Czech Investor Mucha Starts €500 Million Private Market Fund

Aspire11, an investment platform backed by Czech financial group Partners, has launched a €500 million ($588 million) fund to channel pension savings into startups and venture-capital.

The fund’s goal is to connect pension capital — with an investment horizon of 20 to 30 years — to global private markets, according to a statement on Tuesday. The platform, led by Czech investor Pavel Mucha, plans to focus on growth companies as well as early-stage VC investors.

The fund’s launch underscores the global asset management industry’s push to bring private markets products, once reserved for institutions and the ultra rich, ...