The incubator and accelerator fund Emergence2 has allocated €50 million, its biggest investment to date, to VIA AM based on the quality of its systematic equity strategy and innovative approach to financial and accounting analysis.
Paris, 18 September 2017 - Emergence, the incubator and accelerator for entrepreneurial managers in the Paris market, and NewAlpha Asset Management, the SICAV's delegated manager, have announced the selection of VIA AM(1) as the first investment by Emergence's new European equities fund, launched in June 2017 with a target of €300 million, now closed to subscriptions(2).
Emergence will put €50 million into the fund VIA Smart Equity Europe(3) the biggest investment made by Emergence since its inception in 2012. The VIA Smart Equity fund was launched in March 2016 and targets long-term outperformance of the MSCI Europe, net dividends reinvested, with a similar risk profile.
This injection will take the VIA Smart Equity Europe fund above €150 million of AUM, giving it critical mass to build up its base with international investors, and will add the caché of the Emergence label awarded by the SICAV's Investment Committee composed of France's leading institutional investors.
VIA AM has developed systematic equity and absolute return strategies based on proprietary technology that systematically analyses the economic and accounting data of 3,000 listed companies across the world (including 600 in Europe). The approach yields an exceptionally objective financial analysis and facilitates inter-company comparisons.
This “economic accounting” gives a better analysis of companies’ profitability and value before any selection across a very wide universe. Accounting standardisation means VIA AM can limit risks of errors of judgement and free itself from reliance on traditional accounting ratios.
Less than 18 months after its creation, the company now has a range of 4 funds (European, US and global equity and multi-strategy absolute return) with a total of more than €450 million under management.
Thanks to its founders’ track record and distribution through Eric Sturdza Group, VIA has attracted interest from investors mainly based in France, Switzerland and Luxembourg who have contributed to the firm's rapid growth.
(1) VIA AM is authorised by the AMF, number GP-15000029
(2) The sub-funds of Émergence SICAV cannot be marketed outside France and are closed to subscriptions
(3) VIA Smart-Equity Europe (SI) was launched in March 2016 with ISIN LU1369528622