SL Advisors
SL Advisors, LLC is a five-person SEC-registered investment adviser based in New Jersey that manages North American midstream energy infrastructure strategies through SMAs, the Catalyst MLP fund, and the Pacer USAI ETF built on its proprietary American Energy Independence Index.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersWestfield, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SL Advisors does
SL Advisors, LLC is a privately held SEC Registered Investment Adviser founded in 2009 by Simon Lack in Westfield, New Jersey. The firm specializes exclusively in North American midstream energy infrastructure, offering investors exposure to U.S. crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids pipeline, processing, and storage businesses through three product wrappers: a separately managed account (SMA) program for individuals, family offices, and institutions; the Catalyst MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund (MLXIX), a RIC-compliant mutual fund sub-advised with Catalyst Funds; and the Pacer American Energy Infrastructure ETF (USAI), which tracks the proprietary American Energy Independence Index co-created by team member Henry Hoffman. Assets for the SMA program are custodied at Charles Schwab.
The firm's revenue model is management- and licensing-fee based on AUM flowing through these wrappers, with sub-advisory economics on the mutual fund and index-licensing economics on the ETF. Distribution is delivered entirely through channel partners — Pacer ETFs for the ETF, Catalyst Funds for the mutual fund, and Charles Schwab for SMA custody — rather than through proprietary distribution. Beyond its investment products, the firm operates an unusually deep content marketing operation for its size, publishing a twice-weekly blog, a monthly podcast, video webinars, and a newsletter archive since 2011, supplemented by recurring media appearances in outlets such as Kiplinger, the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Bloomberg, and Fox Business.
The firm operates with a deliberately lean team of five: Managing Partner Simon Lack (former JPMorgan 23-year veteran and author of three investment books), Partner/PM Henry Hoffman, a trading specialist, a business development hire, and an administrative hire. The thesis underlying the products is that U.S. midstream energy infrastructure offers predictable cash flows to investors as domestic natural gas demand grows to supply data centers and LNG exports.
SL Advisors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SL Advisors
- Legal name
- SL Advisors, LLC
- Website
- https://sl-advisors.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SL Advisors, LLC is a five-person SEC-registered investment adviser based in New Jersey that manages North American midstream energy infrastructure strategies through SMAs, the Catalyst MLP fund, and the Pacer USAI ETF built on its proprietary American Energy Independence Index.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SL Advisors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Midstream Energy Infrastructure Asset Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Investment Management Advisory (RIA) (FSAEAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialized/Niche-Vertical RIAs (e.g., Medical, Tech, Executives, Athletes) (FSAAACAL), Portfolio Management–Led RIAs (Discretionary/Model-Based) (FSAAACAC)
Keywords
Where SL Advisors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Westfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SL Advisors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Management Fees: SL Advisors generates revenue through management fees charged on separately managed accounts, the Catalyst Energy Infrastructure Fund (MLXIX) mutual fund, and the American Energy Independence Index tracked by the Pacer ETF (USAI). The firm is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
SL Advisors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SL Advisors is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser that manages midstream U.S. energy infrastructure investment strategies. The firm delivers these strategies through three vehicles: separately managed accounts (SMAs) for individuals, family offices, and institutions custodied at Charles Schwab; the Catalyst MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund (MLXIX) mutual fund; and the Pacer American Energy Infrastructure ETF (USAI), which tracks the firm's proprietary American Energy Independence Index co-created by Henry Hoffman.
Product overview
SL Advisors is a midstream energy infrastructure asset manager offering a portfolio of investment products. The core offerings include the Catalyst MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund (MLXIX), a RIC-compliant mutual fund providing 1099 tax reporting for MLP investments; the Energy Infrastructure ETF (USAI) tracking the American Energy Independence Index; and separately managed account (SMA) strategies for institutional and high-net-worth investors custodied at Charles Schwab. The firm also publishes the proprietary American Energy Infrastructure Index, which serves as the benchmark for its ETF product. These products collectively focus on North American crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids infrastructure providing predictable cash flows to investors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- American Energy Independence Index: An index published by SL Advisors tracking U.S. energy infrastructure companies, used by the Pacer American Energy Infrastructure ETF (USAI).
- Catalyst Energy Infrastructure Fund (MLXIX)
- Pacer American Energy Infrastructure ETF (USAI)
Products and services
- Energy Infrastructure ETF (USAI) The Pacer American Energy Infrastructure ETF (USAI) is an exchange-traded fund that seeks to track the American Energy Independence Index published by SL Advisors. It focuses on U.S. crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids infrastructure businesses and is distributed through Pacer ETFs to retail and advisor-sold investors.
- Catalyst MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund (MLXIX) The Catalyst MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund (MLXIX) is a mutual fund that invests in U.S. Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) and corporations focused on Energy Infrastructure. It uses a RIC-compliant structure that provides 1099 tax reporting, simplifying MLP tax reporting for taxable investors. It is distributed through Catalyst Funds and quoted on Morningstar.
