Imperium commits to first cohort of The Fund Foundry

19 May 2026

Imperium commits to first cohort of The Fund Foundry

Imperium commits to first cohort of The Fund Foundry

Imperium is pleased to announce its commitment to the first cohort of The Fund Foundry, a Guernsey-based not-for-profit launched at The Guernsey Funds Forum in May 2026.

Together with twenty-six industry partners, including Imperium, The Fund Foundry is backing five emerging managers through a 12-month structured programme.

Imperium’s Group Head of Funds, Barry McClay, commented “For several years, we have seen first time fund managers struggle with the operational elements of launching a regulated fund in a credible jurisdiction. The Fund Foundry is the first programme to provide a clear response to the time and cost issues in reaching first close”.

Guernsey as a jurisdiction for first time fund managers

Guernsey has over £300 billion in fund assets across more than 1,500 vehicles, a regulator that operates a one-day Private Investment Fund pathway, and a service provider community already familiar to allocators in London, Continental Europe and the Gulf. The Fund Foundry takes that infrastructure and opens it deliberately to the next generation: structured mentoring from GPs who have launched their own funds, GFSC fast-track registration, and direct introductions to institutional allocators.

The programme

Applications for the first cohort open in July 2026. A shortlist of twenty emerging managers will travel to Guernsey at the end of September 2026 for a two-day on-island selection event, after which the cohort of five enters the full programme from November 2026. The Programme takes no fee, no equity and no carry from cohort members.

The final five managers will be provided with a £25,000 service voucher for use towards Guernsey legal, fund administration and audit costs. Technical support is also offered, with each cohort member being paired with a dedicated mentor from an established fund manager.

Charlotte Parr, Imperium Funds Director, stated “Imperium are proud to be supporting the first cohort of managers in The Fund Foundry – it greatly aligns with our desire to support first time fund managers and Guernsey as an international finance centre. We will be at the September selection event and are looking forward to working with the cohort”.