts:
- Fund narrative. A clear strategy, a credible edge and a track record presented the way limited partners assess it, in the pitch deck and the supporting materials.
- Investor map. The family offices, institutions, fund-of-funds and private investors that genuinely fit your strategy, size and geography, and the order in which to approach them.
- Process. Meeting preparation, follow-up, objection handling and momentum towards a first close.
Which rules apply when you market a fund?
Marketing a fund to investors is regulated in the UK, the EU and the UAE, and the rules depend on where the fund and its manager are based and who you approach. In the UK, for example, many non-UK managers market under the National Private Placement Regime. In the UAE, the rules differ between onshore and the DIFC or ADGM financial free zones.
Agree with your fund counsel which investors you may approach, in which countries, and with which documents, before any outreach starts.
Who do we work with?
- First-time and emerging managers building their first institutional fundraise.
- Established managers raising a next fund or entering new LP markets such as the Gulf.
- Venture, private credit and real-asset strategies with a clear edge and a team that can show it.
How does a fundraise for a fund compare with a startup round?
| Startup round | Fund raise | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | Partners at venture funds and angels | Family offices, institutions and fund-of-funds |
| What they judge | Team, market, traction and terms | Team, strategy edge, track record and terms |
| Typical documents | Deck, model, data room | Deck, fund documents, due diligence questionnaire |
| Rules on marketing | Company securities rules | Fund marketing rules in each investor's country |
Why work with us?
Our founder, Alex Kis, CFA, began in asset management at GMO, joined the deal team at venture lender Hercules Capital, worked in leveraged finance at Barclays and at ING, and has raised over $350M for companies and funds. Read the track record and our story. Raising for a startup instead? See fundraising advisory in London, the UAE or Romania.
Frequently asked questions
Do you help first-time fund managers?
Yes. We help first-time and emerging managers shape the fund narrative, build an investor map and run the process towards a first close.
Which investors do you approach for a fund?
We map family offices, institutions, fund-of-funds and private investors that fit your strategy, size and geography. Which of them you may approach depends on the fund marketing rules in each investor's country, which your fund counsel confirms.
How are fees structured?
Engagements usually combine a modest preparation retainer with a success component tied to capital raised. Exact terms depend on scope and fund size, and are agreed in writing before work starts.
Is the first call free?
Yes. The 30-minute consult is free and carries no obligation. Book a consult.