Italian group Prelios' asset management arm is joining forces with London-based Secondcap to offer investors a secondary market transaction platform for the trading of fund interests in a move aimed at increasing liquidity in the private fund market.

Italian group Prelios' asset management arm is joining forces with London-based Secondcap to offer investors a secondary market transaction platform for the trading of fund interests in a move aimed at increasing liquidity in the private fund market.

As part of the agreement, unit holders in Prelios-managed funds will have access to Secondcap's network and services on a preferential basis, Prelios said in a statement.

Secondcap is an FCA-regulated company with a network of over 400 international investors. Secondcap’s private funds' secondaries platform, SecondaryNet, has seen over $1 bn of fund interests listed for sale since its launch in late 2011.

'We have developed an innovative partnership,' explained Paolo Scordino, CEO of Prelios SGR, 'which enables us to open a privileged channel for our clients, increasing the liquidity of their investments.'

For Secondcap, the partnership is beneficial as it gives it access to a major portfolio of real estate funds, with a value of about €3.7 bn, while helping to extend its offering.

'Liquidity issues represent one of the major problems of the private funds market,' added François Gamblin, CEO of Secondcap based in London. 'We provide sellers with a fully transparent but anonymous trading solution as well as immediate access to a global and diversified network of buyers.'