“Evergreen funds must be accessible to the Israeli public”
“Evergreen funds must be accessible to the Israeli public”
Limor Beker, Managing Director, Head of Hamilton Lane Israel, opened the firm's annual investor event, which featured a keynote address from BOI Governor Prof. Amir Yaron and a fireside chat with Hamilton Lane’s Co-CEO Juan Delgado Moreira and Executive Co-Chairman Mario Giannini. "We're big believers in Israeli entrepreneurs. Even during these difficult days we continue to invest in Israeli tech funds and companies."
"We are in the midst of a difficult and very painful period in Israel. Days in which Israel's economy is challenged," Limor Beker, Managing Director, Head of Hamilton Lane Israel, said in her opening remarks at Hamilton Lane’s annual investor event held Monday evening at Ma’arava at Kibbutz Gaash. "In a period when people are avoiding coming to Israel, Hamilton Lane senior management chose - despite the situation and despite the uncertainty - to be here today and strengthen the deep connection with Israel, with our investors, with the Israeli companies and foundations, and of course with our local team in Israel, which numbers 10 people. By the way, this is not the first time they have visited Israel since the start of the Gaza war, but they have come several times since in order to stand by us."
Beker stated that Hamilton Lane has been operating in Israel for almost 20 years. "I am very proud of the depth of cooperation with the investors who believed in us and invested in us or through us when the world of private markets was new to the State of Israel, and today hold investments that are in line with corresponding leading entities to them in the world, also with entrepreneurs of groundbreaking Israeli companies in their field that we have invested in alongside the best funds in Israel whose managers are present with us."
Beker then addressed the evening’s keynote speaker, Governor of the Bank of Israel, Prof. Amir Yaron, thanking him for "your leadership, your efforts to stabilize and steer the economic and financial ship of the State of Israel, which is in stormy seas, to say the least. Thank you for doing so courageously, professionally, with rich experience and above all with professional integrity."
According to Beker, Hamilton Lane has become the largest and leading company in the world for investments in the private markets with 900 billion dollars under management and supervision. "We doubled our assets within five years. We grew along with the growth of the private markets which grew for one reason - the retail markets outperformed the commercial markets in 22 out of the last 22 years." Beker stated that Hamilton Lane is today considered the largest allocator in the world for investments in the private markets.
Hamilton Lane began its operations in Israel 19 years ago, in 2005 immediately after the Bachar Reform which was very significant for the Israeli economy mainly because it opened the institutional market in Israel for investments in the world for the first time, through a strategic change in the structure of the pension market, both in deposits to it and in ownership of the investing bodies while creating competition that has made the pension market today a leader in world-class investments. "We have created a significant infrastructure that is a great gateway for Israeli investors and, through them, the Israeli public, to be exposed to the best funds and good and unique deals that until then were not accessible to the Israeli market," she explained.
According to her, those active in the Israeli institutional market, the heads of the insurance and pension companies, are proof that this path has been successful, that the avenue of investment in the private markets has become over the years a profitable investment with significant returns.
"I am happy to say that this is not just a small basket of alternative investment, but a significant and important integral part of the asset portfolio of institutional investors in Israel. I am very proud that alongside the strategic move we led to open the Israeli gateway to investments in the private markets in the world, Hamilton Lane led a large move of extremely significant investments in high-tech and in the Israeli industry."
Beker emphasized that Hamilton Lane has invested over a billion dollars in advanced technology companies, in unique Israeli startups, in smart Israeli industry. "We are big believers in Israeli entrepreneurs, in the ability of Israelis to create and innovate and lead the most advanced technological developments in the world, and therefore even these days, even under war, we continue to express confidence and invest in Israeli technology funds and companies."
"We have a clear commitment to continue and increase our investments in Israel. This is the time to increase positions in Israel, and to continue to be a world leader in this matter. This is how we will be considered a real investor - not just when the sun is shining."
Beker concluded her remarks by adding that Hamilton Lane is positioned as one of the three top players in the world in the field of Evergreen. “We believe that the huge investment revolution that is taking place these days in the private markets of the world and is reflected in the accelerated growth of Evergreen funds, must be accessible to the public in Israel. Hamilton Lane is putting a significant program at the fore in Israel today that will also meet the needs of private investors. Banks and family office managers will now be able to access the best investments of the private markets through the Evergreen funds we have established."
