Horizon21 Management Services, a hedge fund manager and private equity boutique, is looking to roll out structured investment products linked to its funds. The group, with around USD1 billion under management, has already set up a hedge fund-of-funds, a private equity group and several single hedge funds since launch last year (DW, 11/24/04). Next year it plans to focus on its fund-of-funds arm Horizon21 Alternative Investments, from which it will issue investment products linked to its funds.
Urs Wieser, head of marketing at Horizon21 in Pfäffikon, Switzerland, explained the initiative is linked to Swiss Re buying a 20% stake in Horizon21 Alternative Investments in September. The group will look to structure products for insurance clients, he explained. This will include so-called portable alpha products, which offer institutional clients access to the upside of alternative investments such as hedge funds, and also capital-protected versions of its funds. Wieser declined to detail the structures of products it is planning, or when they might be launched. "Everything is on our horizon, that's why our company is called [Horizon21]," he quipped. Alongside its focus on institutional clients, Wieser said Horizon21 will also be building up its distribution channels next year to target high-net-worth and private banking clients.
