Texas MRS Ups Private Markets Target, IL Police Launch $450M Search
Texas Municipal Retirement System set the pace on allocator activity, targeting $4.75B in new private markets commitments for 2026, up from $4.2B in 2025. The plan allocates $2B to private credit, $1.75B to private equity and $1B to real assets, with staff noting nearly full deployment of last year’s pacing and increased use of co-investments.
Elsewhere, City of San Jose Police and Fire outlined a $145M pacing plan for fiscal 2026-27 across buyout, venture, private debt and real assets, while Illinois Police Officers Pension Fund launched a search for one or two managers to run a $450M non-core real estate mandate. New Mexico PERA also entered the market with an emerging markets equity ex-China RFP targeting roughly $400M, with a maximum allocation of up to $625M.
On the GP side, Bridgepoint Group reported a €6B first close for Bridgepoint Europe VIII, putting the fund within range of its €7.5B target less than six months after launch. The vehicle has already secured commitments from US public pensions including Minnesota State Board of Investments and Washington State Investment Board, according to Dakota data.
Fengate Asset Management also advanced fundraising with a reported $1B initial close for Fengate Infrastructure Fund V against a $1.5B target and $2.5B hard cap, continuing its focus on North American core-plus and value-add infrastructure.
The Real Friction in Institutional Fundraising
Most fundraising campaigns don’t fail in the pitch. They fail before it.
Wrong list. Wrong contact. Stale data. Hours of research before a single conversation happens.
Dakota Marketplace gives investment sales teams a single database of institutional investors, consultants, RIAs, and family offices — with verified contacts updated daily.
Less research. More conversations. More capital raised.
Investments & Searches
CIO Turnover Is Creating a Window in the Endowment Market
Endowment portfolios don’t change often.
But when leadership does, everything gets reviewed.
Dakota has tracked a wave of CIO transitions across the endowment landscape — each triggering a 12–18 month window where manager relationships are reassessed and new allocations are considered.
For investment firms, these moments matter.
They represent one of the few times established portfolios are open to change.
Dakota’s latest report maps these transitions alongside broader trends in allocation, governance, and portfolio construction.
Because in institutional fundraising, timing can matter as much as access.
Private Fund Updates
Private Equity
Venture Capital
Real Assets
People News
Other News
The Next Sports Investments Aren’t Always Obvious
Some of the most interesting opportunities in sports weren’t designed as investments.
They started as games people played for fun.
Pickleball. Flag football. Padel.
Today, those same sports are attracting institutional capital, with leagues forming, investors building platforms, and participation translating into revenue models.
Dakota’s latest Sports Investing report takes a closer look at this shift — how recreational sports are becoming investable, and what it means for investors looking beyond traditional franchises.
Because in this market, the edge often comes from seeing what others overlook.