The investment fund management company 1 Asset Management, currently managing funds with a net asset value exceeding EUR 400 million, has acquired a management company in Luxembourg. This marks a new stage in the group’s expansion beyond the Baltic States and Eastern European region, aiming to attract a geographically broader base of investors and partners, offer more flexible fund structures, open new opportunities to invest in assets in various global markets, and provide fund management and related services in Luxembourg.
At this stage, 1 Asset Management is pursuing a strategic goal – to provide investors with access to projects in markets such as Canada, the USA, and Southern Europe, with Luxembourg becoming a key hub in the architecture of this expansion.
“This is an important development step – we are moving from being a regional manager to becoming an international platform. We see that our investors want access to projects that generate returns in global markets, so it is logical to grow where their expectations meet our expertise,” says Alius Jakubėlis, CEO of 1 Asset Management.
The choice of jurisdiction is no coincidence – Luxembourg is one of the strongest collective investment markets in the world, with assets under management exceeding EUR 5.8 trillion. The country has a high-level legal and regulatory environment designed for the management of various types of funds. Luxembourg’s fund documentation and legal structures are widely accepted among institutional investors in different jurisdictions. For certain types of funds, no prior regulatory approval is required, ensuring faster time to market. All of this simplifies access to international distribution channels and partner networks.
“In Luxembourg, we can create and manage structurally flexible investment structures with high operational reliability, enabling investors to reasonably expect a high level of investment protection, while allowing us to offer new and sustainable investment and management solutions,” comments Evaldas Skikas, Partner and Head of Business Development at the company in Luxembourg, who will join the team in September.
1 Asset Management in Luxembourg will also provide management, regulatory, and advisory services, including hosted pre-marketing, to licensed alternative investment fund managers from Europe and third countries planning to establish a fund in Luxembourg.
“Our ambition is to grow together with our investors. When their needs change, our geography, structures, and competencies must naturally evolve. That is why today’s expansion is not the final stop, but a new stage on our journey,” says Jakubėlis.
The newly acquired management company strengthening this expansion previously belonged to the U.S. firm Bridge Investment Group, which manages over USD 50 billion in assets and was acquired earlier this year by Apollo Global Management.
1 Asset Management in Luxembourg began its operations with the addition of three Bridge Investment Group professionals, who bring significant experience in fund management across different areas. This structure and operating model enable flexibility, quick decision-making, and the ability to provide individual attention to each project and client. The company aims to collaborate with smaller regional fund managers seeking more efficient fund management infrastructure tailored to their scale of operations.
“In our view, global operations do not mean detachment from our roots. On the contrary, it is a way to extend what we have already tested and successfully applied in Lithuania into new markets. This requires courage, but also a very concrete action plan – and we have it,” emphasizes Jakubėlis.