Brett Johnson

As geopolitical tensions continue to rise, and opportunities to commit to GP strategies involving defense with it, investors are finding paths to investment with few ESG barriers, LPs said at NEXUS 2026.

Joined by global peers, Mike Lazorik of Texas TRS tells delegates at PEI Group's NEXUS 2026 event that LP-GP alignment ‘has never been more complicated.’

Leader at Brown Advisory, which manages $12bn in assets for endowments and foundations, says LPs are anxious about a concentration of AI exposure in public markets and are leaning more heavily into venture this year to diversify high-growth assets.

California system with about $600bn had a streak of co-investments underperforming funds in most periods over several decades, according to PE head Anton Orlich.

Several US endowments undergoing a venture program ramp-up are enjoying flexibility, access and the potential for a market turnaround.

Key takeaways from our annual survey tracking investor sentiment towards private equity and the wider private funds industry.

The commitments serve as the latest examples of a more venture-focused overhaul of private equity strategy at the $589bn system.

Despite moderating deployment pace after a flurry of commitments during the peak covid years, $35bn pension still has interest piqued by venture in a constrained market.

California pension expects distribution uptick in $8.7bn portfolio and potential rebound in PE and VC fundraising in 2026.

The sovereign fund recently committed $690m to seven venture funds as part of its effort to bolster exposure to private assets following several years of record cash inflows from oil revenues.