PE Stack worked with a prominent single family office located in Latin America to identify potential platforms for a multi-asset class portfolio monitoring use case. We put together requirements following interviews with key stakeholders which were used to pre-qualify potential vendors. We then set up demonstrations and maintained a consistent assessment framework to aid with decision-making.

We love ambitious market intelligence projects and were excited to work with data science and business development teams to identify, assess and compare multiple traditional and alternative market data sources to power an advanced deal sourcing engine. Integration with CRM and price negotiation/consideration was also a key factor in this project, as was a consideration of overlap between various datasets.

Micro-VCs need quality software and data just as much as their larger counterparts, and we have tracked a number of new platforms launching to cater for this area in recent years. Our client here was a micro-VC fund operating out of the MENA region. We worked to strategize and evaluate CRM, portfolio monitoring and data solutions – including all-in-one platforms as part of the engagement.

PE Stack is acutely aware of the importance of achieving data consistency and accuracy when implementing a ‘best of breed’ software application strategy. We helped our client, a growth fund, to formulate a data strategy, including recommendations around validation and centralized resources, before providing intelligence on key vendors and options within this space.

Client was happy with CRM for sourcing, but wanted more structure for pipeline management… Not happy with current portfolio monitoring… Three different fund admins across active funds meant the same LPs logging into three different portals… PE Stack was able to navigate these complex considerations and help find the right solution with a robust plan for implementation, integration and onboarding given the complexity involved.

Effectively leveraging market data for private company sourcing is deceptively complex. Not only are there overlapping datasets from competing vendors to consider, but also the level of data access required, CRM integration and associated costs, duplication rules and more. We worked with our client to map out both traditional and alternative sources of market data, helping to select multiple vendors via web, CRM and raw data access.

In a world where vendors claim to offer all things to all firms, the potential for frustration and wasted time is significant when strategies dictate specific deal-breaker requirements. PE Stack’s venture debt client's demands around loan book monitoring immediately disqualified certain solutions from our search (to the benefit of both client and vendor in terms of efficiency!)

PE Stack maintains an agnostic perspective towards considerations such as best of breed vs. suite solution. In this case our client, a first-time fund, had a strong preference for a suite solution and PE Stack helped to identify and pre-qualify vendors, arrange demonstrations and line up contracts to coincide with a first close. We strongly recommend first time funds consider technology ahead of a fund close to achieve clean implementation and prove to prospective LPs they are serious.

VC firms which maintain accelerator programs face challenges in identifying the right platform for tracking portfolios and managing multiple, complex sourcing channels. We worked with our European client to identify products with the potential to align with their unique strategy. A big part of this came down to pricing structure- we were able to dismiss certain vendors unable to adapt models to account for a large volume of small investments for the portfolio monitoring use case.

While there is a good deal of crossover with traditional PE, infrastructure funds often have specific requirements – such as real-time output monitoring. We helped our client to identify the best aligned platform bearing their specific needs in mind, including maintaining non-uniform reporting standards for different portcos as a key data ingestion requirement.

Portfolio monitoring is one of the most common project requests we get at PE Stack. Our client, a prominent mid-market buyout firm, was seeking to evolve its monitoring capabilities in line with increasing complexity and growing ESG requirements. We put together a strategy, wrote up requirements and help to qualify vendors across two rounds of demonstrations, including a proof of concept, allowing our client to make an informed decision as part of an efficient process.

They all say they do everything, but which vendors actually have the right functionality?” Our recommendation (in addition to using PE Stack from the outset next time) was to build a robust comparison framework aligned with their key requirements. We leveraged our proprietary intelligence and engaged with vendors to collect meaningful data showing each vendor’s ability to provide required functionality, allowing our client to make an evidence-based recommendation to senior management.

Our international VC client maintains complex relationships with its stakeholders– it shares dealflow with LPs, partners with other GPs, makes strategic introductions for portfolio companies and more… With many hats being worn, setting up a CRM to track things effectively is a challenge. PE Stack leveraged knowledge of key workflows and experience with Affinity and other platforms to execute a successful implementation strategy.

Integrating market data with CRM can provide considerable value, but entails extra cost and compatibility considerations. Evaluating both at the same time, as PE Stack did in this case, can therefore be a wise strategy to ensure robust integration and maximize negotiation leverage. The project resulted in a successful implementation of a fully integrated solution for sourcing and executing deals.

Previously reliant on Excel and ad hoc analysis, our client – an established name in the mid-market – was feeling pressure to modernize its portfolio monitoring capabilities. We worked with the team to successfully identify a solution which would create efficiency and capability while ensuring that all stakeholders, including those with a more traditional mindset, would feel comfortable with the transition.