US-headquartered private market investment firm Hamilton Lane, which has $1 trillion in assets under management, has released its 2026 Global Private Wealth Survey, showing that private wealth investors are positive about private market investments in 2026.
With a number of investment managers optimistic about private
markets in 2026, a new survey by Hamilton Lane reveals
that private wealth investors plan to increase allocations to
private market investments in 2026.
The survey, conducted in partnership with Wakefield Research
between 23 October and 4 November 2025, covered 390 financial
advisors, private wealth firms, family offices across the
Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
The survey found that 86 per cent of private wealth professionals
plan to increase private market investments this year, with
portfolio optimisation being the top motivator. Currently, 97 per
cent of private wealth professionals surveyed allocate between 1
per cent and 20 per cent of their book of business to private
markets, with the majority expecting those allocations to
grow in 2026. Within this allocation, respondents reported an
even spread across private markets strategies, with private
equity at 19 per cent, private real estate at 18 per cent,
private credit at 16 per cent, venture capital and growth at
16 per cent and private infrastructure at 15 per cent.
In terms of what drives client interest, advisors ranked
performance and diversification as the top reasons for investing
in private markets.
Despite common misconceptions, the survey findings show that most
private wealth clients do not see private markets as riskier than
public markets. In fact, 83 per cent of respondents view private
market risk/reward as similar, or view the reward as higher
compared with public markets, reinforcing confidence in
these strategies.
Venture Capital
While respondents’ allocations are currently fairly evenly spread
across strategies, venture capital and growth emerged as a
favourite among respondents for 2026, with 47 per cent planning
to increase allocations to this strategy. Furthermore, when asked
which strategies resonate most with new, highly-engaged
investors, more than half pointed to venture capital
and growth, the firm said.
Education is also continuing to be important, with 81 per
cent of wealth professionals reporting that client education
significantly boosts interest in private markets, underscoring
the importance of addressing knowledge gaps, particularly at the
product level. Entry points into private markets tend to start
with private equity and venture capital and growth.
Forty-six per cent of respondents named infrastructure as the
strategy which they planned to increase allocation to in 2026,
just behind venture capital and growth at 47 per cent.
“The survey results point to the increasingly important role
private markets play within wealth management portfolios, due to
the portfolio optimisation and diversification benefits these
investments can provide,” James Martin, head of global client
solutions at Hamilton Lane, said. “Across our own client base and
in the survey results, we see investors and their wealth advisors
becoming more sophisticated around assessing risk/reward
tradeoffs and recognising the strong link between education and
interest in the asset class.”
After what has been a tough time for private equity in 2022 and
2023, a number of investment managers are positive about private
markets in 2026. California-based investment manager Franklin
Templeton, for instance, sees attractive opportunities within
private markets globally in 2026. UK-based Aberdeen
Investments also thinks that private markets stand out as a
cornerstone for resilient portfolios in 2026. See more
here,
here and
here.
