By Annie Eissler, CMO, Altvia
Capital is coming back—and it’s rewarding a new kind of firm. Firms that thrive blend the art of relationships with the rigor of data—personal, responsive, and operationally sharp.
At the upcoming Kayo Women’s Private Funds Summit, I’ll join industry leaders to share what sets top fundraisers apart in today’s environment. From my vantage point at Altvia, working with hundreds of private capital firms and supporting over 100,000 LP investors, the patterns are clear: success isn’t just about relationships anymore. It’s about how you operate.
Here are five lessons from the market, our recent UserEvidence survey of 100 private capital leaders, and real customer stories.
1. Operational Excellence + Relationships
The private markets run on relationships — but the best fundraisers know relationships alone aren’t enough. Top teams operationalize relationships with data and technology.
Take Plexus Capital, who told us Altvia “brought efficiencies to every facet of our business.” By streamlining workflows, they made every LP interaction smoother, faster, and more confident.
This matters because more than half of firms cite integration, cost, and implementation as their biggest barriers to progress. [2025 UserEvidence Report]
Those who overcome it gain an edge: their operations become an extension of their investor relationships.
2. Simplicity Wins in a Complex Market
On a recent roadshow, clients told us plainly: “Tech overload is real.” Managing disjointed tools is exhausting. Only 7% of firms report having a truly modern infrastructure. [2025 UserEvidence Report]
That’s why firms that consolidate onto a single platform — eliminating redundant systems — are freeing their IR teams to focus on their LPs and the business, not the tech stack.
3. Data Is the Differentiator
Fundraising used to be about who you knew. Today, it’s equally about what you know, and how fast you know it.
For example, Cendana Capital runs 78 dashboards in Altvia to analyze performance by partner, surface attribution, and get a real-time view of the portfolio. This kind of data readiness builds LP confidence — and wins allocations.
It’s also sorely needed: 75% of firms still update LPs only quarterly, even though investors are asking for more frequent and proactive engagement. [2025 UserEvidence Report]
4. AI Excitement + Uncertainty: Foundations First
There’s enormous excitement about AI — but also uncertainty. Our survey found 78% of private capital leaders name AI as the top industry trend, yet nearly twice as many say it’s overvalued versus strongly valued. [2025 UserEvidence Report]
As Altvia CTO Jef Rice puts it: “If AI can’t sit on top of clean, unified data, it’s just a parlor trick.”
That’s why leading firms are starting with strong data foundations — unifying and cleansing their data — before layering AI on top. The result? AI that actually accelerates due diligence, investor research, and follow-ups.
5. Trust Is the New Currency
In today’s competitive environment, trust is the currency that wins allocations.
40% of firms are diversifying their investor base, while 22% are doubling down on existing LPs. [2025 UserEvidence Report]
Either way, precision and transparency are non-negotiable.
Plexus Capital summed it up well: “The Altvia team has been fantastic, bringing efficiencies to every facet of our business—fundraising, marketing, deal execution, and fund administration. They understand what we do and their team has changed how we manage our business.”
The Bottom Line
Fundraising isn’t episodic, it’s a continuous state of investor engagement. And the firms that win are the ones that turn relationships into repeatable, data-driven processes — supported by technology that makes excellence effortless.
As the private capital market rebounds, one truth is clear: the future of fundraising belongs to those who can combine human relationships with operational excellence, simplicity, data, and trust.