The SPV Fraud Wave Should Scare You More Than the Headlines Do
    Venture Capital

    The SPV Fraud Wave Should Scare You More Than the Headlines Do

    On August 10, 2026, the SEC sued Adit Ventures Management, founder Eric Munson, and three affiliated general partners, alleging the firm told an investor it already owned 32,000 shares of Klarna stock

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
    Mega Rounds Are Back: What the Late-2026 Form D Wave Signals for Retail Access
    Market Analysis

    Mega Rounds Are Back: What the Late-2026 Form D Wave Signals for Retail Access

    In a single week ending August 31, 2026, four private-capital transactions collectively moved more than $9.

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··11 min read
    Socure's $5.2 Billion Growth Round: What the Summit Partners Deal Structure Signals for Late-Stage Private Investors
    Venture Capital

    Socure's $5.2 Billion Growth Round: What the Summit Partners Deal Structure Signals for Late-Stage Private Investors

    TL;DR: Socure, the identity and fraud-decisioning company behind RiskOS, just told the market it is worth $5.2 billion in a growth round led by Summit Partners, with Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Wells...

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
    When the Same Investors Keep Setting the Price: A Warning on Rapid Private Valuation Step-Ups
    Market Analysis

    When the Same Investors Keep Setting the Price: A Warning on Rapid Private Valuation Step-Ups

    The Short Version: Three deals from August 2026 share the same structure: a late-stage private company or fund takes on a massive follow-on raise weeks or months after a prior round, at a sharply...

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··12 min read
    StepStone Closes $1.7 Billion Infrastructure Secondaries Fund and What It Tells Accredited Investors About Private Markets
    Alternative Investments

    StepStone Closes $1.7 Billion Infrastructure Secondaries Fund and What It Tells Accredited Investors About Private Markets

    On August 26, 2026, StepStone Group (Nasdaq: STEP) announced the final close of its StepStone Secondaries Infrastructure Fund (SSIF) at $1.7 billion in total capital commitments, making it the...

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··12 min read
    CrowdStreet's iCapital Talent Raid: Can New Leadership Outrun a $63 Million Fraud Scandal?
    Capital Raising

    CrowdStreet's iCapital Talent Raid: Can New Leadership Outrun a $63 Million Fraud Scandal?

    CrowdStreet just hired Chris Piazza, the former iCapital CTO who helped build a platform now processing over $200 billion in alternative-asset AUM, and Lindsay Obenhaus, a product leader with stints a

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
    Why “We’re Different” Is the Weakest Line in Private Markets.
    Venture Capital

    Why “We’re Different” Is the Weakest Line in Private Markets.

    Why “We’re Different” Is the Weakest Line in Private Markets. In my experience, every allocator in private markets has heard some version of the line. We’re different. No kidding. Every manager is dif

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··8 min read
    CrowdStreet Adds Neuberger Berman: Trust Rebuild or Borrowed Credibility?
    Capital Raising

    CrowdStreet Adds Neuberger Berman: Trust Rebuild or Borrowed Credibility?

    TL;DR: CrowdStreet added the Neuberger Berman Private Markets Access Fund to its platform on August 12, 2026, its seventh institutional fund alongside two Nuveen strategies already live. Neuberger Ber

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
    CIP's $3 Billion Growth Markets Fund II: Infrastructure Investing for Accredited Investors
    Alternative Investments

    CIP's $3 Billion Growth Markets Fund II: Infrastructure Investing for Accredited Investors

    TL;DR: Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners just closed its second Growth Markets Fund at roughly $3 billion, nearly tripling the size of its 2019 predecessor, and it has already put $1.6 billion to wor

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
    Morgan Stanley Drops the Accreditation Gate on PMAX: What 'Daily Subscriptions' Really Means
    Regulatory & Compliance

    Morgan Stanley Drops the Accreditation Gate on PMAX: What 'Daily Subscriptions' Really Means

    Morgan Stanley opened PMAX - Balanced to non-accredited investors at $10K. Here's the '40 Act structure behind it and why 'daily subscriptions' isn't daily liquidity.

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
    Investment investment insights — Inside the $500B Infrastructure Boom: How to Access Private Infrastructure Deals
    Capital Raising

    Inside the $500B Infrastructure Boom: How to Access Private Infrastructure Deals

    Global infrastructure investment is expected to exceed $500 billion in private capital deployment by 2027. Here's how sophisticated investors can access deals that were once reserved for sovereign wealth funds and pension giants.

    AIN Editorial Team··6 min read