Blackwattle Investment Partners

What Blackwattle Investment Partners does

Blackwattle Investment Partners is a Sydney-based boutique investment management firm founded in 2023 that offers six Australian equity funds spanning micro-cap, small-cap, mid-cap, large-cap, and income strategies. The firm is led by Michael Skinner (CIO and Managing Director) and Jarred Rubin (CEO), supported by 21 staff and a five-person independent board, with an aggregate of 225+ years of investment experience across the team. Its go-to-market is built around alignment: 100% staff equity ownership, a prohibition on personal trading outside portfolio mandates, and an independent governance board.

The firm generates revenue through tiered management fees ranging from 0.72% to 1.60% across the fund range, supplemented by performance fees of 15.38% to 20.50% on outperformance. Distribution is executed primarily through Australian wrap and platform partners including Netwealth, Hub24, BT Panorama, and Macquarie, alongside direct institutional and wholesale channels. Product capability has been extended via targeted senior hires, including Tim Riordan (ex-Aware Super Head of Direct Equities) and the former First Sentier Equity Income team, which seeded the Equity Income Fund launched in February 2026.

The firm operates from Australia with early distribution signals into New Zealand. It holds an AFSL and develops proprietary ESG tools to support its fundamental investment process. Third-party validation includes the 2025 "Emerging Manager of the Year" recognition. No AUM, revenue, or detailed client-mix figures are disclosed publicly, which constrains external benchmarking of scale.

Name

Blackwattle Investment Partners

Legal name

Blackwattle Investment Partners Pty Limited

Website

https://blackwattlepartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blackwattle Investment Partners is a Sydney-based boutique founded in 2023 that manages six Australian equity funds across market caps and an income strategy, serving wholesale and institutional clients via major wrap platforms, with 100% staff ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Active Equity Fund Management

NAICS

Open-End Investment Funds (52591), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Strategy — Equity L/S + Sector Specialists (FSAHAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fundamental/Discretionary Equity Long/Short (FSAHAAAA)

Keywords

• Active equity management
• Australian equities investing
• Quality investment funds
• Long-short equity strategies
• Wealth management solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

City Of Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Management Fees: Ongoing management fees charged as a percentage of Net Asset Value across all funds. Fee rates vary by fund strategy from 0.72% to 1.60%.
2. Performance Fees: Performance-based fees charged when fund returns exceed benchmark returns. Rates range from 15.38% to 20.50% across strategies, with some funds (Large Cap) having no performance fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Blackwattle Investment Partners is an Australian boutique investment manager that manages six quality-focused equity funds across different market capitalizations and strategies, including small cap, mid cap, large cap, long-short, and equity income strategies. The firm invests in ASX-listed businesses with sustainable competitive advantages, aligned management, and below-intrinsic-value pricing, and serves institutional investors, financial advisers, and wholesale clients through direct sales and platform distribution.

