What Cooper Investors does

Cooper Investors is a Melbourne-based, 100% employee-owned specialist equities investment manager founded in 2001 by Peter Cooper, formerly Head of Australian Equities at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers. The firm manages seven pooled investment trusts — Brunswick, Australian Equities, Global Equities (Hedged and Unhedged), Family & Founder, Endeavour, and Park Road — alongside individual mandates, applying a proprietary VoF (Value of Fundamentals) investment framework that combines qualitative and quantitative analysis to identify "value latency" across concentrated portfolios of 15 to 50 stocks.

The firm's go-to-market is sales-led and wholesale-only, with minimum investments typically ranging from $20,000 to $100,000 per fund. Revenue is generated primarily through management fees (0.75%–1.2% p.a., inclusive of GST) charged on AUM, supplemented by performance fees of 10%–15% over benchmark or absolute hurdles on most funds. Distribution is run through two dedicated channels: an Institutional Business team led by Cliff Smith and a Private Capital team led by Natalie Elliott, serving superannuation funds, wealth managers, charitable endowments, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals.

Cooper Investors has deliberately diversified its client base from an industry-superannuation-heavy origin (98% of revenues fifteen years ago) to a more balanced mix where industry super funds now represent under 20% of revenues, with the private client book growing from $50 million to approximately $3 billion across 2,000+ private clients. The firm also differentiates through pro bono funds management for Hearts & Minds Investments (ASX:HM1) and Future Generation Companies, having directed over $72 million to Australian medical research. Operations are anchored in Melbourne with a Sydney office, supported by a team of 16 investment professionals with over 250 years of combined investing experience.

Name

Cooper Investors

Legal name

Cooper Investors Pty Limited

Website

https://cooperinvestors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cooper Investors is a Melbourne-based, 100% employee-owned specialist equities investment manager operating seven pooled funds using a proprietary VoF framework to serve institutional and wholesale investors across Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fund Management Fees: Cooper Investors generates revenue through management fees charged on its suite of investment funds. Fees vary by fund: Brunswick Fund charges 1.0% p.a., Global Equities funds charge 1.2% p.a., Australian Equities Wholesale charges 0.75% p.a., and Family & Founder Fund charges 1.1% p.a. (all inclusive of GST). Additionally, performance fees are charged on outperformance of benchmarks, typically at 10% for most funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cooper Investors is a specialist equities investment manager that operates pooled investment trusts and individual mandates investing in Australian equities, international securities or a mixture of both. The firm applies its proprietary VoF (Value of Fundamentals) research framework and the CI Way philosophy across a suite of seven distinct funds spanning Australian equities, global equities (hedged and unhedged), concentrated small-cap (Endeavour), family/founder-led businesses, and the Park Road concentrated strategy.

