Clubs and networking organisations of all kinds operate across the world's wealth management industry, and we recently caught up with a CIO of such a group founded seven years ago.

For high net worth investors – some still running their own firms – working out how to find suitable people to co-invest with and exchange ideas in a convivial setting can be daunting.

Since 2018, the London Technology Club (LTC) – a community of family offices, tech experts, private investors, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, now with more than 130 members – has provided such a forum. The club hosts around two events a month in London and offers opportunities for co-investment among members.

“As the club serves as a gateway to technology investments, we’re committed to tapping into local markets where innovation thrives and investor interest grows. In a world marked by uncertainty, diversification has become more important than ever, and we’re here to support that shift,” Denis Blank (main picture) chief investment officer at LTC, told WealthBriefing in a recent interview.

“We’re building bridges between the world’s major financial hubs. This means creating opportunities for local investors to participate in some of the most exciting tech companies emerging from the West, while simultaneously opening new regions and markets for our London-based members,” he said.

LTC also has chapters in Dubai and Hong Kong, each hosting one event a month. The club provides a platform for networking, investing, and exchanging ideas. Around seven years ago, members expressed an interest in investing in technology opportunities through private markets – where much of this activity occurs.

Blank, a long-time investor in private equity and hedge funds, ran a family office for the founder of a hedge fund business before joining LTC in 2024.

He said current opportunities are in areas such as late-stage venture capital secondaries.

“The VC sector needs a vibrant secondaries market,” Blank noted. The secondaries VC market is small compared with the well-established one for private equity, but “this is where we see opportunities,” he added.

After discussing the idea with Konstantin Sidorov, LTC’s CEO, Blank joined LTC full-time in September 2024 to lead its investment arm.

Members’ levels of participation vary – they pay an annual membership fee, but not all choose to invest directly.

The club model
There are a several clubs, forums and network linking investors with one another, such as Keiretsu Forum; another is the Oxford Club, an independent financial research publisher and a private network of investors and entrepreneurs, which is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, operating in scores of countries. It also hosts financial seminars, symposiums, and overseas investment excursions. Membership organisations also exist as opportunities for people to swap ideas, such as R360, a global, member-driven group of wealth creators, and Tiger 21, a peer network of UHNW individuals and family offices.

Other clubs can be created by banks for specific clients so that they can network and work together. An example is from the private bank of Standard Chartered; in March this year it launched the Private Markets Co-Investment Club (CIC) to provide eligible ultra-high net worth clients with exclusive deal-by-deal access to manager-led private market co-investment opportunities globally.

Building a bridge
When asked about specific LTC activities, Blank said: “LTC has already facilitated and managed more than $200 million in technology investments for members, including four funds. Our focus has been on fast-scaling technology companies valued between $100 million and $1 billion. LTC doesn’t lead investment rounds; we co-invest alongside top-tier VC funds. The goal is to achieve an exit for each investment within three to five years.”

He continued: “We typically target businesses with valuations of over $500 million. The secondaries fund will have a 2 per cent management fee, paired with a 20 per cent performance fee. The fund will be registered in Delaware.”

There is a clear separation between the club as a networking forum and its investment activities. LTC members invest via the LTC Pledge Fund, managed by LTC BVI Ltd, a separate entity that includes members of the club.

Blank said LTC typically views 100 members per chapter as the optimal size.

“Any more than that and you begin not to know the names within the community and struggle to provide personal attention,” he said. “The LTC chapters in Dubai and Hong Kong are now experiencing the same network effect and snowball momentum that we’ve seen in London. With our events being so regular, we can also bring in new people constantly, ensuring a wider, curated community beyond our core membership.”

LTC is exploring the creation of new chapters, reflecting where members spend time and operate businesses. Blank said he is particularly focused on major US cities and other hubs such as Bangkok, Riyadh, Bahrain and Singapore.

“Our philosophy is rooted in providing members with exclusive access to high-growth opportunities across disruptive sectors such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, autonomous mobility, robotics and beyond,” Blank added.