Valent Asset Management

What Valent Asset Management does

Valent Asset Management LLC is a Delaware-registered commodity trading advisor (CTA) and commodity pool operator (CPO) founded in 2019 by Jay Tatum and Terence Kooyker, headquartered in New York City. The firm operates through two affiliated entities: Valent Asset Management LLC (the CTA) and Valent Fund Management (the CPO), both registered with the CFTC and members of the NFA, and conducts fund operations under CFTC Regulation 4.7, limiting solicitation to Qualified Eligible Persons.

The firm's investment platform centers on commodity strategies with thematic exposure to the energy transition. Its core product targets metals — base, precious, rare earth, and minor metals — where the firm seeks to capture supply-demand imbalances driven by electrification and renewable infrastructure build-out. In 2024, the firm expanded into agriculture commodities with the launch of the Auxo Series, which trades softs, livestock, row crops, biofuels, natural gas, and weather derivatives. The team combines fundamental research (with senior analysts covering base metals from Brevan Howard, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, and UBS backgrounds) and quantitative methods supported by machine-learning and big-data analytics, and includes physical metals trading and procurement expertise via Head of Physical Metals Trading Donna Vareha-Walsh.

Valent generates revenue through standard hedge fund economics: management fees and performance allocations on assets under management across its funds, distributed exclusively to Qualified Eligible Persons (institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals) through a direct institutional sales model led by its investor relations team. Pricing terms are not publicly disclosed. The firm has 1-10 employees, with no external institutional funding or parent company identified, and operates as an independent, founder-owned entity.

Name

Valent Asset Management

Legal name

Valent Asset Management LLC

Website

https://valentassetmgmt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Valent Asset Management is a New York-based commodity hedge fund (CTA/CPO) founded in 2019, managing metals-focused strategies tied to the energy transition and an agriculture strategy (Auxo Series, 2024) for Qualified Eligible Persons and institutional investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commodity Hedge Fund Management

NAICS

Commodity Contracts Intermediation (523160), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)

akta.pro primary industry

Hedge Funds — Commodity Systematic/CTA (Managed Futures) (FSAHAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Natural Resources — Energy & Mineral Resources (FSAAAKAJ)

Keywords

• Commodity trading advisory
• Metals investment strategies
• Commodity pool operator
• Hedge fund management
• Energy transition investing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commodity Trading Advisory (CTA) Services: As a registered CTA and CPO, Valent Asset Management generates revenue through management fees and performance fees (carry) on funds under management. The firm manages commodity-focused investment strategies targeting the metals and energy sectors supporting the renewables transition.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Valent Asset Management is a commodity trading advisor (CTA) and affiliated commodity pool operator (CPO) that manages commodity-focused hedge fund strategies. The flagship focus is metals — base, precious, minor, and rare earth metals — targeting supply-demand imbalances created by the energy transition, complemented by the Auxo Series agriculture strategy (softs, livestock, row crops, biofuels, natural gas, weather derivatives) launched in 2024.

Product overview

Valent Asset Management operates as a commodity trading advisory firm offering a unified investment platform focused on the renewables revolution. The core offering includes Valent Asset Management (the main trading advisor) and Valent Fund Management (the commodity pool operator), both registered with the CFTC and NFA. The firm also manages the Auxo Series, an agriculture-focused strategy launched in 2024 trading softs, livestock, row crops, biofuels, nat gas and weather. The strategies are designed to provide uncorrelated exposure to vital sections of the supply chain across various market environments, with a focus on metals imbalances stemming from mine production poorly situated to respond to rising demand from the energy transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Valent Asset Management (CTA) CFTC-registered commodity trading advisor offering metals-focused investment strategies (base, precious, minor, and rare earth metals) targeting structural supply-demand imbalances from the energy transition, for Qualified Eligible Persons under CFTC Regulation 4.7.
• Valent Fund Management (VFM) CFTC-registered commodity pool operator (CPO) and CTA, also NFA member, that operates the pooled fund vehicles under CFTC Regulation 4.7 Exemption for Qualified Eligible Persons.
• Auxo Series Agriculture-focused commodity strategy trading softs, livestock, row crops, biofuels, natural gas, and weather derivatives, providing uncorrelated diversification beyond the metals-focused core offering.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Graham Capital Management: Discretionary and systematic commodity CTA; Valent CIO Auxo Neil Smaldon was previously a Commodity PM at Graham. Closely comparable as a multi-strategy commodity platform serving institutional LPs.
• Andurand Capital Management: Pierre Andurand-led commodity-focused hedge fund with deep energy and metals expertise. Highly comparable single-thesis commodity mandate targeting institutional investors.
• Vermillion Asset Management: Commodities-focused fund manager where Jay Tatum previously served as Portfolio Manager and launched the Aeris Metals Fund in 2014. Highly comparable metals-focused mandate and structure.
• Blenheim Capital Management: Commodity-focused multi-strategy hedge fund where Valent's two co-founders (Kooyker and Tatum) and several other team members previously built and ran metals strategies. Most directly comparable in mandate, culture, and investment approach.
• Tudor Investment Corporation: Multi-strategy hedge fund with a major commodities franchise; Neil Smaldon (CIO Auxo) and Arlette Umuhoza (Senior Analyst) are Tudor alumni. Directly comparable as a discretionary commodities allocator.
• Engelhart Commodities Trading Partners: Global commodity trading platform where Valent quantitative analyst Zheheng Shi previously worked as an agriculture analyst. Comparable in commodity coverage breadth and institutional LP focus.
• Astenbeck Capital Management: Commodity-focused hedge fund (founded by ex-Blenheim) specializing in energy and metals. Direct comparable as a discretionary commodity fund targeting institutional capital.

Broad incumbents

• Brevan Howard: Macro-focused hedge fund with a commodities franchise; base metals research analyst Ingrid Sternby is a Brevan Howard alumna. Comparable on commodities research capability, broader on overall strategy.
• Millennium Management: Large multi-strategy platform with a sizable commodities franchise employing many of Valent's alumni (Tatum, Smaldon, Shi). Comparable as a discretionary commodities allocator but vastly larger and broader in mandate.
• Marshall Wace: Multi-strategy hedge fund with a discretionary commodities franchise; Neil Smaldon joined Valent from Marshall Wace where he was Head of Discretionary Commodities. Overlapping commodity capability but broader mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Valent Asset Management