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September 8, 2025 | 8 min read
After a record-breaking 2024 in the secondary market where transaction volume reached $160 billion, 2025 is on track for another unparalleled year with H1 2025 volumes already topping $102 billion.1 GP-led transaction volume, including GP-led single-asset continuation vehicles (SACVs), also scaled to new highs, providing general partners (GPs) and limited partners (LPs) with highly flexible liquidity and portfolio management solutions that are helping navigate a more complex investing and return backdrop.
As investors increasingly look for ways to optimize portfolio construction across parts of the secondary market, we explore how a potential strategic allocation of 10-20% to a SACV-oriented fund, coupled with a core allocation to a diversified secondary program, may offer a compelling opportunity to enhance returns, manage risk, and create value.
Continuation vehicles allow GPs to retain ownership of high-performing assets beyond the traditional fund lifecycle, offering liquidity to existing LPs while bringing in new capital to support continued value creation. GP-led continuation vehicles, both single-asset and multi-asset, accounted for 44% of the entire secondary market in 2024, with SACVs alone growing to represent about 20% of total secondary market volume.2
Sources: Evercore Private Capital Advisory, FY 2024 Secondary Market Review, dated February 2025, data included within the chart is as of December 31, 2024.
SACVs are distinct from both more diversified multi-asset continuation funds and LP-led transactions in that they offer more concentrated exposure to “trophy” assets. Because SACVs seek to offer exposure to a well-performing, high-quality company with a demonstrated management team and growth trajectory, funds focused on single-asset GP-led transactions can help investors build a curated portfolio with some of the highest-quality assets available in private markets today.
A key feature of SACVs and other GP-led transactions is their ability to align incentives between GPs and secondary investors. GPs typically roll a significant portion of their crystallized carried interest, sometimes alongside fresh capital, into the new vehicle. It is common for GPs to represent 5% to 10% of a continuation fund’s total commitments—showing strong conviction in the asset’s future performance.3 This alignment, combined with continuity of the existing GP and company management team, who also tend to “rollover” a significant portion of their equity, positions SACVs as a high-conviction, high-return segment of the secondaries market.
The composition of a diversified secondaries portfolio can vary widely across managers in terms of weightings across LP-led and GP-led deals. On one hand, these funds generally provide exposure to a range of vintages, sectors, geographies, and underlying managers, helping to mitigate idiosyncratic risk and smooth returns. On the other hand, this diversification may underweight exposure to SACVs and the high-quality assets found in single-asset deals.
Many diversified secondary fund programs have caps on exposure to single-asset transactions that are meaningfully below the current market weighting of approximately 20%. While these caps are intended to ensure appropriate fund-level diversification, they generally lead to diversified programs having an undersized allocation to single-asset investments, which may reduce alpha potential.
Introducing a strategic allocation focused on SACVs to a core portfolio of diversified secondaries can address this limitation by injecting a potential layer of concentrated alpha while also building a portfolio that more closely mirrors the transaction activity in the secondary market overall.
As the SACV market has matured, we have seen the promise of strong performance play out in transaction data. Namely, SACVs have demonstrated the ability to generate MOICs that are commensurate with or exceed those of standard buyout investments with similar levels of downside risk. As illustrated below, first-quartile SACV MOICs have historically been higher than that of buyout, while median and third-quartile SACV performance has been comparable or slightly better.
Source: Morgan Stanley Private Capital Advisory, The Case for Continuation Funds: An Updated Review of Initial Performance, March 2025. First quartile boundary (“Q1”), median, and 3rd quartile boundary (“Q3”) return benchmarks are calculated using Preqin performance data. All data represents relevant funds with vintages between 2018 and 2024. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
The compelling risk-reward profile for SACVs can be attributed to several characteristics. SACVs inherently benefit from the positive selection bias that comes from the sponsor electing to “double down” on high-performing assets they know exceptionally well. This continuity of GP ownership also means there is no potential disruption from a change of control. Additionally, the sponsor’s value creation plan for the company is confirmed through underwriting by secondary investors. Overall, the alpha generation potential of SACVs can make them a valuable complement to a diversified secondary allocation.
Aside from the portfolio construction considerations and structural characteristics examined above, the current macro environment has created an especially attractive backdrop for SACVs. Despite secondary volumes rising over the past several years, exit volume more broadly has declined and remains under pressure with geopolitical events and tariffs dampening recovery expectations. Given the continued slower pace of exits, GPs are increasingly utilizing SACVs as a means to hold on to their best assets while providing a liquidity option for existing LPs—further widening the opportunity set for SACV investors.
