Syntrinsic
Syntrinsic is a Denver-based registered investment adviser providing OCIO, portfolio management, IPS development, and impact investing services primarily to U.S. endowments, foundations, and nonprofit organizations, with a minority of high-net-worth private clients. The firm operates within IMA Financial Group following 2023 acquisition and 2025 merger with IMA Advisory Services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Syntrinsic does
Syntrinsic is a Denver-based registered investment adviser founded in 2008 that provides Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) services, portfolio management, investment policy statement (IPS) development, capital markets forecasting, manager search and selection, and impact/values-aligned investing for institutional and private clients. Approximately 90% of the firm's Assets Under Advisement belong to endowments, foundations, and nonprofit organizations, with a stated 99% ten-year client retention rate and top-quartile (top 26%) ten-year performance versus a peer group of endowments and foundations under $500 million. The firm operates an OCIO model with three discretion levels (non-discretionary, partial discretionary, full discretionary), explicitly avoids proprietary investment products to preserve manager-selection objectivity, and relies on third-party custodians (Pershing, Fidelity, Schwab) for custody and trading.
The firm earns primarily asset-based advisory fees under a tiered schedule (up to 1.00% on the first $10M, descending to 0.25% above $100M), with hybrid and fixed-fee alternatives available. The team comprises two Co-Presidents (Akasha Absher and founder Ben Valore-Caplan), a Director of Investment Solutions, a Managing Director of Investor Relations, Senior Research Analysts, Research Analysts, Associate Consultants, and Relationship Managers. Syntrinsic was acquired by IMA Advisors LLC (a subsidiary of IMA Financial Group, Inc.) in 2023 and merged with affiliate IMA Advisory Services, Inc. in January 2025, while continuing to operate as an independent business unit on a combined regulatory AUM base of approximately $3.9 billion as of December 31, 2025. AI use is limited to third-party and internal tooling for research, data management, and operations with human oversight.
Syntrinsic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Syntrinsic
- Legal name
- IMA Advisory Services, Inc.
- Website
- https://syntrinsic.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Syntrinsic is a Denver-based registered investment adviser providing OCIO, portfolio management, IPS development, and impact investing services primarily to U.S. endowments, foundations, and nonprofit organizations, with a minority of high-net-worth private clients. The firm operates within IMA Financial Group following 2023 acquisition and 2025 merger with IMA Advisory Services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Syntrinsic industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investment Advisory Services (OCIO)
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG)
Keywords
Where Syntrinsic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Syntrinsic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Investment Advisory Fees: Fees charged for investment advisory services. Fee structure can be based on percentage of assets under advisement, a fixed amount, or a hybrid combining fixed and percentage-of-assets. The firm also offers Syntrinsic Community for an annual fixed fee depending on size and complexity of the client. Fees are generally paid quarterly or monthly in advance, based on market value of assets.
- Investment Management Services: Provides continuous investment advisory services including portfolio management, capital markets forecasting, manager selection, portfolio implementation, performance reporting, trading facilitation, and operational support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Quarterly | Tiered asset-based fees starting at up to 1.00% on first $10M, scaling down to up to 0.25% above $100M |
| Hybrid | Annual | Hybrid fee arrangements combining fixed fees with percentage of assets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Syntrinsic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Syntrinsic is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm providing Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) services and portfolio management to endowments, foundations, nonprofits, and high-net-worth private clients. Core offerings include Investment Policy Statement development, capital markets forecasting, manager search and selection, asset allocation strategy, portfolio implementation, performance reporting, and values-aligned/impact investing services, with assets custodied at third-party providers (Pershing, Fidelity, Schwab). The firm generally serves clients with a minimum of $15 million to invest, operating under three OCIO discretion levels: non-discretionary, partial discretionary, and full discretionary.
Product overview
Syntrinsic is an investment advisory firm that offers a unified platform of investment management services primarily serving foundations, endowments, nonprofits, and private clients. The core offering is OCIO (Outsourced Chief Investment Officer) services with three discretion levels (non-discretionary, partial discretionary, and full discretionary). This is supported by integrated modules including Portfolio Management, Investment Policy Statement services, Capital Markets Forecasting, Manager Search and Selection, Asset Allocation Strategy, Performance Reporting, and Operational Support. Add-on specialized services include Impact Investing (ESG and values-aligned investing), Stakeholder Education, Donor Engagement, and Financial Planning for private clients. The firm also provides specialized research publications including the annual Capital Markets Forecast and periodic commentaries on topics like specialty finance and private market fund structures.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) Services Bespoke OCIO offering provided to endowments, foundations, nonprofits, and private clients with portfolio design and implementation delivered at three discretion levels (non-discretionary, partial discretionary, full discretionary), including customized strategic asset allocation, manager selection, proprietary solutions (no proprietary investments), client-specific custody accounts, direct manager access, no liquidity limitations, and day-terminated OCIO exit.
