Vestlane Unwrapped 2024: Top Milestones, Private Equity Trends, and Good Reads

2024 was a year of big moves at Vestlane: 6,000 investors onboarded, more than €10 billion AUM raised by client funds on the platform, and we’re not done yet. Our digital investor onboarding, streamlined fund closings, and compliance tools built for the modern era are supporting private equity, venture capital, real estate, and infrastructure funds. We’re bringing fund operations into a more secure, paperless future.

As the founder of Vestlane, I’m really happy to take a short pause with you all and reflect on 2024.

In such a competitive and dynamic market, I’m proud to say Vestlane has stood at the forefront, shoulder-to-shoulder with fund managers, investors, and private market service providers as they move in the fast lane of private equity investment.

You’ve checked your Spotify Wrapped. Now it’s time for you to check out Vestlane Unwrapped: The Private Equity Review 2024.

How We Became A Trusted Private Equity Platform

From streamlining onboarding tasks that often involve intricate requirements to ensuring AML compliance monitoring in times of heightened scrutiny, Vestlane has been your trusted partner.

Our guided investor workflow took the guesswork out of onboarding in 2024, collecting everything from KYC to AML data.

We used leading eSignature services to keep things fast and compliant with international standards like eIDAS and ZertES.

And with smart data capture, gathering critical investor information like UBO details, tax compliance, wealth origin, and creating subscription agreements, was as simple as it was thorough.

We also supported distribution-ready funds across international jurisdictions and multiple asset classes, giving your investors access to top-tier opportunities. And we're ready to do it all again next year.

Current market fluctuations are impacting fundraising cycles and investment strategies. And with regulations becoming increasingly stringent, fund managers are relying more than ever on private equity software that doesn’t just keep pace but anticipates the future.

This year Vestlane certainly demonstrated this capability.

So what do the numbers say?

Invest to Success: Vestlane’s Year in Numbers

How did we do in 2024?

Well, I think the following figures say it all really: Vestlane is growing and supporting LPs, GPs, fund managers, and more throughout the private investment world.

Each number below tells a story of growth, resilience, and vision.

I’m so proud of the team for all their hard work.

From 140 to 338 Funds

Vestlane’s active funds rocketed from 140 to an incredible 338, signaling a wave of trust and enthusiasm for our platform. This shows our ability to cater to complex fund structures and diverse operational needs, from venture capital to large-scale private equity funds.

It also highlights our success in helping managers scale efficiently, onboarding new funds and reducing operational overheads.

6,000 Investors and Counting

We love this. Vestlane has facilitated the onboarding of 6,000 investors so far, an extraordinary milestone that reflects the power of our platform and the confidence placed in us by fund managers and LPs alike.

With our home offices in Munich and Berlin, we’ve firmly anchored our operations in the DACH region and extended our impact across Europe. In the DACH region alone, we’re proud to host the data profiles of one in every three investors on Vestlane.

From the bustling financial hubs of Luxembourg, London, Dublin, and Berlin to emerging markets in the Middle East, Vestlane is helping fund managers, law firms, and investment professionals connect with a growing pool of sophisticated investors eager to tap into new opportunities.

€10 Billion AUM on Vestlane

More than €10 billion has been raised through Vestlane, marking a significant milestone in the private equity space.

This achievement further highlights the trust placed in our platform and the consistent success of monthly closings happening on Vestlane.

It’s also proof that private equity doesn’t have to be a maze of challenges and stress. With the right tools, it can be streamlined, efficient, and, dare I say, exciting. Here’s to facilitating the next €100 billion, everyone.

Designed for Large Funds: $1B+ AUM Investment Solutions

Let’s face it. Private equity is not without its challenges. Larger fund managers need scalable, secure, and adaptable ways to manage multiple funds, intricate compliance workflows, and growing investor bases.

To better serve the needs of large funds with more than $1 billion in assets under management (AUM), we migrated to Vestlane Version 2.

This change boosted our platform’s architecture to prioritize speed, quality, and security. Vestlane 2.0 positions us as a technology leader in the private equity space.

Along with this upgrade, we’ve also introduced new, more suitable pricing. Here’s what this exciting development meant for users:

• Source of Truth Data: Dynamic data updates across all transactions and processes.
  
• Faster, Higher-Quality Development: A new architecture and stack that enables quicker, more secure development of new features.
  
• Enhanced KYC/AML Capabilities: Comprehensive compliance for co-investment partners, counterparties, secondary transactions, asset transfers, and more.
• Multi-Fund Management: Organizations can now oversee multiple funds in the same space with dedicated access controls.
• Advanced Validation: Tools like North Data and Google Places provide extensive data verification.
• Improved Messaging: More advanced capabilities, like the Shared Workspace, for better communication with investors and stakeholders.
• DocuSign Integration: Multi-signatory functionality, plus the ability to include additional documents for accelerated approvals.
• Enhanced Exports: Support for large, multi-part downloads and advanced export options like XLSX.
  
  

SOC 2 Certified Private Equity Management

Trust and security are everything in investment tech. When you’re handling big transaction volumes and managing capital calls, there’s no room for doubt.

People need to know their data and money are safe. That’s why we take security so seriously. Vestlane is making sure every transaction and every piece of sensitive information is protected. It’s about earning trust and keeping it.

We secure information with advanced encryption, conduct regular vulnerability scans, and maintain strict access controls to ensure only authorized access.

Daily backups and data replication across multiple data centers add extra layers of reliability and resilience.

This year, because of our high security standards, we achieved SOC 2 certification. Vestlane’s data handling practices meet the most rigorous industry standards, ensuring that sensitive LP and fund information is safeguarded against cyber threats.