Product overview

Cooper Investors is a specialist equities investment manager offering seven distinct pooled investment trusts. The product suite includes Australian-focused funds (Brunswick Fund, Australian Equities Fund Wholesale, Park Road Fund), global equity strategies (Global Equities Fund Hedged and Unhedged), a concentrated small-cap fund (Endeavour Fund), and a thematic fund targeting family/founder-led companies (Family & Founder Fund). All funds apply the proprietary VoF (Value Latency, Operating & Strategic Trends, Focused Management) investment philosophy and research framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Brunswick Fund: 12.30% per annum since inception (July 2004) vs benchmark 8.65%, cumulative return of 1172.60%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Ocean MindmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Cooper Investors partnered with Ocean Mind as they use an evidence-based model providing therapeutic surf programs for young people experiencing mental health challenges, social isolation, and disabilities. The CI Philanthropy Committee approved grant to support Ocean Mind's work.
• NEXUS AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Cooper Investors was a Gold Sponsor of the 2021 NEXUS Australia Summit, bringing together next generation philanthropists and social entrepreneurs under the theme 'Building Tomorrow Today'.
• STREATmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020CI Philanthropy Committee approved grants to social enterprises including STREAT supporting the Moving Feast Initiative during COVID-19. STREAT helps homeless young people achieve stable self, stable job, and stable home through hospitality businesses in Melbourne.
• Hearts & Minds Investments Limited (HM1)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018Cooper Investors serves as a core manager for Hearts & Minds Investments Limited (ASX:HM1), a unique listed investment company providing both investment returns and supporting Australian medical research. The firm's investment team dedicates significant time to provide the best support and investment ideas to HM1. Cooper Investors has directed over $72 million to medical research through this partnership.
• Blue DragonmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Blue Dragon received one of the first donations from the CI Staff Fund in 2008 and Cooper Investors remains proud supporters 14+ years later. Blue Dragon provides exceptional care to Vietnamese children and families in crisis including trafficked children, street children, and children with disabilities. Blue Dragon now serves over 10,000 highly disadvantaged children and families.
• Future Generation CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooper Investors provides pro bono investment services to Future Generation Companies, a listed investment company delivering investment and social returns. Since inception, Future Generation Companies has distributed $32.9 million to nominated social impact partners supporting children and young people at risk.
• Orygen - Centre for Excellence in Youth Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooper Investors elected Mental Health research as its focus area for Hearts & Minds distributions and selected Orygen as a recipient. To date this partnership has resulted in the distribution of over $2 million to transform the delivery of mental health services.
• St Kilda MumsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooper Investors staff volunteer at St Kilda Mums, an organisation helping nearly 12,000 babies and children per year receive essential nursery items and equipment through donated and recycled goods.
• Philanthropy AustraliamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooper Investors is an advocate for more and better philanthropy through a three-year commitment to Philanthropy Australia's Philanthropy Champions initiative, particularly supporting the 'Philanthropy Blueprint' aimed at doubling structured giving by 2030.
• Bionics InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCI directed funding via Hearts and Minds allocation to the Bionics Institute Experimental Device Engineering Hub for tinnitus research and treatment development using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
• Turning PointminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch funding through Hearts and Minds for Turning Point's pioneering project exploring feasibility of a resonance-breathing training program delivered via smartphone app to reduce alcohol cravings and consumption.
• Hammond CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for Hammond Care's dementia diagnosis and treatment optimization project utilizing data linkage between Dementia Support Australia and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's Death Index.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ellerston Capital: Australian boutique active equities manager offering Australian and global long-only strategies plus long-short vehicles. Comparable boutique size, concentrated portfolio construction and institutional/wholesale focus.
• Magellan Asset Management: Listed Australian equities and global equities specialist investment manager with concentrated, benchmark-agnostic strategies and a heavy institutional/wholesale client base. Closest direct peer to Cooper Investors in terms of product suite, philosophy emphasis on long-term investing and Australian institutional market position.
• Yarra Capital Management: Australian active equities boutique with Australian and global strategies serving institutional clients. Similar boutique positioning, institutional client base and benchmark-aware active philosophy to Cooper Investors.
• Antipodes Partners: Sydney-based, ASX-listed global equities manager running concentrated, value-oriented portfolios benchmarked against the MSCI ACWI. Similar boutique positioning, similar client base (institutional and wholesale) and similar benchmark-agnostic philosophy to Cooper Investors.
• Platinum Asset Management: Australian-based active global equities manager offering concentrated, benchmark-agnostic portfolios to institutional and wholesale clients. Directly comparable on product construction, fee structure and target client segments to Cooper Investors' global equities strategies.
• Vinva Investment Management: Sydney-based active global equities boutique employing a fundamental, benchmark-agnostic approach. Directly comparable in philosophy, target client (institutional/wholesale) and product overlap with Cooper Investors' Global Equities Funds.

Emerging players

• Auscap Asset Management: Smaller Australian equities boutique with concentrated long-only and long-short strategies. Comparable on philosophy and product construction; smaller scale than Cooper Investors and a narrower client footprint.
• Australian Ethical Investment: Australian ethical/thematic equities manager with a long-only Australian equities core strategy. Comparable Australian-equities offering and institutional/wholesale channel, differentiated primarily by the ethical mandate overlay.
• Spheria Asset Management: Australian equities specialist running concentrated small-mid cap portfolios for institutional and wholesale investors. Overlapping investment style (concentrated, benchmark-aware, fundamental) and client base with Cooper Investors but smaller AUM scale.

Broad incumbents

• Perpetual Limited: Large ASX-listed Australian wealth and asset manager offering Australian equities, credit and multi-asset products. Broader incumbent that competes with Cooper Investors in the Australian institutional and wealth-manager channels but with a much wider product range and brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cooper-investors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Cooper Investors