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alternative investments
Trends
- 1Cheap Chinese AI models surge in popularity, worrying Washington●(reasonably priced) Chinese AI models surge in global popularity — and Washington is worried - because of course they ar
Low-cost Chinese AI models are gaining ground with users worldwide, drawing concern from US policymakers. Commentators note the economic stakes: American markets, including the NASDAQ and large parts of private credit, are heavily invested in US hyperscalers whose frontier models depend on future profits. If cheap Chinese alternatives undercut that business model, investors and Washington both stand to lose, which is why the trend is drawing so much attention.
- 2Nio and Geely deepen commitment to EV battery swapping▼China’s Nio and Geely deepen commitment to EV battery swapping tech
Chinese automakers Nio and Geely are expanding their investment in electric vehicle battery swapping technology, according to the South China Morning Post. Battery swapping lets drivers exchange depleted batteries for charged ones in minutes, and the two companies' renewed commitment signals growing industry interest in the approach as China's EV market matures and charging infrastructure struggles to keep pace with demand.
- 3S&P 500 outperformed the housing market, Fortune argues▼Thinking about buying stocks instead of a home? The S&P 500 has blown away the housing market
Fortune compares putting money into stocks versus buying a home, saying the S&P 500 has significantly outpaced housing as an investment. The piece speaks to buyers weighing whether homeownership still makes financial sense amid high mortgage rates and elevated home prices, with renting and investing the difference presented as a serious alternative.
- 4Alternative investments draw young retail investors▼Alternative investments are wooing individual investors, especially young people
Alternative investments — assets such as private equity, private credit, real estate and collectibles — are increasingly being marketed to individual investors rather than institutions, with young people a particular target. Financial media commentary highlights this shift as access broadens and platforms open these products to retail customers.
- 5Startup Tash builds investment infrastructure for trading cards●How startup tash is building infrastructure to invest in trading cards
Berkeley Haas is highlighting Tash, a startup building the infrastructure that lets people invest in trading cards as an asset class. The company is positioning collectible cards alongside stocks and other alternative investments, and the business school coverage frames it as part of a wider wave of startups turning hobbies into investable markets.
- 6Limited Partner Interest In Alternatives Hits Five-Year High●Survey: Limited Partner Interest In Alternatives Hits 5-Year High, Fund Managers Back In Favor
A new survey finds limited partner appetite for alternative investments, including private equity and hedge funds, has reached its highest level in five years. Fund managers are reportedly back in favor with investors after a difficult stretch marked by muted allocations and exit challenges. The findings point to renewed institutional confidence in alternatives heading into the next fundraising cycle.
- 7Berkeley undergraduates launch tash trading card investment platform▼Undergrad team launches tash, an investment platform for trading cards
A team of undergraduate students has launched tash, an investment platform built around trading cards. The venture, highlighted by UC Berkeley Haas News, lets users treat collectible cards as an asset class. It is one of a growing number of student-founded startups aiming to bring financial market tools to alternative, collectible assets.
- 8
The European Union is looking to expand its involvement in the Luzon Economic Corridor, the infrastructure and connectivity project linking Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas in the Philippines. The corridor, launched under the G7's Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, is seen as a Western-led alternative to Chinese Belt and Road projects, and Manila has welcomed outside investment.
- 9GCM Grosvenor commits up to $100m to Hyperion grocery retail strategy▼GCM Grosvenor backs Hyperion with up to $100m for grocery retail strategy
GCM Grosvenor has agreed to back Hyperion with up to $100 million to support a grocery retail strategy. The Chicago-based alternative asset manager will provide the capital commitment, signalling continued investor interest in the grocery retail sector. The move gives Hyperion significant firepower to pursue its retail investment plans.
- 10GCM Grosvenor launches grocery retail fund with $200M seed▼GCM Grosvenor seeds new grocery retail fund with $200M
Alternative investment manager GCM Grosvenor has seeded a new fund focused on grocery retail with $200 million. The move signals continued institutional interest in essential retail real estate, with grocery-anchored assets seen as resilient through economic downturns. Further details on the fund's manager, strategy and target size have not yet been disclosed.
- 11Dutch startup raises €6m to triple biogas output▼Dutch startup raises €6m to scale up technology that can “triple biogas output”
A Dutch startup has raised €6 million to scale up a technology it says can triple biogas output. The funding round is aimed at expanding the company's capacity to deploy its system in the growing renewable gas sector. The claim of tripling output, if validated at commercial scale, could significantly improve the economics of biogas production, a sector attracting rising investment as Europe seeks alternatives to natural gas.
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Chip startup EVAS has raised $295 million to expand its work on RISC-V-based AI architecture. The funding will support development of open-standard processor designs aimed at artificial intelligence workloads, a growing alternative to proprietary architectures. The announcement is drawing attention from the semiconductor and AI hardware communities tracking investment in open-source chip technology.
- 13Space-Based Solar Power Market Poised to Scale Up by 2035▼Space Based Solar Power Market To 2035: Energy Security Demand Drives Scale-Up - News and Statistics
A new market outlook projects growth in space-based solar power through 2035, driven by rising demand for energy security. The report points to expanding investment and development in the sector as countries look to diversify energy sources. Interest in the technology continues to build as governments and industry weigh its potential role in future energy supply.