US investment advisor Cambridge Associates has launched its online Research Navigator tool in the Australian market, targeting superannuation funds, family offices and philanthropic funds.

The Research Navigator delivers current Cambridge research and historical data on private fund and asset managers throughout the world, from hard assets, hedge funds, private equity and long/short global equity managers.

The database includes information on more than 10,400 private investment funds and delivers quarterly performance reports on up to 1000 of them, including internal rates of return, and the capability to privately benchmark portfolios.

The system can also model historical asset-allocation performance.

Jeff Mansukhani, director of strategy for the Research Navigator product, is in Australia this week talking to existing clients and demonstrating the Research Navigator to potential users.

Several superannuation funds and philanthropic endowments are already using the system in Australia.

“Navigator is an ideal way for research teams to continue to monitor their legacy portfolios, and also help them select managers in new asset classes as they consider new allocations,” Mansukhani told I&T News.

“It gives users access to the same information as our consultants, and can give them access to one of our private investment specialists who can act as an informed sounding board.”

Cambridge was formed in 1973 to advise Harvard University on its endowment, and has now grown into a research firm serving over 900 clients, from small endowments to some of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds.