Key Takeaways
- • Leda Braga and Affiliated Managers Group (AMG) jointly acquired BlueCrest Capital Management's entire remaining equity stake in Systematica Investments in January 2022, fully severing BlueCrest's ownership ties to the hedge fund firm.
- • The acquisition completes Braga's separation from BlueCrest, which began when Systematica was spun out as an independent entity in January 2015 after Braga served 14 years as President and Head of Systematic Trading at BlueCrest.
- • Systematica, a technology-driven managed futures and systematic trading manager, managed approximately $8.8 billion in assets as of October 2015, with its flagship BlueTrend strategy recognized as a leading performer in trend-following and quantitative equity investing since its 2004 inception.
- • The transaction positions Braga and her senior management team with majority equity ownership and operational control of Systematica, while AMG gains a material stake in one of the industry's established systematic trading platforms with a global client base spanning pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and high-net-worth individuals.
- • Systematica operates across five major financial centers—Geneva, London, New York, Singapore, and Jersey—with 48 investment professionals focused on delivering systematic strategies across hedge fund vehicles and liquid alternatives.
Summary
Leda Braga and Affiliated Managers Group have jointly acquired BlueCrest Capital Management's entire remaining stake in Systematica Investments, concluding a seven-year process of organizational separation initiated when Systematica was spun out of BlueCrest in January 2015. The transaction, announced January 18, 2022, marks the final severance of BlueCrest's ownership interest in the systematic trading firm.
Braga founded Systematica following her departure from BlueCrest, where she held the position of President and Head of Systematic Trading for 14 years beginning in 2001. The 2015 spinoff established Systematica as an independent hedge fund manager focused on rigorous application of scientific and technological methodologies to investment management. Prior to the full acquisition, AMG had acquired the majority of BlueCrest's equity interest in Systematica in November 2015, with Systematica's senior management retaining majority ownership and operational control of the business.
As of October 2015, Systematica managed approximately $8.8 billion in assets under management for an institutional client base including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm's flagship strategy, BlueTrend, established in 2004, has delivered sustained outperformance in managed futures and trend-following investing. Systematica's product suite encompasses both traditional hedge fund vehicles and liquid alternative strategies with emphasis on quantitative equity and trend-following methodologies.
The firm maintains a global footprint across five principal offices in Geneva, London, New York, Singapore, and Jersey, with 48 investment professionals operating under Braga's leadership as Chief Executive Officer. The acquisition by Braga and AMG consolidates ownership while reinforcing the senior management team's alignment with the firm's strategic direction and long-term performance objectives in systematic and quantitative asset management.
Braga founded Systematica following her departure from BlueCrest, where she held the position of President and Head of Systematic Trading for 14 years beginning in 2001. The 2015 spinoff established Systematica as an independent hedge fund manager focused on rigorous application of scientific and technological methodologies to investment management. Prior to the full acquisition, AMG had acquired the majority of BlueCrest's equity interest in Systematica in November 2015, with Systematica's senior management retaining majority ownership and operational control of the business.
As of October 2015, Systematica managed approximately $8.8 billion in assets under management for an institutional client base including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm's flagship strategy, BlueTrend, established in 2004, has delivered sustained outperformance in managed futures and trend-following investing. Systematica's product suite encompasses both traditional hedge fund vehicles and liquid alternative strategies with emphasis on quantitative equity and trend-following methodologies.
The firm maintains a global footprint across five principal offices in Geneva, London, New York, Singapore, and Jersey, with 48 investment professionals operating under Braga's leadership as Chief Executive Officer. The acquisition by Braga and AMG consolidates ownership while reinforcing the senior management team's alignment with the firm's strategic direction and long-term performance objectives in systematic and quantitative asset management.
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