BMO Georgian Alignment II Access Fund LP
A vehicle designed exclusively for Canadian accredited investors to access the Georgian Alignment Fund II, LP (“Alignment Fund II”)
A world of private investing through alternative investments
Alternatives include virtually everything that isn’t publicly traded stocks and bonds—ownership in private companies, infrastructure, and so on. Compared to portfolios with only public market holdings, a portfolio with alternatives may give investors a better chance to both grow their wealth and reduce risk1
BMO GAM’s alternative investment solutions feature products of a quality typically reserved for institutional investors, but with lower minimum investment amounts and less complexity. Bottom line: we’ve cut the red tape and lowered the velvet rope, giving access to this exclusive world to a much wider array of investors.
Our goal is to give investors tools they can use in a well-constructed portfolio to increase income, increase performance consistency, and grow wealth. It’s just that simple.
About Georgian
Founded in 2008, Georgian applies cutting-edge technology to the business of investing – including automated sourcing of candidates to invest in and digital communities to collaborate and share great ideas. Their technology-driven approach includes a dedicated R&D team that helps create business solutions to generate high return on investment (“ROI”) for portfolio companies.
As of September 30, 2022, Georgian has raised US$4.2B in funding across 67 investments. Georgian thrives through diversity (48% of staff are women, 52% underrepresented groups) and has been recognized as #2 on the list of Great Places to Work in Canada with under 100 employees.
View Georgian’s website here, which includes details on their team, approach, and investments
Alignment Fund II Strategy
Alignment Fund II takes a growth equity approach to investing in technology, with concentrated investments in software companies with established market demand, significant growth prospects and are on track to profitability.
Accessible format
Investing directly in Alignment Fund II requires a US$10MM buy-in— however, the Access Fund has a minimum purchase amount of US$50,000 for Canadian accredited investors.
Sourcing edge
The Alignment Fund II aims to invest in 6-8 companies exclusively curated from earlier stage funds managed by Georgian, providing conviction assessing value and forecasting performance. These companies cannot be accessed via public stock or bond markets.
Process
Alignment Fund II portfolio companies benefit from Georgian’s innovative approach to improving outcomes, with >50% of staff focused on value-add.
Meet the team
Jeffrey Shell
Jeff joined BMO Global Asset Management in August of 2021 from BMO Capital Markets, where he served as head of Global Financial Institutions, with responsibilities that included serving Asset and Wealth managers. Previous to this, Jeff had a number of leadership roles at BMO including heading Trade Finance, Treasury & Payments Solutions and Asia Corporate Banking, in addition to serving as an advisor in Corporate Strategy. Prior to BMO, Jeff worked as a strategy consultant, as a university researcher and as an entrepreneur. He has authored a number of patents related to advanced technology interface design. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Queen’s University and an MBA from Cornell University.
Lillian Ferndriger, CAIA
Lillian joined BMO Global Asset Management having spent the last 15 years in wealth management at various firms in sales, sales management and National Accounts. Her most recent experience was with a Canadian alternatives manager to help educate and foster a passion for alternatives investing. Lillian has deep experience and demonstrated success in the Canadian alternatives space and is a member of the AIMA Canada Executive Committee.
Alexander Singh
Alex is in a leadership role focused on alternatives partnerships and merchant banking activities across BMO Wealth and BMO Global Asset Management. Alex’s career has spanned alternatives and impact investing, including many years building and scaling independent alternatives asset managers and merchant banks including Acasta and West Face Capital. He was also an investment banker, and began his career as a banking/bankruptcy and securities/M&A lawyer at BLG LLP. He holds a BComm from McGill University, and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Dalhousie University.
Iain Munro, MBA, B.Sc.
Iain Munro serves as Head of Private Equity, North America at BMO Global Asset Management (“BMO GAM”). Iain has more than 25 years of experience delivering advice and solutions to private equity groups and middle market companies throughout Canada and the U.S. as a principal investor and investment banker. Iain’s disciplined approach to investing has been developed through his experience operating within leading Canadian financial institutions with strong risk management cultures and stringent regulatory and compliance requirements. Iain joined BMO GAM’s Private Equity team in 2018 to expand its platform to North America. Prior to joining BMO, Iain held various senior leadership roles at two Canadian financial institutions, including Managing Director & Head of North American Private Equity Coverage. In this position, Iain led high performing teams based in Chicago, Charlotte and Toronto providing junior capital solutions to Canadian and U.S. private equity groups, primary fund investments and equity co-investments. Iain is active in the community. He is a member of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, a past-member of the Association for Corporate Growth and is a current and past member of the Board of Directors and Advisory Committees of several private companies. Iain earned an MBA from the University of Toronto and a B.Sc. from the University of Western Ontario.
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Disclosures
All values in this document are in US$ unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, except as otherwise indicated, information herein regarding Georgian is as of September 30, 2022.
By accepting receipt of this document and reviewing the content set forth herein, you acknowledge having read and agreeing with the BMO Asset Management Inc. (“BMO AM”) as to the following terms.
The information set forth herein was gathered from various sources which BMO AM believes but has not independently verified and does not guarantee, to be accurate. In particular, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all information about Georgian, its funds (including the Alignment Fund II) and its portfolio companies was gathered from Georgian and BMO AM has not been independently verified and does not guarantee that such information is accurate.
