New Research from Align Reveals How Emerging Fund Managers Are Navigating Today’s Complex Investment Landscape

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Align, the premier global provider of technology infrastructure solutions and Managed IT Services, today announced the release of The Emerging Manager Report: Navigating Change Across Operational Due Diligence. This research delivers critical insights into how emerging fund managers are addressing the most pressing challenges in today’s alternative investment landscape.

The report, developed from discussions and survey data gathered during Align’s annual Emerging Manager Summit, distills the collective intelligence of leading fund managers, allocators, and service providers. It reveals key trends across four pivotal areas shaping the future of the industry: institutional readiness, cybersecurity priorities, outsourcing strategies, and artificial intelligence adoption.

Unlike many industry studies, the Align Emerging Manager Report is completely ungated and features on-demand video interviews with senior representatives from TrustServe, Channel Capital, CohnReznick, SalusGRC, Corbin Capital, N-ABLE, and more.

“Every year, our Emerging Manager Summit brings together some of the brightest minds in alternative investments,” said Vinod Paul, President of Align Managed Services. “This report pulls back the curtain on those conversations, capturing what managers are doing, thinking, and prioritizing right now as they navigate one of the most complex operating environments we’ve ever seen.”

Paul added, “It’s a true pulse check on where the industry stands today...what’s keeping managers up at night, where they’re building capabilities, and how they’re preparing to meet institutional expectations.”

Key Findings from the Report

Institutional Readiness:
While most firms express confidence in their preparedness for allocator scrutiny, the data reveals meaningful capability gaps that emerging managers must close to compete for institutional capital.

Cybersecurity Imperatives:
Firms are increasing investments to counter evolving threats and meet more stringent regulatory demands.

Strategic Outsourcing:
Managers are taking a more deliberate approach to outsourcing. The choice of which functions to keep in-house versus outsource has become a key strategic decision.

AI Integration Momentum:
Firms are identifying concrete use cases for integrating AI into investment and operational workflows.

The full report and video interviews are available at www.align.com/emerging-manager-report.

About Align Managed Services

Align Managed Services is a division of Align, a premier global provider of technology infrastructure and cybersecurity solutions. Founded in 1986, Align has grown into a trusted partner for Fortune 1000 companies and leading financial institutions, delivering strategic IT services.

Specializing in the financial services vertical, Align Managed Services offers a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to meet the complex regulatory, operational, and security demands of investment firms, hedge funds, RIAs, and other financial entities.

For more information, visit www.align.com.