While the benefits are clear, investing in SACVs requires specialized capabilities. Due diligence must shift from fund-level analysis to asset-level underwriting, demanding a deep understanding of the company’s financial performance, market position, and growth potential. Moreover, the concentrated nature of these investments necessitates a robust monitoring framework.
To mitigate these challenges, we believe it is crucial for investors to partner with experienced secondary managers who possess the sourcing networks, analytical tools, and execution expertise required to navigate the complexities of SACV transactions. When executed thoughtfully, a strategic allocation to SACVs can serve as a powerful complement to a diversified secondaries portfolio—enhancing potential returns and positioning investors to capitalize on the evolving dynamics of the private equity secondaries market.
Some key manager questions for investors looking to optimize their secondary allocation include:
Connect with HarbourVest
As one of the world’s three largest secondaries managers with historically strong performance and more than $62 billion deployed over 35+ years, the HarbourVest secondary team benefits from the power and scale of the HarbourVest platform that provides access to some of the highest-quality LP-led and GP-led deal flow. We believe that offering both diversified secondary funds and continuation solutions positions HarbourVest clients to take advantage of the range of opportunities emerging in today’s secondaries market.
While many managers offer flagship funds with a clear weighting toward either LP-led or GP-led transactions, we pursue balanced weightings in our diversified secondary program because we believe this provides the best outcomes for our investors. In our concentrated, continuation solutions-oriented offering, we focus on investing in high-quality SACVs that contain a GP’s “trophy assets.” The composition of a core diversified secondary program will influence the appropriate weighting for a SACV-focused strategy, but if the core program includes a balance of LP-led and GP-led deals, we believe investors looking to generate increased alpha potential should consider implementing a 10-20% SACV allocation to mirror the overall secondary market.
Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.
HarbourVest Partners, LLC is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. This material is solely for informational purposes and should not be viewed as a current or past recommendation or an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy securities or adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed herein represent the current, good faith views of the author(s) at the time of publication, are not definitive investment advice, and should not be relied upon as such. This material has been developed internally and/or obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, HarbourVest does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of such information. There is no assurance that any events or projections will occur, and outcomes may be significantly different than the opinions shown here. This information, including any projections concerning financial market performance, is based on current market conditions, which will fluctuate and may be superseded by subsequent market events or for other reasons. The information contained herein must be kept strictly confidential and may not be reproduced or redistributed in any format without the express written approval of HarbourVest.
Nothing herein should be construed as a solicitation, offer, recommendation, representation of suitability, legal advice, tax advice, or endorsement of any security or investment and should not be relied upon by you in evaluating the merits of investing in HarbourVest funds or any other investment decision.
An investment in the private markets involves high degree of risk, and therefore, should be undertaken only by prospective investors capable of evaluating the risks of the Fund and bearing the risks such an investment represents. The following is a summary of only some of the risks of investing in private markets.
Risks Related to the Structure and Terms of a Private Markets Fund. Investments in a fund of funds structure may subject investors to additional risks which would not be incurred if such investor were investing directly in private equity funds. Such risks may include but are not limited to (i) multiple levels of expense; and (ii) reliance on third-party management. In addition, a fund may issue capital calls, and failure to meet the capital calls can result in consequences including, but not limited to, a total loss of investment.
Illiquidity of Interests; Limitations on Transfer; No Market for Interests. An investor in a private markets fund or account will generally not be permitted to transfer its interest without the consent of the general partner of such fund. Furthermore, the transferability of an interest will be subject to certain restrictions contained in the governing documents of a closed-end fund and will be affected by restrictions imposed under applicable securities laws. The interests should only be acquired by investors able to commit their funds for an indefinite period of time, as the term of the closed-end fund could continue for over 14 years. In addition, there are very few situations in which an investor may withdraw from a private equity closed-end fund. The possibility of total loss of an investment in a fund exists and prospective investors should not invest unless they can readily bear such a loss.
Risk of Loss. There can be no assurance that the operations of a strategy will be profitable or that the strategy will be able to avoid losses or that cash from operations will be available for distribution to the limited partners. The possibility of partial or total loss of capital of the strategy exists, and prospective investors should not subscribe unless they can readily bear the consequences of a complete loss of their investment.
