Private markets have become a cornerstone of institutional portfolios, with allocations to private equity, private debt, real assets, and venture capital continuing to grow. At the same time, access is steadily expanding beyond institutions, as regulatory changes, digital platforms, and fund innovations open the door to retail investors. But as capital flows in, operational teams are feeling the strain, tasked with managing increasing complexity behind the scenes.
Fragmented data, manual processes, and increasing regulatory demands make day-to-day operations more complex than ever. In this post, we explore five of the most common operational challenges faced by private market participants and how leading firms are solving them.
Data in private markets arrives in all shapes and formats. From capital call notices and PDFs of financial statements, to Excel files, emails, and more. Some of it comes from administrators, some from GPs or custodians. Consolidating this data into a reliable, centralised view is slow and error-prone.
What to solve for:
A scalable way to ingest, normalise, and reconcile data from multiple sources, without relying on manual workarounds.
Many operational workflows still rely on spreadsheets, shared drives, and email. While these tools offer flexibility, they lack control and auditability. The risk of error increases as teams grow or transaction volumes rise.
What to solve for:
Automated workflows that reduce risk, accelerate reporting, and allow teams to focus on oversight rather than data wrangling.
NAV validation in private markets is uniquely difficult. Illiquid assets, infrequent valuations, and complex structures can delay reporting and raise questions about accuracy, just as investors and regulators expect more clarity.
What to solve for:
A robust framework for reviewing and validating NAV components. Even when valuations aren’t straightforward or data is incomplete.
With growing investor demands and evolving regulations like AIFMD, firms need to demonstrate control, traceability, and readiness at every turn. That includes audit trails, real-time reporting, and clear documentation of oversight.
What to solve for:
Repeatable, transparent processes that hold up to audit and regulatory scrutiny - without adding operational overhead.
As funds grow and strategies diversify, operational teams often remain lean. Manual processes don’t scale, and the risk of delay or error increases as complexity grows.
What to solve for:
Modern infrastructure that grows with the business, offering automation and integration without disrupting core systems.
The private markets opportunity is clear. But the operational foundation supporting it needs to evolve. Leading firms are building infrastructure that can handle today’s complexity and tomorrow’s growth.
If these challenges sound familiar, we’d love to hear about them. Whether you’re overseeing NAVs, reconciling private asset data, or supporting regulatory reporting - we can help you simplify the complex. Contact the team here.