Resources

Our investment in Delio

9 Mar 2022

By Octopus Ventures

Investment thesis

Private markets are more attractive than ever to both private and institutional investors, with the market size for private equity alone tripling to more than $6tn over the past ten years

This demand has been accelerated by the pandemic, with alternative assets offering resilience, diversity of opportunities and long-term returns

Financial institutions face key challenges in recommending private investments to clients, around deal distribution, regulatory governance and client experience

Within private markets, the technology landscape is fragmented, with an over-reliance on decentralised information management systems, and few end-to-end solutions

Delio’s white label SaaS solution digitises the private investment cycle across every stage, and enables financial institutions to provide a more intuitive investment experience, enhance their operational efficiency and gather user insights

The platform can be configured according to the institution’s need, opening the door for stronger relationships with clients, and improved governance frameworks around the investment process

Delio already serves more than 90 financial institutions around the world, with over $26bn-worth of investment opportunities shared across its platforms

Who are the founders

Gareth Lewis, Delio’s co-founder and Chief Executive, worked in corporate finance before moving home to south Wales to build the company from scratch. He recognised a growing interest in private markets during his time at institutions including Ernst and Young, Convex Capital and IBM, and today leads Delio’s global growth plans.

David Newman, his co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, spent over a decade in senior wealth management roles at UBS and Barclays. He brings a deep understanding of the space, and a keen understanding of clients’ needs, to bear on his role overseeing the company’s commercial function, including sales and account management.

Why us?

For over two decades, the Octopus Group has been a leader in the Private Market investment space. When we met Gareth and David, the value our network and expertise stood to offer Delio, as they look to scale their market-leading technology to more of the world’s largest financial institutions, was immediately clear.

We put Delio’s founders at the heart of our investment, listened to their requirements and goals, and worked with them in negotiations. Delio have invested heavily in their market leading product, and now they face a new set of challenges. As the company scales up, the Octopus Ventures Portfolio Talent team is on hand to help the founders map the hiring and organisational design journey out. Our network is at Delio’s disposal as it looks to secure the right talent, key to unlocking the next stage of growth.