Allocator requests for information have consistently been on the increase. As this trend continues and regulatory scrutiny tightens, GPs need more efficient ways of delivering the data their clients require. They need to do this in an accurate and timely manner while not detracting from their main focus of raising funds and generating alpha, explains Louise Verga (pictured), managing director, head of Americas, Dasseti.
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Allocator requests for information have consistently been on the increase. As this trend continues and regulatory scrutiny tightens, GPs need more efficient ways of delivering the data their clients require. They need to do this in an accurate and timely manner while not detracting from their main focus of raising funds and generating alpha, explains Louise Verga, managing director, head of Americas, Dasseti.
In what areas has your firm experienced the most significant growth?
The GPs we speak to regularly are overloaded with an increased number of LP requests for information, either related to new opportunities or to existing relationship reporting commitments. Meeting LPs’ demands for data has traditionally been time-consuming and laborious, and often results in missed new opportunities or team burnout. Dasseti recently introduced Dasseti Engage, a new software solution for investor relations, client services and RFP teams at GPs. The platform is designed to improve distribution, ensure consistency and speed up responses to client requests.
How have client needs and demands changed? What has your response been in terms of your service offering?
The sheer volume of data flowing between GPs and LPs is hard to manage. Increasing headcount isn’t always the best answer. Using Dasseti Engage, teams can deliver consistent information to every client and distribute their own fund and company data smartly and securely. The platform can help under-resourced teams to achieve more, enabling them to work more efficiently and effectively without increasing headcount. Dasseti Engage can work alongside existing RFP tools, CRMs and Question and Answer banks to extract, flex and publish data across client reports, but it also allows GP teams to create their own standard DDQ and securely share this live document with their own LPs and, in due course, a wider pool of LPs, with full visibility on who has viewed or interacted with their content. This intelligence and exposure are exactly what many GPs are looking for. We also know they want to create their own profile or DDQ to include unique information about their firm and funds.
What are the primary challenges your firm and your clients are facing and what is critical to these being overcome?
Rising scrutiny for operational risks, compliance, ESG, coupled with tightened regulation has increased the volume of questionnaires allocators send out. High profile failures also cause ODD focus to peak sporadically. We find that these peaks and troughs lead to issues for GP teams, who are trying to balance fundraising activity with ongoing client communications. When LPs ask for more information regularly, it takes the client teams longer to compile the data. Often, the quality of information they are providing reduces as the quantity increases. From new or emerging GPs to the largest firms, Dasseti Engage allows client services teams to deliver consistent information fast, using the platforms LPs are already using. We make it easy for LPs and easy for GPs to share data.
What are your business objectives for the year ahead and how do they align with the needs of your clients?
The industry needs a solution that does more than just store questions and answers. Concerns about consistency, reactivity, and client satisfaction combined with the risk of missing out on new sales opportunities are growing, and standardisation is still far from being a realistic concept. Current solutions range from adding more people to the team or investing in new technology, neither of which has addressed the problem, until now. Our clients tell us that Dasseti Engage is the solution that the industry has been waiting for.
Following investment by Nasdaq earlier in the year, we have ambitious growth plans and a strong roadmap of product developments in place. Our agile methodology allows us to innovate and implement incrementally, bringing new features and improvements to our clients regularly. This means our proprietary data exchange platforms are continually evolving to meet changing market demands and client requirements.
How can you best ensure you deliver value-add to your client base?
Our global teams understand the nuances of each local investment sector, we listen to clients’ needs and help them address regulatory and compliance mandates. We employ specialist teams across the business, from agile developers to product specialists, customer success teams and account managers. Dasseti provides one platinum tier of support for all clients’ internal and external users through a 24-hour global support desk. Our clients, that include both GPs and LPs, really are at the center of everything we do.
Louise Verga, CAIA, managing director, head of Americas, Dasseti – Louise is an investment sector professional, with over 15 years’ experience gained across the buy and sell side technology space. As Managing Director of Dasseti, an innovative digital due diligence platform, Louise works closely with clients in banks, family offices, hedge funds, asset managers, pensions and insurance companies to help them streamline and automate due diligence and monitoring data collection and analysis. Working internationally in the UK, Italy, Switzerland and the US gave Louise a solid view of the global fintech space and the criticality of sound data to maintain compliance and inform investment decision making.
