CAIA expands UniFi learning platform with PE microcredential

CAIA Association has announced the launch of a new private equity microcredential on its UniFi by CAIA platform, aimed at providing financial advisors with a deeper understanding of private equity as the asset class continues to expand.

The online, self-paced course unveiled Tuesday is part of UniFi’s broader educational offerings and is designed to address the growing need for wealth management professionals to navigate private equity’s complexities and its evolving role in portfolio construction.

The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association is rolling out the new offering amid a years-long trend of private markets overtaking public markets as a key driver of capital formation. Private equity, which encompasses categories such as venture capital, growth equity, and buyouts, has now become the largest segment of the alternative investments industry, with few signs of slowing down.

This trend has created new challenges for advisors, as clients increasingly seek private market exposure through regulated and semi-liquid vehicles.

“As the private equity asset class has matured, there are more considerations than ever for advisors to weigh, including the role that more established LP-led secondaries may play, the rise of continuation vehicles, and a strong desire ... for more private equity exposure,” Aaron Filbeck, managing director at CAIA Association, said in a statement. “Our new microcredential is designed so that the experienced advisor will quickly get up to speed on new PE access points coming online, while newcomers to private investing will leave with a solid understanding of the right questions to ask.”

The program, developed in collaboration with Cliffwater, FS Investments, and Meketa Capital, offers five modules covering the entire spectrum of private equity. It provides a detailed exploration of venture capital, growth equity, and buyouts, with a strong emphasis on practical portfolio implementation.

“Mature asset classes like private equity require in-depth educational resources to help practitioners understand all the considerations that come with portfolio integration,” said Phil Huber, managing director at Cliffwater.

Participants who complete the course are eligible for 7.5 hours of continuing education credit, which can be applied toward maintaining certifications for CFP and IWI certificate holders.

This Private Equity Microcredential joins UniFi’s growing portfolio of programs, which includes microcredentials on digital assets, private debt, and real estate, as well as the platform's flagship Fundamentals of Alternative Investments Certificate program.

The UniFi by CAIA platform was initially launched in 2022 with the support of leading names in the asset management space including BlackRock, Vanguard, T. Rowe Price, and Frankin Templeton. Since then, CAIA has inked key partnerships to broaden the platform's reach, including a collaboration with the Financial Planning Association in 2023 and an alliance with Sanctuary Wealth in August, which extended its alts fundamentals program to Sanctuary's advisors.