As a compliance checklist, SOC 2 requirements include expectations on security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

Rooted in the standards created by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), SOC 2 has evolved into a foundational audit. You can read more about the Vestlane and benefits of SOC 2 here.

Vestlane 2025: KYC Automated & Amped Up API

In 2025, I’m excited to say that our platform will seamlessly extract and structure investor documents, streamlining KYC checks and accelerating compliance.

Advanced APIs will enable asset managers, our partners, and institutional investors to integrate data effortlessly, populate fund documents swiftly, and visualize complex structures at a glance.

This will deliver a faster, more reliable, and fully compliant investment journey for everyone.

Stay tuned to our LinkedIn page or reach out to us here for more details about the Vestlane future. I promise, it’s exciting.

Insights That Inspired, From Vestlane to You

This year, in addition to the above top milestones, we brought you a wealth of content and insights to keep you informed about private equity.

We hope you’ll continue reading and watching videos with us in 2025.

From comprehensive reports to the latest statistics, we covered key topics like the surge in secondaries, the remarkable growth in exits and M&A transactions, the use of continuation funds, trends in carried interest, and the growth of investment opportunities in Luxembourg.

I even got to sit down and talk with The Drawdown, a leading publication focused on private equity trends.

Real Results: Vestlane Success Stories

I hope you didn’t miss out on our collection of real life Success Stories with the likes of Capmont, YPOG, superangles, and UVC. Discover how they turned challenges into triumphs with our help.

At Vestlane, we want to boost private equity investment but also keep you ahead of the curve with timely news and updates.

That’s why we also engage with specialists like legal expert Dr. Jannik Zerbs. He spoke about “normalization” in fundraising and the future of ESG principles in investment.

Meanwhile, Dr. Maximilian Bader, founding Partner at Q21 Capital, also gave us some great insights. He highlighted the value of fund of funds structures as a means to achieve diversification and mitigate risks in times of volatility. 

I don’t want to say too much but we have some more very exciting expert collaborations and success stories coming up in the new year as well.

Private Equity 2024 in Review

Shifting gears to the industry at large, the story of private equity this year has been an interesting one.

From the explosive growth of secondary markets to the pressing need for efficient investor onboarding, this year highlighted some challenges ahead and the critical importance of tech innovation in private equity management.

Headwinds: Private equity is facing a few bumps in the road, for sure. According to the newly published Coller Capital’s 41st Global Private Capital Barometer, 79% of LPs surveyed decided not to reinvest with their current fund managers, and most of them blame performance.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. A lot of investors are shifting their attention to secondary markets, which are becoming a really important part of their strategies.

In fact, 90% of them plan to stick with or increase their investments in secondaries, and almost half see them as a core part of their portfolios.

Secondaries Market Growth: The secondary market pushed records, with total closed transaction volume expected to surpass $140 billion by year-end, exceeding the previous record of $132 billion set in 2021.

This surge was driven by both general partner-led and limited partner-led transactions, as investors sought innovative liquidity solutions in a tumultuous economic period.

Notably, LPs increasingly sold portfolios in buyout, credit, and infrastructure sectors, motivated by favorable pricing and a narrowing bid-ask spread. Continuation funds represented a substantial portion of GP-led transactions.

Retailization: In 2024, we saw the doors to private markets open wider for individual and retail investors. Next year, it will be about making those doors even easier to walk through.

Platforms are evolving, fund managers are scaling up, and compliance tools are getting smarter. This all points to a future where private markets are more accessible than ever.

Digital Transformation: Between 2015 and 2020, the amount of data created globally increased by 281%. Five years on and the world is expected to create, store, and share 149 zettabytes of data.

The data management conundrum is driving private equity stakeholders to adopt technology, as shown by Apex Group’s recent digital transformation efforts.

And if this survey is anything to go by, asset management companies are becoming demoralized by poor data management, lack of onboarding automation, and inefficient KYC workflows. The desire for digital investment management tools looks set to continue into 2025.

Fund professionals demand tools that streamline onboarding, simplify compliance, and enhance collaboration which are long-standing challenges for fund managers.

At the same time, regulations like DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) are raising the stakes on security and operational integrity.

It just proves how important tech is becoming in this space. At Vestlane, it’s why we focus so much on building a product that ultimately simplifies, secures and speeds up everything from investor onboarding to compliance.

Let’s Make 2025 Even Better

To wrap up 2024, I just want to say thank you for being such a big part of this incredible journey with Vestlane. 

Whether you’re an LP, GP, fund manager, or just someone curious about private equity, we’re so glad to have you here.

As we approach 2025, we’re gearing up for another year of transformation, growth, and opportunity in private equity.

Some things you can look forward to in the new year include a new roadmap packed with technical improvements like our exciting name screening feature powered by ComplyAdvantage.

As mentioned above, Vestlane will be laser-focused on development in the KYC and AML space.

Our team will also be building more connections through VestlaneConnect, our series of local events designed to bring the community together.

After successful events in Cologne and Munich, we’re excited to announce a third one is in planning. So stay tuned!

Plus, the next episode of Private Market Gladiators will feature outstanding speakers from the US and Luxembourg, focusing on building stronger relationships between GPs and LPs.

It’s a must-watch for anyone looking to deepen their insights and network within the industry.

Also, with firms like Blackstone forecasting a boom in private equity exits, the industry is set for exciting momentum. Let’s tackle it together.

All-in-all our philosophy will remain steadfast: rather than trying to be a “Swiss Army knife,” we’re focused on doing what we do exceptionally well.

While we shipped some incredible features this year, our ultimate goal is to create a tool you genuinely love to use. This means listening to your feedback, answering your questions, and ensuring Vestlane truly works for you.

Reach out anytime or follow us on LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Here’s to a remarkable 2025 ahead.

Best wishes from all of us at Vestlane for a joyful holiday season with your families!