The link to Georgian’s website is provided for convenience only. BMO AM is not responsible for and is not making any representations, guarantees or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the information contained on such website, and disclaims any liability in connection with such information.
The attached material is provided to you on the understanding that you will understand and accept its inherent limitations, you will not rely on it in making or recommending any investment decision with respect to any securities that may be issued, and you will use it only for the purpose of considering your preliminary interest in investing in a transaction of the type described herein. An investment in the Access Fund described hereby is speculative and involves a high degree of risk. A subscription for Units should be considered only by persons financially able to maintain their investment and who can bear the risk of loss associated with an investment in the Access Fund. Prospective investors should consult with their own independent professional legal, tax, investment and financial advisors before purchasing units of the Access Fund in order to determine the appropriateness of this investment in relation to their financial and investment objectives and in relation to the tax consequences of any such investment. Prospective investors should consider the risks described in the confidential offering memorandum (the “Offering Memorandum”) of the Access Fund before purchasing units of the Access Fund. Any or all of these risks, or other as yet unidentified risks, may have a material adverse effect on the Access Fund’s business, and/or the return to the investors.
Investments in the Access Fund described herein have not and will not be recommended or approved by any federal, provincial or state securities commission or regulatory authority. The foregoing authorities have not passed upon the accuracy or determined the adequacy of this summary. The information contained herein is intended solely for “accredited investors” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such offer or solicitation shall be made only pursuant to the Access Fund’s Offering Memorandum or similar document, which qualifies in its entirety the information set forth herein and contains a description of the risks of investing. The attached material is also qualified by reference to any limited partnership agreement or similar document and subscription agreement relating to the contemplated Access Fund. All of these other documents relating to the contemplated Access Fund should be reviewed carefully prior to making an investment.
An investment in the Access Fund by a subscriber for Units is not an investment in the Alignment Fund II, and a limited partner of the Access Fund (each, a “Limited Partner”) will have no contractual relationship with, no direct interest in (and therefore no voting rights and informational rights, other than as may be determined by the general partner of the Access Fund and in accordance with the Access Fund’s limited partnership agreement), no entitlement to, or direct recourse against, the Alignment Fund II. Georgian is not responsible for and is not making any representations, guarantees or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the information contained herein. For the avoidance of doubt, Georgian is not marketing, offering, soliciting, inviting or recommending the sale of the units or any other securities of the Access Fund. The offering of units of the Access Fund does not constitute and should not be considered an offering of units or other securities or interests in the Alignment Fund II. Potential Limited Partners of the Access Fund should note that neither Georgian nor any of its affiliates is a sponsor, promoter, manager or agent of the Access Fund. Although Limited Partners of the Access Fund will obtain indirect exposure to the Alignment Fund II through any investment by the Access Fund in the Alignment Fund II, Limited Partners of the Access Fund will not become limited partners of the Alignment Fund II as a result of an investment by the Access Fund in the Alignment Fund II.
Georgian is not responsible for and is not making any representations, guarantees or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the information contained herein, and disclaims any liability in connection with this information and any investment made in the Access Fund. For the avoidance of doubt, Georgian is not marketing, offering, soliciting, inviting or recommending any sale of any securities, financial instruments, investments or other services, including any securities of the Access Fund or any investment fund or other entity managed or advised, directly or indirectly, by either Georgian or any of its affiliates or BMO or any of its affiliates. Potential Limited Partners of the Access Fund should note that neither Georgian nor any of its affiliates is a sponsor, promoter, manager or agent of the Access Fund. Although Limited Partners of the Access Fund will obtain indirect exposure to the Georgian Alignment Fund II through any investment by the Access Fund in the Georgian Alignment Fund II, Limited Partners of the Access Fund will not become limited partners of the Georgian Alignment Fund II as a result of an investment by the Access Fund in the Georgian Alignment Fund II.
References to follow-on funding or financing may include both primary and secondary share purchase transactions from shareholders of portfolio companies of Alignment Fund II and/or Georgian Growth Funds currently invested in such portfolio companies, and in certain circumstances could include purchases of shares of such companies from existing Georgian Growth Funds.
BMO AM has been engaged to act as placement agent for sale of interests in the Access Fund. BMO AM will be paid a placement fee by the Access Fund of an annual amount equal to 0.50% of its net invested capital invested in Alignment Fund II (“Placement Fee”), for acting as placement agent in connection with BMO Global Asset Management’s placement of interests in the Access Fund. The Alignment Fund II’s management fee charged to the Access Fund will be reduced dollar-for-dollar by the amount of the Placement Fee. As a result of that management fee reduction the Georgian manager of Alignment Fund II, and not the Access Fund, will bear the economic burden of Placement Fees. In addition, and separate from the Placement Fee, the Access Fund charges an annual management fee of 0.25% of committed capital plus 0.25% of its net invested capital invested in Alignment Fund II.
BMO Global Asset Management is a brand name under which BMO AM and BMO Investments Inc. operate. Certain of the products and services offered under the brand name, BMO Global Asset Management, are designed specifically for various categories of investors in Canada and may not be available to all investors. Products and services are only offered to investors in Canada in accordance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
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