CAIS

What CAIS does

CAIS is a financial technology platform founded in 2009 by Matt Brown that provides independent wealth channels with structured access to alternative investments. The company operates a multi-tenant SaaS platform (CAIS Solutions) combined with a marketplace (CAIS Marketplace) that together support the pre-trade, trade, and post-trade lifecycle for alternative investments and structured notes. CAIS serves 2,000+ wealth management firms, 62,000+ independent financial advisors, and 8,300+ advisor teams, with approximately $7.5T in end-client assets at firms with access to the platform. The platform integrates with major TAMP/managed-account platforms (Envestnet, Orion, Vestmark, RedBlack) and custodians (BNY Mellon Pershing, Schwab Advisor Services, Addepar) and lists offerings from 70+ alternative asset managers and 10+ bank issuers.

The core product suite includes the CAIS Marketplace (turnkey alternatives menu with independent Mercer due diligence), CAIS Solutions (SaaS for operations automation with digital subscription documents, AML/KYC smart logic, and CAIS DocuSign), CAIS Capital Markets (structured notes distribution and lifecycle support), CAIS Custom Funds (branded single- or multi-manager fund structures), CAIS Compass (portfolio construction tool), CAIS IQ (an education platform with 175+ courses), CAISey (an AI-powered conversational assistant launched October 2025), and the Models Marketplace (with model portfolios from BlackRock, Carlyle, Franklin Templeton, and KKR). CAIS Advisors, a registered investment adviser launched December 2024, manages offerings including the CAIS Sports, Media and Entertainment Fund interval fund. In May 2026, CAIS integrated Anthropic's Claude as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server as part of an "Alts Engine" strategy to automate alts workflows.

CAIS generates revenue through four streams: (1) sales/transaction fees on alternative fund placements facilitated through the platform, (2) SaaS subscriptions for CAIS Solutions negotiated with home offices of broker-dealers, RIA aggregators, and bank/trust companies, (3) investment advisory and asset management fees through CAIS Advisors, and (4) capital markets distribution revenue on structured notes from major bank issuers. The go-to-market is sales-led via regional product specialists, supported by a large content and events program including the annual CAIS Summit (expected 1,200+ attendees in October 2026) and the CAIS Live nationwide roadshow. The company is privately held under the legal entity Capital Integration Systems LLC (Delaware), with subsidiaries including CAIS Capital LLC (FINRA/SIPC broker-dealer), CAIS Advisors LLC (SEC-registered investment adviser), and CAIS Insurance Solutions. The company is backed by Apollo Global Management, Motive Partners, Franklin Templeton, Reverence Capital Partners, Hamilton Lane, and Eldridge, with a disclosed valuation of over $1 billion as of January 2022.

Name

CAIS

Legal name

Capital Integration Systems LLC

Website

http://caisgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CAIS is a financial technology platform founded in 2009 that provides independent financial advisors and wealth management firms with marketplace access and SaaS tooling for alternative investments and structured notes, serving 62,000+ advisors across 2,000+ firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

WealthTech / Alternative Investment Platform

NAICS

Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150), Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) Marketplaces (FSAKAHAI)

Keywords

• Alternative investment platform
• Wealth management technology
• Structured notes platform
• Private markets access
• RIA software solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sales fees on alternative funds and strategies: CAIS and/or its affiliates are paid a fee for the sale of private funds and strategies facilitated through the platform, generating transaction-based revenue on alternative investment placements.
2. SaaS subscription (CAIS Solutions): Recurring software-as-a-service fees from RIAs and independent broker-dealers using CAIS Solutions to centralize and scale alternative investment operations across the pre-trade, trade, and post-trade lifecycle.
3. Investment advisory / asset management (CAIS Advisors): Fee-based investment advisory services offered through CAIS Advisors, LLC, a registered investment adviser managing products such as the CAIS Sports, Media and Entertainment Fund; advisory services include customized alternative investment solutions and model portfolios.
4. Capital Markets platform / structured notes: Revenue from capital markets activities through CAIS Capital Markets including distribution and lifecycle support for structured note products from major bank issuers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CAIS operates a multi-tenant SaaS platform (CAIS Solutions) combined with a marketplace (CAIS Marketplace) that powers pre-trade, trade, and post-trade workflows for alternative investments and structured notes. The platform serves more than 2,000 wealth management firms and 62,000+ independent financial advisors, providing free turnkey access to a curated menu of alternative investments from 70+ third-party asset managers and structured notes from 10+ bank issuers, backed by independent Mercer due diligence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAIS Marketplace: Turnkey alternatives menu providing financial advisors direct access to a broad selection of alternative investments.
• CAIS Capital Markets
• CAIS Solutions
• CAIS Custom Funds
• CAIS Compass
• CAIS IQ
• CAISey
• CAIS Advisors

