Juniper Square's Alex Robinson - "high tech and high service," balancing AI with the human element in fund administration
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.
Today’s episode dives into what the future of fund administration could look like with a tech-forward approach and the application of AI.
We sat down with Juniper Square CEO and Co-Founder Alex Robinson to discuss how and why they’ve built a digital first fund administrator for private markets, starting with real estate and since expanding into other asset classes.
Fresh off of a $130M Series D fundraise led by Ribbit Capital, Juniper Square has expanded globally, into fund administration through its acquisition of Forstone, and has launched JunieAI to bring AI to fund administration.
Alex and I had a fascinating conversation. We discussed:
- Why Alex started Juniper Square and how his two entrepreneurial endeavors has informed how he’s built the firm.
- The problem Alex set out to solve by building Juniper Square.
- After dealing with FedEx’s to make investments, how he set out to build an investor experience that was digital.
- How AI will impact fund admin.
- Why every GP should have an AI agent according to Alex.
- Why Juniper Square decided to move from a technology firm to add fund administration capabilities in house.
- Does AI benefit larger firms or smaller firms more?
Thanks Alex for coming on the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast to share your expertise and wisdom on fund administration and AI.
A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Juniper Square
When was the last time things were easy for GPs?
A word from AGM podcast sponsor, Juniper Square
When was the last time things were easy for GPs?
Fundraising remains challenging, providing liquidity to investors is even harder—and broadly speaking, most GPs are underwater operationally.
It’s not about to get easier, either. Especially for managers vying for capital from the wealth channel. Sure, there’s increased demand from HNW and UNHW investors to gain private markets exposure…but managing their expectations for the investing experience is a whole different ballgame.
Reams of paper and a new KYC process every single time they subscribe to a fund? Brutal.
But what if committing capital to private equity, venture, and real estate funds was digital and seamless for investors — and scalable to manage for GPs?
Juniper Square gives GPs the connected software, data, and fund administration services needed for modern private markets. No matter how ambitious your next raise is, how many investors you manage, and how complex your investment vehicles are, Juniper Square empowers GPs to raise capital faster, reduce operational risk, and deliver a world-class investor experience.
And with JunieAI, Juniper Square's enterprise-grade AI built for private markets, GPs can truly and finally unlock the power of AI to work smarter, move faster, and focus on relationships and returns.
Scale your business, not your operational burdens and costs. Visit junipersquare.com/agm today to learn more.
Show Notes
00:03 Juniper Square: Revolutionizing Fund Management
Show Notes
00:03 Juniper Square: Revolutionizing Fund Management
01:38 Welcoming Alex to the Podcast
01:59 Alex's Journey to Founding Juniper Square
02:10 Juniper Square's Mission and Services
02:38 The Early Days and Challenges
03:41 The Digital Transformation of Private Markets
04:15 Focusing on the GP Experience
04:30 Balancing GP and LP Needs
04:54 The Naivete Advantage
05:12 Overcoming Industry Challenges
06:58 Real Estate: The Starting Point
08:41 The Evolution of Juniper Square
09:38 Technology Adoption in Private Markets
17:21 The Importance of Customer Feedback
18:09 The Vision for Market Efficiency
20:10 Expanding Across Asset Classes
21:09 The Role of Personal Relationships
22:49 Becoming a Full-Stack Service Provider
24:31 The Complexity of Fund Administration
28:55 The Future with AI
29:21 Challenges of Implementing AI
30:31 The High Cost of Mistakes
31:18 AI's Impact on Employee Productivity
31:52 Challenges of Adopting AI in the Workplace
32:20 Launching JunieAI
32:59 Understanding AI Models
33:44 Customizing AI for Reporting
34:44 Mastering Data for AI
35:13 AI in Software Development
35:59 Leveraging AI at Juniper Square
36:19 Ensuring Accuracy and Context in AI Models
37:30 AI's Limitations in Financial Insights
37:52 Future Improvements in AI Models
38:36 Feeding AI the Right Context
39:11 Connecting AI to Tools and Workflows
40:19 Automating Fund Administration
43:39 AI's Role in Competitive Advantage
44:24 AI's Impact on Different Asset Classes
46:16 Best Practices for GPS Using AI
47:02 AI's Benefits for Large vs. Small Firms
48:58 Integrating AI Across Business Functions
51:39 Balancing AI with Human Relationships
54:33 Future Vision for Private Markets
55:02 AI Agents in GP Work
56:07 Transforming GP-LP Matchmaking
01:00:50 Investment Opportunities in AI and Real Estate
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.