- Investment Policy Statement (IPS) Services Investment Policy Statement review and development services for institutional clients, including IPS revision and construction, stakeholder surveys, and board approval guidance.
- Capital Markets Forecasting Annual long-term (ten-year) return forecasting of major asset classes using a building blocks method, plus near-term (less than three years) sentiment identifying potential return and risk factors, published as the annual Capital Markets Forecast and modeling supplements.
- Manager Search and Selection Third-party investment manager selection services covering traditional, alternative, and values-aligned managers, including due diligence, risk assessment, and ongoing monitoring of selected managers.
- Asset Allocation Strategy Portfolio development and asset allocation strategy services using efficient frontier modeling, Monte Carlo analysis, and other analytic tools to craft allocation blends aligned with client objectives.
- Impact Investing Services Values-aligned investing services helping clients reflect or reinforce personal values through investing, including ESG investing, gender-lens investing, and mission-related investments.
- Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning services for private clients covering current income, healthcare, emergencies, opportunities, and legacy planning for loved ones and community, provided alongside portfolio management.
- Tax and Legal Support Coordination with clients' trusted tax and legal advisors for day-to-day considerations and special situations including lifecycle events, delivered as a private-client service.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% client retention rate over ten-year period
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Syntrinsic
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Syntrinsic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability1 record
Feature1 record
Syntrinsic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Syntrinsic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Segal Marco Advisors: Segal Marco Advisors provides investment consulting and OCIO services for public funds, corporate plans, and nonprofit institutions, with overlapping institutional clientele and similar advisory offerings to Syntrinsic.
- Meketa Investment Group: Meketa is an investment consulting and OCIO firm that serves public funds, corporate plans, and endowments/foundations, comparable to Syntrinsic's institutional OCIO focus and manager research function.
- RVK, Inc. RVK is an institutional investment consulting firm offering OCIO and advisory services to pensions, endowments, and foundations, serving similar institutional clients with investment policy, manager search, and OCIO capabilities.
- CAPTRUST: CAPTRUST is an RIA providing investment advisory and OCIO services to institutional clients including foundations, endowments, and corporate retirement plans, comparable in its institutional OCIO proposition to Syntrinsic.
- Commonfund: Commonfund provides OCIO and investment management services specifically for nonprofits, foundations, and endowments, directly competing with Syntrinsic for the same institutional nonprofit client base.
- Cambridge Associates: Cambridge Associates is the most established OCIO and investment consulting firm serving endowments, foundations, and nonprofits globally, making it the closest large-scale analog to Syntrinsic's institutional OCIO offering.
- Marquette Associates: Marquette Associates is an investment consulting firm providing OCIO and asset allocation advice primarily to institutional clients including foundations and endowments, directly comparable in services and clientele to Syntrinsic.
Broad incumbents
- Aon (Investment Solutions): Aon's Investment Solutions segment includes OCIO and investment advisory for institutional clients, foundations, and endowments, comparable in OCIO functionality but as part of a global professional services conglomerate.
- Graystone Consulting (Morgan Stanley): Graystone Consulting, part of Morgan Stanley, delivers investment advisory and OCIO services to institutional clients including foundations and endowments, comparable in OCIO functionality though operating within a major wirehouse platform.
- Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH): BBH's Investor Services business offers investment management and OCIO for institutions, foundations, and HNW families, overlapping with Syntrinsic's institutional OCIO but operating at much larger scale as part of a private bank.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Syntrinsic social profiles
Digital presenceSyntrinsic compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Syntrinsic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Syntrinsic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Syntrinsic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Syntrinsic M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Syntrinsic
What does Syntrinsic do?
Syntrinsic is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm providing Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) services and portfolio management to endowments, foundations, nonprofits, and high-net-worth private clients. Core offerings include Investment Policy Statement development, capital markets forecasting, manager search and selection, asset allocation strategy, portfolio implementation, performance reporting, and values-aligned/impact investing services, with assets custodied at third-party providers (Pershing, Fidelity, Schwab). The firm generally serves clients with a minimum of $15 million to invest, operating under three OCIO discretion levels: non-discretionary, partial discretionary, and full discretionary.
Is Syntrinsic a public or private company?
Syntrinsic is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Syntrinsic founded?
Syntrinsic was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Syntrinsic based?
Syntrinsic is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Syntrinsic make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Investment Advisory Fees are the primary driver. The others are investment Management Services.
Who are Syntrinsic's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Segal Marco Advisors, Meketa Investment Group, RVK, Inc., CAPTRUST, Commonfund, Cambridge Associates and Marquette Associates. Broad incumbents are Aon (Investment Solutions), Graystone Consulting (Morgan Stanley) and Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH).
Does Syntrinsic have an API?
No public API is recorded for Syntrinsic.
What industry is Syntrinsic in?
Syntrinsic's product category is Investment Advisory Services (OCIO). Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAACAG, Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.