Products and services

• CAIS Platform The unified CAIS platform that connects independent financial advisors with leading alternative asset managers, powering the pre-trade, trade, and post-trade lifecycle of alternative investments and capital market strategies. Serves over 2,000 wealth management firms and 62,000+ advisors.
• CAIS Marketplace A turnkey alternatives menu providing free, direct access to a broad selection of alternative investments, including private markets, hedge fund product menus, structured note offerings, educational materials, and Mercer due diligence reports.
• CAIS Solutions A software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering that enables RIAs and independent broker-dealers to centralize and scale all their alternative investment operations in one place, with features such as automated customer profiles, digitized documentation, AML/KYC smart logic, CAIS DocuSign, and integrations with custodians and reporting providers.
• CAIS Capital Markets Provides financial advisors access to market-linked investment solutions and technology support throughout the entire lifecycle of a structured investment, including access to bank issuer offerings and bespoke structured note strategies from 10+ major bank issuers.
• CAIS Custom Funds Helps firms build branded custom fund structures (single-manager or multi-manager) to preserve their existing edge in alternative investing and streamline their clients' investing experience.
• CAIS Compass A portfolio construction tool that helps advisors analyze the potential historical impact of alternative asset classes on their client portfolios and model potential allocations.
• CAISey An AI-enabled interactive tool that helps financial advisors accelerate discovery, analysis, and comparison of alternative funds by providing instant data-backed responses and consolidating fund information.
• CAIS Advisors A registered investment adviser (CAIS Advisors, LLC) offering customized alternative investment solutions, including the CAIS Sports, Media and Entertainment Fund, an interval fund targeting accredited investors with a $25,000 minimum and semi-annual liquidity.
• CAIS Sports, Media and Entertainment Fund An interval fund offering accredited investors exposure to over 30 sports franchises across all five major North American professional leagues as well as media and entertainment assets, with Arctos and Eldridge selected as core independent managers.
• Models Marketplace Model portfolios designed to help financial advisors address the complexities of alternatives in client portfolios, including offerings from BlackRock, Carlyle, Franklin Templeton, and KKR.
• CAIS Enterprise Solution An enterprise product to power alternative investments for TAMPs and managed account platforms, unifying alternative and traditional investment management across partner platforms including Envestnet, Orion, and Vestmark.
• CAIS IQ An interactive on-demand learning experience built for financial advisors to build confidence and alternative investing knowledge, featuring 175+ courses and 3,500+ CE credits earned by the user base.

