Russell Investments and Invest Blue open the door to private markets for Australian retail investors

Sydney, 27 October 2025 – Private companies are staying private longer – and some may never go public at all. This means many investors risk missing out on the growth stories driving industries of the future. The Cornerstone Private Markets Managed Portfolio seeks to solve this gap by offering a simple, advised pathway into private equity, private credit and real assets.  

With a minimum initial $25,000 investment the new portfolio uses a separately managed account structure, developed in collaboration with Ironbark, to give qualified advised clients of Invest Blue diversified access to institutional-quality private market opportunities within structures designed for retail investors.

Partner perspectives

“For too long, access to private markets has been limited to large institutions and ultra-wealthy investors. But many of the world’s most innovative and successful companies are choosing to stay private. This managed portfolio allows our clients to participate in those opportunities – through a carefully designed structure for retail investors,” said Chris Ogilvie, Chief Investment Officer at Invest Blue. 

“Russell Investments has been investing in private markets for more than 50 years. Our global scale and manager research means we can help open the door for Australian advised clients to participate in institutional-grade opportunities – overcoming many of the traditional barriers faced by retail investors” said Neil Rogan, Head of Distribution, Australia at Russell Investments.

“Private markets are increasingly being recognised by advisers as an important source of diversification and long-term return potential. At Ironbark, we saw a real opportunity to democratise access to these assets through a retail-compatible managed account structure that features institutional-grade controls around governance, transparency, and liquidity management” said Alex Donald, CEO, Investment Solutions, Ironbark.

How the portfolio works

The Cornerstone Private Markets Managed Portfolio:

• Invests across 3 to 15 holdings in private equity, private credit and real assets -- delivering the type of diversification across private markets assets normally only possible for institutional investors
• Combines evergreen, open-ended strategies with listed exposures, such as exchange-traded funds, to help provide staged access to capital
• Monthly pricing and platform-based reporting
• Will initially be available on the BT Panorama platform to advisers who meet criteria set by Invest Blue. 

Global research and manager selection

Russell Investments’ global private markets research platform continuously monitors more than 9,000 private markets strategies worldwide, but only about 100 currently earn a “buy” rating.

“Manager selection is critical in private markets, where performance can vary widely. Our global scale allows us to identify and partner with the very best, giving retail clients institutional-grade access with greater confidence,” Rogan said.

Why this matters

• Companies are staying private longer: the average time before IPO has more than doubled globally in the past two decades. 
• Retail investors risk being locked out of value creation if they only access companies after they go public.
• Private markets are growing rapidly, now representing trillions of dollars globally and playing a central role in innovation, infrastructure and financing.