Membership

AYU is a private members’ club that connects a global community of alternative
investment professionals via a digital platform and events around the world

How to Apply for AYU Membership:

  1. Read Notes on Membership below

  2. Confirm which of our below Member Types you are

  3. Fill out our Membership Application form here

  4. Successful applicants will be contacted by a member of the AYU team

Notes on AYU Membership

  • AYU membership dues start at just £50 per month. Corporate and Service Provider memberships are available on request.
    For more information on membership tiers and prices, click here

  • Membership is open to professionals working in hedge funds, family offices and institutional investment organisations.

  • Our community is carefully curated so all members are relevant to each other.

  • All applicants must fit within our Member Types (below), be referenced by peers and be approved by our committee to gain membership.

  • All applicants must support their application with a reference, a verifiable position in the industry and a covering letter. Those who do not are unlikely to be granted membership.

  • We welcome members from all countries regardless of race, gender identity, age or religion.

  • We maintain a policy of True Representation which requires all applicants and members to present themselves truthfully.
    Should an applicant submit a false representation of themselves or their business activities, they will be barred from all future
    involvement with the AYU community.

  • A Two Hats policy is in place for applicants with two or more professional roles/employers. When this is the case (especially when an applicant is a service provider as well as hedge fund, family office or institutional investment professional) the applicant must disclose the nature of their work. Should an applicant submit a false representation of themselves or their business activities, they will be barred from all future involvement with the AYU community.

  • Once admitted, members must adhere to our rules and etiquette to retain membership. This includes True Representation when a member changes roles within the professional community. Failure to disclose a change of roles will result in the member being barred from all future involvement with the AYU community.

  • A very select minority of our membership is available to industry service providers. We maintain this membership to a maximum of 5% of our total membership. To apply for Service Provider Membership please click here.

  • We do not currently allow third party marketing and placement agent activity within the platform.


AYU Member Types

Our membership types are defined as below. Please note, should an applicant/member fall into more than one of these categories, their membership type will be defined by the lower designation category as defined by the AYU membership committee and the Two Hats policy.

Should an applicant submit a false representation of themselves or their business activities, they will be barred from all future
involvement with the AYU community.

  • Single Family Office (SFO)

    • A private organisation dedicated solely to the management of one family’s assets.

    • Does not manage the assets of, or generate revenue from, third parties.

      • Please note, verification checks are carried out on SFO applications.

  • Single Family Office with product (SFO+)

    • A private organisation dedicated to the management of one family’s assets, yet with a product or service made available to others, for a fee.

  • Multi Family Office (MFO)

    • A commercial entity whose purpose is to manage the assets of multiple individuals or families, for a fee.

  • Hedge Fund (HF)

    • A regulated fund management business whose goal is to generate absolute returns.

  • Multi Asset Class Fund Manager (MAC)

    • A fund management business which manages hedge funds as well as other alternative investment fund strategies, such as long-only or private equity.

  • Fund of Fund (FoF)

    • A fund management business that specialises in allocating its clients’ investments to underlying funds.

  • Institutional Investor (II)

    • A public or private pension, endowment or insurance fund.

  • Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF)

    • A state-owned state capital investment fund.

  • Trust or Foundation (TF)

    • An entity that holds and manages the assets of a beneficiary or beneficiaries.

  • Investment Consultant (IC)

    • A specialist business that advises institutional investors how and where to invest.

  • Service Provider (SP)

    • An organisation which provides any form of supporting product or service to the groups above.


Future Member Types

  • Private Equity Fund (PE)

    • A fund that invests in both private and public market equities and debt with the goal of actively
      influencing the management control and ownership of a company or a number of companies.

  • Venture Capital Fund (VC)

    • A fund that invests in startup and small-to-medium-sized enterprises with strong growth potential.

  • Real Estate Fund (RE)

    • A fund that invests in property or property derivatives.


Ineligible Member Types

  • Third Party Marketers and Placement Agents

    • A business or an individual that charges a fee for marketing third-party investment products.



If you are unsure about how to categorise your application, or have changed roles and
would like to amend your membership type, please contact us on membership@thisisayu.com