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability8 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Eagle Point Credit ManagementcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 June 2026Joined the CAIS platform in June 2026, making the Eagle Point Enhanced Income Trust (Ticker: ENHIX) available to the network of 2,000+ wealth management firms and 62,000+ financial advisors.
• AnthropicflagshipTechnology or Integration · 19 May 2026Integrated Anthropic's Claude as a Model Context Protocol server within the CAIS platform, enabling advisors to query fund data, analyze performance, and surface portfolio insights inside their existing workflows. Forms part of CAIS's 'Alts Engine' strategy to automate alts workflows across partner platforms.
• CoatuecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 May 2026Joined the CAIS platform in May 2026 with its Coatue Innovative Strategies Fund (CTEK), a tender offer fund launched in 2025 with a $1 billion anchor commitment from Bezos Expeditions and DFO Management.
• RedBlackcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 May 2026Partnership to integrate CAIS' alternatives trading functionality into RedBlack's portfolio rebalancing engine, streamlining alternatives placements and portfolio management.
• REX SharescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026Partnership to launch the REX Autocallable Income ETF (Ticker: ATCL) with CAIS as core platform and marketing partner, RBC Capital Markets providing institutional structuring and hedge support, and Bloomberg Indices supplying the underlying index.
• ArctosflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2025Selected as core independent manager of the CAIS Sports, Media and Entertainment Fund, providing access to over 30 sports franchises across all five major North American professional leagues.
• Sound Point PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 4 December 2025Collaboration to broaden access to Sound Point's private credit solutions for financial advisors through the CAIS platform.
• LODAS MarketsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025Strategic partnership to develop a secondary marketplace for private funds. LODAS' trading technology will be integrated into the CAIS platform with launch expected in early 2026, contingent on regulatory approval. CAIS Group also has a separate white-labeling deal with LODAS.
• EnvestnetflagshipTechnology or Integration · 14 October 2025Enterprise technology agreement enabling CAIS to power alternative investments across the Envestnet platform, unifying alternative and traditional investment management for advisors.
• OrionflagshipTechnology or Integration · 14 October 2025Enterprise technology agreement (originally March 2024) expanding to power alternative investments across the Orion platform, unifying alts and traditional investment management.
• VestmarkflagshipTechnology or Integration · 14 October 2025Enterprise technology agreement enabling CAIS to power alternative investments across the Vestmark platform.
• Schwab Advisor ServicesflagshipTechnology or Integration · 9 October 2025Expanded relationship to streamline independent advisor execution for ticker-traded alternative investments on the CAIS platform.
• SolactivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2025Partnership to launch a first-of-its-kind private credit BDC index.
• J.P. Morgan Asset ManagementflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 December 2024Partnership to expand advisor access to alternatives through the CAIS platform.
• BNY Mellon PershingflagshipTechnology or Integration · 30 November 2023Collaboration providing advisors access to a large selection of alts funds with no custody or transaction fees, with expanded integrations and new features unveiled in June 2022 and November 2023.
• MercerflagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndependent third-party due diligence partner — all funds listed on the CAIS Marketplace undergo an independent review by Mercer. Mercer is not an owner or shareholder of CAIS and has co-produced the annual CAIS–Mercer State of Alts Survey.
• Bank of AmericaflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBank issuer providing structured note access through CAIS Capital Markets.
• JPMorgan Chase & Co.flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBank issuer providing structured note access through CAIS Capital Markets.
• Goldman SachsflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBank issuer providing structured note access through CAIS Capital Markets; also a speaker at the 2026 CAIS Summit.
• Morgan StanleyflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBank issuer providing structured note access through CAIS Capital Markets.
• UBSflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBank issuer providing structured note access through CAIS Capital Markets.
• BNP ParibasflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBank issuer providing structured note access through CAIS Capital Markets.
• CitiflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBank issuer providing structured note access through CAIS Capital Markets.
• RBC Capital MarketsflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBank issuer providing structured note access through CAIS Capital Markets; co-partner on the REX Autocallable Income ETF.
• BMOflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBank issuer providing structured note access through CAIS Capital Markets.
• BarclaysflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBank issuer providing structured note access through CAIS Capital Markets.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• iCapital: iCapital is the leading marketplace-plus-platform for alternative investments serving independent advisors and home offices, with its own network of asset managers and structured solutions. CAIS explicitly benchmarks against iCapital in its value proposition, and both compete for the same RIA and broker-dealer customers.
• SUBSCRIBE: SUBSCRIBE is a pure-play SaaS platform for alternative-investment operations targeting RIAs and broker-dealers. CAIS positions itself against SUBSCRIBE by offering a combined marketplace + SaaS + AUM-linked fee model, addressing the same operational pain points in alts workflows.

Emerging players

• Yieldstreet: Yieldstreet provides access to alternative investments (private credit, real estate, structured notes) to accredited individual investors and advisors. It overlaps with CAIS' structured-note and private-credit offerings but skews more toward retail-sourced capital rather than institutional advisor distribution.
• Alto (formerly AltoIRA): Alto operates a platform for investing IRA and taxable assets in alternative investments, partnering with asset managers and serving individual investors and advisors. It addresses similar operational complexity in alts subscriptions and reporting, though its product scope is narrower than CAIS.

Regional players

• Moonfare: Moonfare offers semi-liquid private equity, private debt and venture funds to wealth investors and advisors, primarily in Europe. It is comparable in product mix to CAIS' CAIS Marketplace and CAIS Advisors offerings, but operates in a different geography with different regulatory regime.

Broad incumbents

• Addepar: Addepar is a wealth-management technology platform serving RIAs, family offices and private banks with portfolio reporting, analytics and data aggregation. CAIS integrates with Addepar for transaction reporting, and the two compete for the technology wallet of large independent advisors.
• Orion: Orion provides portfolio accounting, rebalancing and performance reporting software to RIAs and broker-dealers. CAIS has an enterprise technology agreement embedding alts into Orion, but Orion's broader wealthtech stack overlaps with CAIS Solutions at the operations layer.
• Envestnet: Envestnet operates the Tamarac and Envestnet Wealth platforms powering UMA, TAMP and financial-planning workflows for advisors. CAIS Enterprise Technology is embedded in Envestnet, but Envestnet is a broader incumbent whose platform competes for the same operations and rebalancing spend.
• Vestmark: Vestmark provides wealth management operations, rebalancing and managed-account technology for advisors and TAMPs. CAIS integrates alts into Vestmark, but Vestmark's broader platform competes for the operations budget that CAIS Solutions targets at broker-dealers and RIAs.

Others

• Mercer Investments: Mercer provides independent investment due diligence and consulting to institutional and wealth clients. It is CAIS' third-party due diligence partner on the Marketplace and a co-publisher of the annual State of Alts survey, making it a strategic ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CAISgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/caisgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cais

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds12 records

Investors15 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CAIS