Our Journey

"With over 25 years of experience in alternative investments, we are not only poised, but also keenly determined to constantly evolve our offering in order to adapt to advisors’ needs in the face of an ever-changing landscape."
- Steven Brod

The Fund of Funds Generation

Crystal pioneered the distinctive vision to create an institutional solution to not only navigate, but also facilitate and simplify, the alternative investment journey.

1994

Crystal began as an early investor in today’s leading hedge funds, creating and managing several fund of funds catering to offshore high net worth investors.

Trident Trust Company and Ernst and Young become the funds’ independent administrator and auditor.

2001

Further expand the fund of funds offering to cater to US institutions and onshore high net worth investors.

2004

Developed one of the industry's first principal protected note programs underwritten by Credit Suisse.

An Advisor-Focused, Customized Approach

Pivoting from the fund of funds model, we realize that one size does not fit all, and advisors need more customizable options to avoid manager and strategy overlap in client portfolios.

2007

Customized Portfolio Program is launched, offering financial advisors the ability to build customized hedge fund portfolios.

2008

Web based platform is re-tooled. For the first time, our proprietary analytics, portfolio optimizer, research and due diligence, and reporting capabilities become available to our clients, providing enhanced transparency to better service clientele.

2009

Developed private label capabilities, providing advisors with personalized reports, branded websites and client facing materials.

2010

The Customized Portfolio Program is launched for institutions, and is adopted by several large regional banks, broker-dealers, and other institutions as their premier outsourced alternative investing solution.

Operational Efficiencies

2012

Crystal connects with major custodial platforms to streamline transactional processes and provide integrated reporting.

2014

Improvements to portfolio management technology help advisors instantly rebalance portfolio allocations, monitor portfolio liquidity, and manage clients' cashflow needs.

2015

Subscription process goes digital, further simplifying the process of subscribing to multiple funds. We now offer a simple, one-time, online subscription process.

Private Market Funds & the FinTech Era

2018

Private equity, private credit, venture capital, and SPV funds are added to the roster. Our technology becomes cloud-based, providing our clients with enhanced security, scalability, and resilience.

2021

Digital investment proposals are created, disrupting the traditional way of client-facing reporting.

2022

Streamlined Registration Process for CRD Holders

Financial advisors with a CRD license can access a temporary preview of the third-party alternative investment funds on our platform.

Manager Audio Files

Rather listen than read? Our new audio clips describe the managers and funds on our platform and can easily be shared with clients.

Monthly Manager Deal Flow

Learn about the companies that managers on our platform are backing.

Quarterly Hedge Fund Performance Review

Enjoy manager observations on what transpired throughout global markets, how they sought opportunities, and how they’re positioning for what’s ahead.

Research 2.0

Firm and fund research is revamped to concisely detail a firm’s notable investments, historical performance, the opportunity set for a strategy, the manager deck, and ongoing quarterly commentary directly from the managers.