One of the best ways to judge the vitality of a market is to look at how fund managers and investors are adapting to changing demands. The private funds industry has shown incredible resilience through the pandemic years, and several trends that were seen as nascent at the start of 2020 have proven their staying power through recent upheavals.

These encompass areas as diverse as ESG and investor demand for a more sustainable approach through to the dizzying pace of technological change that is seeing the emergence of exciting new data-driven strategies. Covid-19, of course, encouraged the growth of virtual due diligence – practically unheard of prior to the pandemic – but the thing that really becomes apparent is in how many ways private markets are modernizing. The future really does start here.In this special report, Private Funds CFO’s writers and editors pick out 20 of the biggest themes emerging in private funds management.