Leverage. The strategy may use leverage in its investment strategy. Leverage may take the form of loans for borrowed money or derivative securities and instruments that are inherently leveraged, including options, futures, forward contracts, swaps and repurchase agreements. The strategy may use leverage to acquire, directly or indirectly, new investments. The use of leverage by the strategy can substantially increase the market exposure (and market risk) to which the strategies’ investment portfolio may be subject.
Availability of Suitable Investments. The business of identifying and structuring investments of the types contemplated by the strategy is competitive and involves a high degree of uncertainty. Furthermore, the availability of investment opportunities generally will be subject to market conditions and competition from other groups as well as, in some cases, the prevailing regulatory or political climate. Interest rates, general levels of economic activity, the price of securities, and participation by other investors in the financial markets may affect the value and number of investments made by the strategy or considered for prospective investment.
Reliance on the General Partner and Investment Manager. The success of the strategy will be highly dependent on the financial and managerial expertise of a fund’s general partner and investment manager and their expertise in the relevant markets. The quality of results of the general partner and investment manager will depend on the quality of their personnel. There are risks that death, illness, disability, change in career or new employment of such personnel could adversely affect results of the strategy. The limited partners will not make decisions with respect to the acquisition, management, disposition or other realization of any investment, or other decisions regarding the strategies’ businesses and portfolio.
Market Risk. Private equity, as a form of equity capital, shares similar economic exposures as public equities. As such, investments in each can be expected to earn the equity risk premium, or compensation for assuming the non-diversifiable portion of equity risk. However, unlike public equity, private equity’s sensitivity to public markets is likely greatest during the late stages of the fund’s life because the level of equity markets around the time of portfolio company exits can negatively affect private equity realizations. Though private equity managers have the flexibility to potentially time portfolio company exits to complete transactions in more favorable market environments, there’s still the risk of capital loss from adverse financial conditions.
Private Investments Continuation Investing Risks. The business of identifying and structuring continuation private investments is competitive and involves a high degree of uncertainty. In addition, the returns achieved by an investment will depend in large part on the efforts and performance results obtained by the sponsors of the continuation vehicle. Moreover, the continuation vehicle will not have an active role in the day-to-day management of the investments or in the tax structuring of investments made by the sponsors or the ability to approve the specific investment or management decisions made by the sponsors. As a result, the returns of the continuation vehicle will primarily depend on the performance of unrelated investment managers and other management personnel. A continuation vehicle may invest in leveraged buyouts of companies; leveraged buyouts by their nature require companies to undertake a high ratio of leverage relative to available income. It is important to note that use of leverage will decrease the returns of an investment if it fails to earn as much on investments purchased with borrowed funds as it pays for the use of those funds.
Secondary Investing Risk. Secondary market transactions may impose higher costs than other investments and may require a fund to assume contingent liabilities associated with events occurring prior to the Fund’s investment. The overall performance of an Underlying Portfolio Fund acquired through a secondary transaction will depend in large part on the purchase price paid. In addition, a fund will generally not have any ability to negotiate terms with respect to interests in Underlying Portfolio Funds invested in through secondary market transactions.
“Professional Investor” under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the “SFO”) and its subsidiary legislation) means:
(a) any recognised exchange company, recognised clearing house, recognised exchange controller or recognised investor compensation company, or any person authorised to provide automated trading services under section 95(2) of the SFO;
(b) any intermediary, or any other person carrying on the business of the provision of investment services and regulated under the law of any place outside Hong Kong;
(c) any authorized financial institution, or any bank which is not an authorised financial institution but is regulated under the law of any place outside Hong Kong;
(d) any insurer authorized under the Insurance Ordinance (Cap. 41 of the Laws of Hong Kong), or any other person carrying on insurance business and regulated under the law of any place outside Hong Kong;
(e) any scheme which-
(i) is a collective investment scheme authorised under section 104 of the SFO; or
