Addepar has experienced exponential growth with global institutional asset owners and private fund managers (GPs). This growth has spurred new partnerships with companies like Bipsync that allow us to meet clients where they are in their technology goals and usage, especially as it pertains to enhancing the efficiency and decision-making accuracy of investment teams.

Nick Long, head of institutional sales at Addepar, and John Hans, SVP of sales and partnerships at Bipsync, recently sat down for a conversation on Bipsync’s The Basis Points webcast. They discussed how the partnership between the two companies is helping both institutional allocators and fund managers effectively integrate their research and portfolio data in a complex investment environment.

Here are the key takeaways from our conversation.

1. Increased investment complexity requires integrated tech solutions

Both speakers addressed the rapid growth of investment and research data in multi-asset portfolios, and how the sheer volume of alternatives data particularly — often siloed in PDFs, emails and more — creates significant challenges for investors. Traditional systems and manual processes are insufficient to handle this complexity, leading to a demand for advanced technology platforms that can centralize and normalize diverse datasets.

2. Breaking down data silos is crucial for efficiency and speed

A recurring theme in the conversation was the negative impact of disconnected qualitative research and quantitative portfolio data. This fragmentation isn't just an inconvenience, it leads to outdated information, underutilization of valuable proprietary research, and ultimately, incomplete analysis and insights.

By integrating systems, firms can achieve a single source of truth for their data, improve decision quality, enhance cross-team collaboration and manage risk. Complexity for institutional investors isn't just about collecting all the data points — it's about being truly confident in data interpretation in order to make informed investment decisions faster.

“We see with our institutional clients that they're seeking cutting-edge partnerships and functionality from their tech partners, very granular configurability of data and the ability to quickly adopt what's coming next as technology advances.”

Nick Long, Addepar

3. Best-in-class or all-in-one, trusted data has to be the foundation

The conversation highlighted that firms don't necessarily have to choose between an "all-in-one" or "best-in-class" approach. Instead, successful firms are strategically partnering with specialized platforms like Addepar (for core capabilities like portfolio management) and Bipsync (for research management) to get the best of both worlds. Addepar is also able to provide that all-in-one service across data management, which a lot of institutional investors require. This balance of flexibility and cohesion allows for maximum innovation and specialized capabilities.

“If you go to an all-in-one, you lose depth and expertise. Just as importantly, if you go to a best-of-breed without a plan for how these systems are actually going to coexist, that leads down a path that is going to be hard to unwind. The sweet spot is understanding what each system does best, what it provides to the organization, and knowing that these systems do need to speak to each other seamlessly in order to get the best of both worlds.”

John Hans, Bipsync

4. Strategic alignment is key to adopting new technologies

Even with the right tools, successful integration and cross-functional collaboration depend on a disciplined approach to implementation. This includes proper resourcing, project planning, training and committing to organizational standards. Furthermore, aligning teams around common objectives, e.g., operational excellence or investment returns, and having clear firm-wide governance ensures the tech and data structure deliver effective collaboration and unified measures of success.

“It's a matter of these technology systems enabling cross-team access and contribution to up-to-date information. Thinking of the totality of an investment lifecycle, whether it's deal diligence and tracking, portfolio monitoring, risk measurement, trading, compliance reporting, whatever it is, a strong infrastructure allows you to weave all those things together. And if you're weaving every relevant workflow together across teams, then you're capable of removing duplicate work, miscommunication or any other inefficiencies.”

Nick Long, Addepar

Watch the full episode of The Basis Points webcast on demand here. Or connect with a member of our institutions team at institutions-info@addepar.com.