What Sapere Wealth Management does

Sapere Wealth Management, LLC is a privately held registered investment advisor founded in 2002 by Scott P. Trease and headquartered in Matthews, North Carolina, with a branch office in Charlottesville, Virginia. The firm operates a traditional RIA model targeting a "select client base" of family offices, high-net-worth individuals, foundations, endowments, and retirement funds, with assets under management of approximately $700 million. Sapere employs 1–10 staff, runs its investment process through a proprietary "CIO Suite Process" combining internal investment expertise with objective third-party review, and outsources custody to Axos Advisor Services, Northern Trust, and Community National Bank while reporting through the Black Diamond platform.

The firm's core products are discretionary independent investment management, the proprietary Sapere Revelation Series Funds (built on two U.S. patents covering a portable alpha-based methodology held by founder Trease), comprehensive financial/tax/estate planning through its Private Client Group, and general-partner fund services delivered through a wholly owned subsidiary, Sapere Fund Management, LLC. The product set spans mutual funds, private investment funds, alternative assets, and the firm's own proprietary vehicles, structured to deliver positive absolute returns regardless of broad market direction.

Sapere generates revenue through advisory fees calculated as a percentage of AUM, with additional economics from its role as general partner to proprietary funds. Go-to-market is relationship-led and referral-driven, leveraging CPA/attorney networks, continuing education for professionals, and a charitable-giving referral relationship with the National Christian Foundation, supplemented by a content library (the Sapere Library). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated individually with clients. The firm has been operating continuously since 2002 with no public listing, no disclosed funding rounds, no acquisitions, and no recent geographic or product expansion beyond its 2004 Charlottesville branch.

Name

Sapere Wealth Management

Legal name

Sapere Wealth Management, LLC

Website

https://sapere.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sapere Wealth Management is a Matthews, NC-based registered investment advisor founded in 2002 that manages approximately $700 million for a select base of family offices, high-net-worth individuals, foundations, endowments, and retirement funds through its proprietary CIO Suite Process and patented Revelation Series Funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management / Investment Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Wealth Management (FSAEABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Endowments (Universities, Foundations, Nonprofits) (FSAAAGAC)

Keywords

• Investment management
• Wealth management
• Portfolio management
• Financial planning
• Asset management

Headquarters

HQ city

Matthews

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advisory Fee Management: As a registered investment advisor, Sapere generates revenue through advisory fees, typically calculated as a percentage of assets under management (AUM). The firm manages approximately $700 million in assets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sapere Wealth Management is a registered investment advisor providing discretionary, independent investment management services for family offices, high net worth individuals, foundations, endowments, and retirement funds. The firm designs portfolios to deliver positive absolute returns regardless of broad market direction, combining global diversification across mutual funds, private investment funds, alternative assets, and proprietary vehicles (Sapere Revelation Series Funds). It also offers comprehensive financial, tax, and estate planning through its Private Client Group.

Product overview

Sapere Wealth Management is a registered investment advisor offering a unified suite of investment management services centered on its proprietary Sapere CIO Suite Process. The core offering combines independent investment management (mutual funds, private investment funds, alternative assets, and proprietary funds) with OCIO services and financial planning. The Sapere Revelation Series Funds — built on two U.S. patents in portable alpha methodology — represent the firm's flagship proprietary vehicles, while the subsidiary Sapere Fund Management, LLC acts as general partner for selected funds. The Private Client Group layer adds financial, tax, and estate planning on top of portfolio management. The firm manages approximately $700 million in assets under management (as of 2002 formation) with custody provided by Axos Advisor Services and Northern Trust.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Independent Investment Management Services Discretionary, independent portfolio management designed to deliver positive absolute returns regardless of broad market direction and to outperform the Consumer Price Index by a significant margin, combining global diversification across mutual funds, private investment funds, alternative assets, and proprietary Sapere Funds.
• Sapere CIO Suite Process A multi-layered investment decision-making and review framework that subjects all portfolio decisions to multiple sources of financial knowledge, investment expertise, and objective third-party review before execution.
• Sapere Revelation Series Funds Proprietary next-generation investment funds utilizing a patented portable alpha-based methodology developed by founder Scott Trease (two U.S. patents), serving as a foundational investment vehicle within client portfolios.
• Comprehensive Financial Planning (Private Client Group) Financial, tax, and estate planning services delivered through the Private Client Group, including planning for business owners, retirement planning, and management of ERISA retirement plans.
• Sapere Fund Management, LLC (General Partner Services) Subsidiary that acts as general partner to proprietary funds developed to play critical roles in the context of overall client portfolio management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately $700 million in assets under management

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and supporting.

• Axos Advisor ServicescoreOthersThird-party custodian for client assets. Provides safekeeping for all client assets. Part of the firm's commitment to never accepting custody of assets itself.
• Northern TrustcoreOthersThird-party custodian for client assets. Provides safekeeping for all client assets alongside Axos Advisor Services.
• Black DiamondcoreTechnology or IntegrationClient portal platform providing secure access for clients to view their portfolios and account information.
• Castle Hall AlternativesimportantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndependent operational due diligence firm used to periodically review the operational integrity of many of the firm's service providers, providing checks and balances.
• Community National Bank (CNB)supportingOthersCustody services provider for client assets.
• National Christian FoundationsupportingOthersReferral partner for faith-based clients and donors.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Creative Planning: Large, rapidly-growing independent RIA providing wealth management, financial planning, and investment services to individuals and families nationwide — directly comparable as an independent RIA competing for the same HNW customer, though significantly larger and broader geographically than Sapere.
• Bessemer Trust: Privately-held multi-family office and wealth manager serving HNW and UHNW families with discretionary investment management, advisory, and trust services — directly comparable to Sapere's family-office and HNW mandate mix and fee-only RIA model.
• Rockefeller Capital Management: Independent financial services firm offering private wealth management, asset management, and family office services to UHNW individuals and families — directly comparable in targeting HNW/UHNW clients with discretionary investment management and OCIO capabilities.
• Fisher Investments: Independent, privately-held investment manager serving HNW individuals and families with discretionary global portfolios — comparable to Sapere as a large independent RIA competing for the same HNW customer with proprietary investment approaches.
• Glenmede: Independent, employee-owned investment and wealth manager serving HNW families, foundations, and endowments with discretionary portfolio management and OCIO services — closely comparable to Sapere's client segments, independent RIA structure, and endowment/foundation focus.
• Wilmington Trust (Wealth Advisory): Provider of wealth advisory, investment management, and private banking services to HNW individuals, families, and institutions — comparable to Sapere's HNW/family-office/endowment mandate mix and discretionary portfolio offering.
• First Republic (Private Wealth Management, now part of JPMorgan): Private wealth management and business banking franchise historically focused on HNW individuals, families, and nonprofits with personalized advisory relationships — comparable to Sapere's HNW and endowment client focus and relationship-driven service model.
• Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH Wealth Management): Private partnership offering wealth management, investment management, and custody to HNW families, foundations, and endowments — comparable to Sapere in serving multi-generational family wealth and institutional clients with personalized discretionary portfolios.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National independent wealth advisory firm offering investment management, financial planning, and family office services to HNW individuals and families — directly comparable RIA model, with a scale and roll-up trajectory that frames Sapere's competitive context.

Broad incumbents

• Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Large incumbent hybrid (digital + human) RIA offering ongoing advice, financial planning, and discretionary portfolio management — represents the low-fee incumbent benchmark Sapere competes against for HNW clients seeking independent advice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Sapere Wealth Management