(ii) is similarly constituted under the law of any place outside Hong Kong and, if it is regulated under the law of such place, is permitted to be operated under the law of such place,
or any person by whom any such scheme is operated;
(f) any registered scheme as defined in section 2(1) of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485 of the Laws of Hong Kong), or its constituent fund as defined in section 2 of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (General) Regulation (Cap. 485A of the Laws of Hong Kong), or any person who, in relation to any such registered scheme, is an approved trustee or service provider as defined in section 2(1) of that Ordinance or who is an investment manager of any such registered scheme or constituent fund;
(g) any scheme which-
(i) is a registered scheme as defined in section 2(1) of the Occupational Retirement Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 426 of the Laws of Hong Kong); or
(ii) is an offshore scheme as defined in section 2(1) of that Ordinance and, if it is regulated under the law of the place in which it is domiciled, is permitted to be operated under the law of such place,
or any person who, in relation to any such scheme, is an administrator as defined in section 2(1) of that Ordinance;
(h) any government (other than a municipal government authority), any institution which performs the functions of a central bank, or any multilateral agency;
(i) except for the purposes of Schedule 5 to the SFO, any corporation which is-
(i) a wholly owned subsidiary of-
(A) an intermediary, or any other person carrying on the business of the provision of investment services and regulated under the law of any place outside Hong Kong; or
(B) an authorized financial institution, or any bank which is not an authorised financial institution but is regulated under the law of any place outside Hong Kong;
(ii) a holding company which holds all the issued share capital of-
(A) an intermediary, or any other person carrying on the business of the provision of investment services and regulated under the law of any place outside Hong Kong; or
(B) an authorized financial institution, or any bank which is not an authorised financial institution but is regulated under the law of any place outside Hong Kong; or
(iii) any other wholly owned subsidiary of a holding company referred to in subparagraph (ii); or
(j) any person of a class which is prescribed by rules made under section 397 of the SFO for the purposes of this paragraph as within the meaning of this definition for the purposes of the provisions of the SFO, or to the extent that it is prescribed by rules so made as within the meaning of this definition for the purposes of any provision of the SFO.
The first of such classes of additional “professional investor”, under the Securities and Futures (Professional Investor) Rules (Cap. 571D of the Laws of Hong Kong), are:
(k) any trust corporation (registered under Part VIII of the Trustee Ordinance (Cap. 29 of the Laws of Hong Kong) or the equivalent overseas) having been entrusted under the trust or trusts of which it acts as a trustee with total assets of not less than HK$40 million or its equivalent in any foreign currency at the relevant date (see below) or-
(i) as stated in the most recent audited financial statement prepared-
(A) in respect of the trust corporation; and
(B) within 16 months before the relevant date;
(ii) as ascertained by referring to one or more audited financial statements, each being the most recent audited financial statement, prepared-
(A) in respect of the trust or any of the trust; and
(B) within 16 months before the relevant date; or
(iii) as ascertained by referring to one or more custodian (see below) statements issued to the trust corporation-
(A) in respect of the trust or any of the trusts; and
(B) within 12 months before the relevant date;
(l) any individual, either alone or with any of his associates (the spouse or any child) on a joint account, having a portfolio (see below) of not less than HK$8 million or its equivalent in any foreign currency at the relevant date or-
(i) as stated in a certificate issued by an auditor or a certified public accountant of the individual within 12 months before the relevant date; or
(ii) as ascertained by referring to one or more custodian statements issued to the individual (either alone or with the associate) within 12 months before the relevant date;
(m) any corporation or partnership having-
(i) a portfolio of not less than HK$8 million or its equivalent in any foreign currency; or
(ii) total assets of not less than HK$40 million or its equivalent in any foreign currency, at the relevant date, or as ascertained by referring to-
(iii) the most recent audited financial statement prepared-
(A) in respect of the corporation or partnership (as the case may be); and
(B) within 16 months before the relevant date; or
(iv) one or more custodian statements issued to the corporation or partnership (as the case may be) within 12 months before the relevant date; and
(n) any corporation the sole business of which is to hold investments and which at the relevant date is wholly owned by any one or more of the following persons-
(i) a trust corporation that falls within the description in paragraph (k);
(ii) an individual who, either alone or with any of his or her associates on a joint account, falls within the description in paragraph (k);
(iii) a corporation that falls within the description in paragraph (m);
(iv) a partnership that falls within the description in paragraph (m).