Product overview

Blackwattle Investment Partners is an Australian investment manager offering six distinct equity funds across different market capitalizations and strategies. The product suite includes: the Small Cap Quality Fund and Small Cap Long-Short Quality Fund (focusing on emerging ASX smaller companies), the Mid Cap Quality Fund (concentrated portfolio of high-quality ASX mid-cap companies), the Long-Short 130/30 Quality Fund and Large Cap Quality Fund (established Australian large-cap companies with long/short capabilities), and the Equity Income Fund (income-focused strategy utilizing options for yield and risk management). All funds follow a Quality investment style, seeking businesses with sustainable competitive advantages, aligned management, and valuations below intrinsic value. The funds are distributed through various platforms and are available to both retail and institutional investors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Cap Quality Fund A long-only equities fund providing exposure to Australian smaller companies (outside S&P/ASX 100) that are emerging as industry leaders. The portfolio is actively managed, typically investing in 30-60 companies, seeking investment opportunities early in a company's life cycle when they are often under-researched. Aims to outperform the S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Accumulation Index after fees over the medium to long term. Management fee: 1.13% of NAV; Performance fee: 20.50%; Minimum investment: $25,000.
• Small Cap Long-Short Quality Fund A long-short equities fund providing exposure to Australian smaller companies that are emerging as industry leaders. The fund employs a 130% long/30% short portfolio structure with 30-60 long positions and 10-30 short positions. Australian and New Zealand equities typically represent 90-110% of the portfolio. Management fee: 1.60% of NAV; Performance fee: 20.5% of returns above benchmark.
• Mid Cap Quality Fund A concentrated yet diversified portfolio of the highest and most improving quality companies on the ASX. The fund targets long-term ownership of 20-35 high-quality companies with sustainably dominant industry positions and aligned management. Aims to outperform the S&P/ASX300 Accumulation Index minus S&P/ASX20 Accumulation Index over the long term. Management fee: 0.92% of NAV; Performance fee: 15.38% of returns above benchmark.
• Long-Short 130/30 Quality Fund A long-short equity fund that aims to buy businesses with a competitive advantage and good corporate governance, priced below intrinsic value. The fund employs a 130/30 structure with 70-150% long positions and 0-50% short positions in Australian and New Zealand listed equities. Aims to outperform the S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index over the long term. Performance fee: 17.94% of returns above benchmark; Minimum investment: $25,000.
• Large Cap Quality Fund A fund investing in established Australian companies with a sustainable forward advantage. The portfolio typically holds 30-45 stocks and aims to buy businesses that have a forward advantage, trustworthy aligned management, priced below intrinsic value. Aims to outperform the S&P/ASX200 Accumulation Index over the long term. Management fee: 0.72% of NAV; No performance fee.
• Equity Income Fund An equity income fund led by one of Australia's most experienced and respected equity income teams. The strategy focuses on highest quality companies in Australia while utilizing options to diversify income streams and actively manage downside risk. Offers daily liquidity and targets a 2.5% yield above the S&P/ASX 100 dividend yield over a rolling three-year period, delivered with consistently lower volatility than the S&P/ASX 100 Total Return Index.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small Cap Quality Fund: 12.36% 1-year return, 13.97% since inception (Sep 2023)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Zenith Investment PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerZenith Investment Partners provides independent investment research ratings for multiple Blackwattle funds, enhancing credibility and distribution through adviser channels.
• LonseccoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLonsec provides independent research ratings for Blackwattle funds, supporting distribution through financial adviser networks.
• NetwealthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwealth is a major Australian wealth management platform providing distribution access for Blackwattle funds to financial advisers and self-directed investors.
• Hub24coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHub24 is an Australian investment platform distributing Blackwattle funds to the adviser market.
• BT Financial GroupmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBT Financial Group platform distributes Blackwattle funds to advisers and investors.
• MacquariemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMacquarie platform provides access to Blackwattle Long-Short 130/30 Quality Fund for investors.
• PraemiummajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPraemium platform distributes Blackwattle Long-Short 130/30 Quality Fund to sophisticated investors.
• Mason-StevensmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMason-Stevens platform distributes Blackwattle Long-Short 130/30 Quality Fund.
• NorthmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorth platform distributes Blackwattle Long-Short 130/30 Quality Fund.
• Clearbridge InvestmentsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClearbridge Investments distributes Blackwattle Small Cap Long-Short Quality Fund through its platform.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Perpetual Limited: Large Australian fund manager offering Australian equities (including small and mid-cap quality strategies) across institutional and adviser channels. Direct competitor for adviser platform shelf space and institutional Australian equity mandates.
• Magellan Asset Management: One of Australia's largest independent equity managers, focused on quality global and Australian equities. Highly comparable to Blackwattle on quality-investing philosophy, though Magellan operates at materially greater scale and brand recognition.
• First Sentier Investors: Large global asset manager with significant Australian equities and equity-income capabilities. The Blackwattle Equity Income Fund team (Minbatiwala, Chan, Moodie) previously built and ran this strategy at First Sentier, making it a direct capability and product competitor.
• Pendal Group: Established Australian asset manager with Australian equities (including the well-known Pendal Smaller Companies Fund). Competes with Blackwattle on platform distribution and in the institutional Australian small-cap quality space.

Direct peers

• Wilson Asset Management: Australian boutique with multiple Australian equity strategies distributed via adviser platforms, including small-cap and income-focused products. Comparable boutique-scale multi-strategy platform competing for the same wholesale and adviser-client AUM.
• Watermark Funds Management: Australian boutique manager with quality-tilted Australian equity strategies. Several Blackwattle team members (Broeren, Chuk, Beardmore) previously worked at Watermark, making it a direct functional peer for talent and product overlap.
• Ellerston Capital: Australian boutique manager offering quality-focused Australian equity strategies including small and mid-cap products. Robert Hawkesford and other Blackwattle PMs previously worked at Ellerston, making it a particularly close functional and talent competitor.
• Plato Investment Management: Australian boutique with a strong quality-tilted Australian equities franchise serving institutional and wholesale clients via adviser platforms. Highly comparable product mix, distribution model, and boutique scale to Blackwattle.
• Regal Partners: Australian alternative and long-short equity manager with quality-tilted strategies. Joseph Koh (Blackwattle PM) previously worked at Regal, and the long-short product structure is a direct competitor to Blackwattle's Long-Short 130/30 Quality Fund.

Emerging players

• Antipodes Partners: Australian boutique manager with quality-tilted long-short and long-only global/ Australian equity strategies. Comparable boutique scale and quality-investing DNA, though more oriented toward global equities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackwattle-investment-partners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Blackwattle Investment Partners