The alternatives marketplace is now open.

Portland's commercial real estate crowdfunding startup CrowdStreet has entered into a strategic partnership with private securities marketplace FNEX. The arrangement will enable CrowdStreet to expand the pool of accredited investors who might be interested in investing in some of the Portland company's real estate deals. According to a release from CrowdStreet, a crowdfunding marketplace that connects accredited investors with institutional-grade real estate investments, Indianapolis-based FNEX and its registered broker dealer, Applied Capital, will be a distribution partner for CrowdStreet clients and their offerings. It will also conduct diligence services for deals CrowdStreet posts on the FNEX platform.

Preqin today launches their 2015 Global Alternatives Reports, which reveal significant growth in assets held by private equity, hedge fund, private debt, real estate and infrastructure fund managers. Total industry assets now stand at $6.91tn*, up from $6.22tn as of this point last year. Although the performance of Hedge Funds over the past year has been generally considered underwhelming, the asset class accounted for over half of the asset growth across alternatives, as investors continued to deploy capital in funds that offered attractive opportunities. Across the other asset classes, improving valuations have been seen as a primary driver of asset growth.