For the purposes of paragraphs (k) to (n) above:
An institutional investor as defined in Section 4A of the SFA and Securities and Futures (Classes of Investors) Regulations 2018 is:
(a) the Singapore Government;
(b) a statutory board as may be prescribed by regulations made under section 341 of the SFA, as prescribed in the Second Schedule of the Securities and Futures (Classes of Investors) Regulations 2018;
(c) an entity that is wholly and beneficially owned, whether directly or indirectly, by a central government of a country and whose principal activity is —
(i) to manage its own funds;
(ii) to manage the funds of the central government of that country (which may include the reserves of that central government and any pension or provident fund of that country); or
(iii) to manage the funds (which may include the reserves of that central government and any pension or provident fund of that country) of another entity that is wholly and beneficially owned, whether directly or indirectly, by the central government of that country;
(d) any entity —
(i) that is wholly and beneficially owned, whether directly or indirectly, by the central government of a country; and
(ii) whose funds are managed by an entity mentioned in sub‑paragraph (c);
(e) a bank that is licensed under the Banking Act 1970;
(f) a merchant bank that is licensed under the Banking Act 1970;
(g) a finance company that is licensed under the Finance Companies Act 1967;
(h) a company or co‑operative society that is licensed under the Insurance Act 1966 to carry on insurance business in Singapore;
(i) a company licensed under the Trust Companies Act 2005;
(j) a holder of a capital markets services licence;
(k) an approved exchange;
(l) a recognised market operator;
(m) an approved clearing house;
(n) a recognised clearing house;
(o) a licensed trade repository;
(p) a licensed foreign trade repository;
(q) an approved holding company;
(r) a Depository as defined in section 81SF of the SFA;
(s) a pension fund, or collective investment scheme, whether constituted in Singapore or elsewhere;
(t) a person (other than an individual) who carries on the business of dealing in bonds with accredited investors or expert investors;
(u) a designated market‑maker as defined in paragraph 1 of the Second Schedule to the Securities and Futures (Licensing and Conduct of Business) Regulations;
(v) a headquarters company or Finance and Treasury Centre which carries on a class of business involving fund management, where such business has been approved as a qualifying service in relation to that headquarters company or Finance and Treasury Centre under section 43D(2)(a) or 43E(2)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1947;
(w) a person who undertakes fund management activity (whether in Singapore or elsewhere) on behalf of not more than 30 qualified investors;
(x) a Service Company (as defined in regulation 2 of the Insurance (Lloyd’s Asia Scheme) Regulations) which carries on business as an agent of a member of Lloyd’s;
(y) a corporation the entire share capital of which is owned by an institutional investor or by persons all of whom are institutional investors;
(z) a partnership (other than a limited liability partnership within the meaning of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005) in which each partner is an institutional investor.
An accredited investor as defined in Section 4A of the SFA and Securities and Futures (Classes of Investors) Regulations 2018 is:
(i) an individual —
(A) whose net personal assets exceed in value $2 million (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) or such other amount as the Authority may prescribe in place of the first amount;
(B) whose financial assets (net of any related liabilities) exceed in value $1 million (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) or such other amount as the Authority may prescribe in place of the first amount, where “financial asset” means —
(BA) a deposit as defined in section 4B of the Banking Act 1970;
(BB) an investment product as defined in section 2(1) of the Financial Advisers Act 2001; or
(BC) any other asset as may be prescribed by regulations made under section 341; or
(C) whose income in the preceding 12 months is not less than $300,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) or such other amount as the Authority may prescribe in place of the first amount;
(ii) a corporation with net assets exceeding $10 million in value (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) or such other amount as the Authority may prescribe, in place of the first amount, as determined by —
(A) the most recent audited balance sheet of the corporation; or
(B) where the corporation is not required to prepare audited accounts regularly, a balance sheet of the corporation certified by the corporation as giving a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the corporation as of the date of the balance sheet, which date must be within the preceding 12 months;
(iii) A trustee of a trust which all the beneficiaries are accredited investors; or
(iv) A trustee of a trust which the subject matter exceeds S$10 million; or
(v) An entity (other than a corporation) with net assets exceeding S$10 million (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) in value. “Entity” includes an unincorporated association, a partnership and the government of any state, but does not include a trust; or
(vi) A partnership (other than a limited liability partnership) in which every partner is an accredited investor; or
(vii) A corporation which the entire share capital is owned by one or more persons, all of whom are accredited investors.
Continuation solutions encompass a host of transaction types in which a GP secures interim liquidity and/or additional primary capital for their LPs in a strongly performing asset, or set of assets, that the GP will continue to own and control. Specifically, they include continuation funds, new funds created by GPs for the purpose of acquiring the asset(s) that continue to be managed by the same GP and capitalized by one or several secondary buyers, or equity recapitalizations involving a direct equity or structured equity investment into a portfolio company. These transactions can also include a parallel investment from the GP’s latest fund into that same pool of assets (a “cross-fund trade”).