- SMA (Separately Managed Account) Strategies SMA Strategies are SL Advisors' customized midstream energy infrastructure investment strategies available through separately managed accounts. They are accessible to individuals, family offices, and institutions, with all client assets custodied at Charles Schwab for institutional-grade custody and reporting.
- American Energy Independence Index The American Energy Independence Index is a proprietary index published by SL Advisors that tracks North American midstream energy infrastructure companies. It serves as the underlying benchmark for the Pacer American Energy Infrastructure ETF (USAI) and is co-created by Henry Hoffman and the SL Advisors team.
Companies that use SL Advisors
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SL Advisors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
SL Advisors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Charles SchwabcoreSL Advisors custody assets at Charles Schwab. Separately managed account clients' assets are custodied at Charles Schwab, providing institutional-grade custodial services.
- Pacer ETFscoreSL Advisors publishes the American Energy Independence Index which is tracked by the Pacer American Energy Infrastructure ETF (USAI). Henry Hoffman is co-creator of the American Energy Indices.
- Catalyst Mutual FundscoreSL Advisors manages the Catalyst Energy Infrastructure Fund (MLXIX), a mutual fund investing in U.S. MLPs and corporations focused on Energy Infrastructure. Henry Hoffman serves as Co-Portfolio Manager.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
SL Advisors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tortoise Capital Advisors: Tortoise is one of the largest U.S. asset managers dedicated to energy infrastructure and MLPs, managing both closed-end funds and separately managed accounts in the same sub-sector as SL Advisors. It is the closest direct competitor on strategy and product structure.
- Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors: Kayne Anderson runs a large MLP and energy infrastructure platform including closed-end funds, SMAs, and interval funds — directly comparable to SL Advisors' midstream-focused SMA, mutual fund, and ETF offerings.
- Cushing Asset Management: Cushing specializes in MLP and energy infrastructure investing with mutual funds and SMAs, making it a focused direct peer on midstream energy mandates similar to SL Advisors' strategy.
- BP Capital Fund Advisors: BP Capital is a Tulsa-based energy-focused investment manager offering MLP and energy-related funds, making it a direct competitor in the same niche retail/institutional midstream space.
- Eagle Global Advisors: Eagle Global Advisors is an energy-specialist RIA managing MLP and energy equity SMAs and funds, with comparable product structure and energy-infrastructure focus to SL Advisors.
- Pickering Energy Partners: Pickering is an energy-focused investment firm offering MLP/infrastructure strategies and energy transition funds — a direct competitor for institutional midstream mandates in the same category.
- NXG Investment Management: NXG runs the Cushing NextGen Infrastructure and Cushing Midstream Energy Funds, both of which compete head-to-head with SL Advisors' Catalyst MLXIX mutual fund and USAI ETF on midstream exposure.
Broad incumbents
- Cohen & Steers: Cohen & Steers is a much larger diversified alternative-income manager offering infrastructure and real-asset strategies; it competes with SL Advisors for institutional infrastructure allocations but at far broader scale and across multiple asset classes.
- Brookfield Public Securities Group: Brookfield's public-securities arm offers infrastructure and energy-related equity strategies as part of a much larger multi-asset platform; relevant as an incumbent alternative for institutional investors considering SL Advisors' midstream strategy.
Emerging players
- InfraCap: InfraCap runs the InfraCap MLP ETF and related infrastructure products focused on midstream energy income, making it a niche retail competitor to SL Advisors' USAI ETF on the same MLP/infrastructure theme.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SL Advisors social profiles
Digital presenceSL Advisors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SL Advisors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
SL Advisors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SL Advisors 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 SL Advisors
What does SL Advisors do?
SL Advisors is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser that manages midstream U.S. energy infrastructure investment strategies. The firm delivers these strategies through three vehicles: separately managed accounts (SMAs) for individuals, family offices, and institutions custodied at Charles Schwab; the Catalyst MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund (MLXIX) mutual fund; and the Pacer American Energy Infrastructure ETF (USAI), which tracks the firm's proprietary American Energy Independence Index co-created by Henry Hoffman.
Is SL Advisors a public or private company?
SL Advisors is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SL Advisors founded?
SL Advisors was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SL Advisors based?
SL Advisors is headquartered in Westfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does SL Advisors make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Management Fees.
Who are SL Advisors's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tortoise Capital Advisors, Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, Cushing Asset Management, BP Capital Fund Advisors, Eagle Global Advisors, Pickering Energy Partners and NXG Investment Management. Broad incumbents are Cohen & Steers and Brookfield Public Securities Group. InfraCap is listed as an emerging player.
Does SL Advisors have an API?
No public API is recorded for SL Advisors.
What industry is SL Advisors in?
SL Advisors's product category is Midstream Energy Infrastructure Asset Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAAAB, Investment Management Advisory (RIA), with a secondary code of FSAAACAL, Specialized/Niche-Vertical RIAs (e.g., Medical, Tech, Executives, Athletes). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.