Fundraising Research Allocators

IPEM's Allocation & Fundraising Report 2027: Allocators reposition for a more complex investment climate

Published in partnership with  Alix_Partners_Logo

LPs are rewriting the Playbook for the Next Private Markets Cycle

As IPEM Global 2026 kicks off in Paris, our latest LP data shows a market bracing for lower returns and adapting fast. Allocators are rotating out of large buyout into small-cap, co-investment and emerging managers, while AI is reshaping sector bets: capital is leaving software for healthcare and industrials, late-stage venture is heating up, and a sovereignty thesis around deep tech, defense and space is gaining real traction.

Add rising conviction in infrastructure, a manager base splitting between mega-firms and a resilient mid-market, private credit brushing off crisis talk, and a fresh push toward international diversification — and the picture is clear: the rules of the last cycle don't apply to the next one.

Download the full report to see the data behind these shifts and what they mean for your fundraising strategy.

Download the 2027 Trends report

Gareth Morgan
Gareth is IPEM's head of research. He formerly worked at Ely Place Partners, a placement agent and secondary advisory firm and prior to this he was director of investor marketing at Brackendale Consulting. His ten years of experience in private markets includes leading LP and fund research at Unquote and overseeing private company research at The Sunday Times Fast Track.