Twenty emerging fund managers shortlisted for Guernsey's inaugural Fund Foundry programme
- Twenty fund managers shortlisted from 112 applications for Guernsey's Fund Foundry programme selection event on 23 September
- Finalists are launching funds targeting £1.58bn combined, spanning venture capital, private equity, private debt, real estate and other strategies
- Five managers will be selected for the inaugural cohort, each receiving £25,000 support plus mentoring and investor introductions
- Total first-year programme value could exceed £75,000 per manager with no fee, equity or carry requirements
- Guernsey is home to more than 1,500 funds overseeing £1trn in investments, with domiciled fund NAV at £270bn
Twenty emerging fund managers will arrive in Guernsey on 23 September for the inaugural selection event of The Fund Foundry, the island's industry-backed programme designed to help new managers launch investment funds.
The finalists were shortlisted from 112 applications submitted to the programme's first application window, which closed on 1 September.
Over three days, each manager will meet programme partners, mentors and prospective investors, and present to a selection panel composed of experienced fund of funds and multi-manager investors. Five managers will be selected to join the first Fund Foundry cohort, which begins in October 2026.
The twenty finalists are launching funds targeting approximately £1.58 billion in combined fund size, ranging from a £10 million first-time vehicle to a £224 million private credit strategy. The average target fund size across all managers exceeds £70 million.
The finalist funds span venture capital, private equity, private debt, real estate, secondaries, litigation finance and fund-of-funds strategies. Investment strategies cover agriculture, non-bank finance, defence, climate resilience and the blue economy, with geographic mandates ranging from UK-only and EU and North American-focused funds to emerging and frontier markets. Several finalists are already raising capital, reporting early institutional commitments and signed term sheets ahead of the event.
Each of the five selected managers will receive £25,000 (approximately US$33,000) of direct programme support through a voucher redeemable against first-year offshore legal, fund administration and audit costs. The package also includes dedicated mentoring from established Guernsey-domiciled fund managers, introductions to investors and allocators, and access to Guernsey's funds ecosystem.
Based on estimates from participating partners, the total first-year value of the programme could exceed £75,000 (approximately US$100,000) through a combination of direct support and reduced-fee arrangements. There is no programme fee, equity or carry pledge requirement for participating managers.
The Fund Foundry builds on Guernsey's position as one of the world's established fund domiciles. The island is home to more than 1,500 investment funds and sub-funds, with its funds sector collectively overseeing more than £1 trillion in total investments. The net asset value of Guernsey-domiciled funds stood at £270 billion as of mid-2026, according to the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.
That scale has created a deep ecosystem of fund managers, administrators, lawyers, auditors, banks, regulators and investment professionals. The Fund Foundry is designed to give a new generation of managers direct access to that expertise, infrastructure and network as they build towards first close.
Rebecca Booth, co-founder and non-executive director of The Fund Foundry, said: "We launched the Fund Foundry at the Guernsey Funds Forum in May 2026 with a bold ambition: to make Guernsey one of the best places in the world to launch a new fund.
"Four months later, more than 30 partners had come together to support that ambition and, from over 100 applicants, we have brought 20 finalist managers to Guernsey, collectively building funds targeting almost £1.6 billion across a wide range of asset classes.
"What excited us most was seeing what can happen when an ecosystem comes together around a shared vision and gets behind the people building the next generation of funds."
The Fund Foundry is operated by Foundry Partners LBG, a Guernsey-based not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. The programme brings together Guernsey's leading legal, administration, banking, audit, regulatory and investment partners to support first-time and emerging fund managers on the journey to first close.
The inaugural programme will support five emerging fund managers over twelve months, combining financial support, practical expertise, mentoring and introductions to investors and allocators.
Q&A
Q: What is The Fund Foundry?
A: The Fund Foundry is Guernsey's industry-backed programme designed to help first-time and emerging fund managers launch investment funds from the island. It is operated by Foundry Partners LBG, a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee.
Q: What support do selected managers receive?
A: Each of the five selected managers receives £25,000 of direct support redeemable against first-year offshore legal, fund administration and audit costs, plus dedicated mentoring from established Guernsey-domiciled fund managers, investor introductions, and access to Guernsey's funds ecosystem. The total first-year value could exceed £75,000 with no programme fees, equity or carry requirements.
Q: What types of funds are the finalists launching?
A: The finalist funds span venture capital, private equity, private debt, real estate, secondaries, litigation finance and fund-of-funds strategies, with investment strategies covering agriculture, non-bank finance, defence, climate resilience and the blue economy. Geographic mandates range from UK-only to emerging and frontier markets.
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