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Key people at Alt Goes Mainstream.
Alt Goes Mainstream was founded in 2020 by Michael Sidgmore (Founder).
Alt Goes Mainstream is a United States-based media and community platform that produces newsletters, podcasts, and live events focused on the democratization of alternative investments and private markets. The organization provides industry insights into private equity, venture capital, and digital assets for alternative asset managers, wealth advisors, and fintech platforms. Operating primarily through a dedicated Substack-based platform, the company generates revenue via media sponsorships, event ticket sales, and newsletter subscriptions. The platform's digital content features interviews and insights from prominent industry figures and firms, including EQT, Broadhaven Ventures, and Steve Klinsky of New Mountain Capital, a major asset management firm with $55 billion in assets under management. In addition to its digital content, the organization hosted its inaugural industry summit in Los Angeles in October 2023. Alt Goes Mainstream was founded in 2021 by Michael Sidgmore.
Key people at Alt Goes Mainstream.
Alt Goes Mainstream was founded in 2020 by Michael Sidgmore (Founder).
Alt Goes Mainstream (AGM) is a media and community platform at the intersection of private markets and private wealth, producing podcasts, newsletters, and events to connect founders, funds, and executives in alternative investments.[1][2][7] It operates through three pillars—Content, Community, Capital—including the AGM Studio, a collaboration with Broadhaven Ventures to incubate, invest in, and scale private markets companies and funds.[1] With over 130 podcasts, 79 weekly newsletters, and 22,500+ subscribers across Substack and LinkedIn, AGM drives visibility and networking for private markets players, helping them access the "right rooms" physically and virtually.[1]
As an investment firm hybrid, AGM's mission centers on translating complex private markets trends into accessible insights while deploying capital and expertise from incubation to exit.[1][2] Its philosophy emphasizes tailored support for private markets tech, leveraging operator experience to accelerate growth in asset management, fintech, and infrastructure.[1][2]
Alt Goes Mainstream emerged from the expertise of its founder, Michael, a Co-Founder and Partner at Broadhaven Ventures, an early-stage FinTech VC with investments in Carta, iCapital (via AltExchange acquisition), MoneyLion, Republic, and others.[2] Michael's operator background includes being the first sales hire at Mosaic, which originated $14B in home solar loans, and employee #9 at iCapital Network, scaling it to $3B AUM before BlackRock's investment—now a $300B+ AUM platform backed by Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, and others.[2]
Launched around 2021 (with the podcast starting in late 2021), AGM evolved from content creation to a full-stack ecosystem, building on Michael's private markets insights to host 130+ podcasts featuring leaders from Blue Owl, Hg, Prudential, and Vista.[1][2][3][4] Pivotal moments include launching the AGM Studio with Broadhaven to support portfolio companies like Cantilever Group, AltExchange (acquired by iCapital), and DealsPlus, marking a shift from media to active incubation and investment.[1]
AGM rides the democratization of private markets, where alternatives like private equity, credit, and real assets shift mainstream via platforms enabling high-net-worth and retail access—mirroring iCapital's growth to $300B+ AUM.[1][2][5] Timing aligns with surging demand: private wealth channels now drive scale, as seen in Blue Owl's $265B AUM focus on private credit and wealth solutions.[5]
Market forces favoring AGM include regulatory evolution, AI-powered infrastructure needs (e.g., data centers, power generation), and wealthtech transformation, amplified by AGM's content spotlighting trends like European software giants and hyperscaler partnerships.[3][4] It influences the ecosystem by surfacing innovators (e.g., Ultimus, IPI by Blue Owl) and fostering connections that accelerate private markets tech adoption.[1][3]
AGM is poised to expand the Studio's impact, targeting more incubations in private markets infrastructure amid AI-driven asset growth and wealth management digitization.[1][3][5] Trends like retail alts expansion, private credit dominance, and European platforms (e.g., ING's efforts) will shape its trajectory, with potential for AGM to evolve into a broader holding entity like iAltA Holdings.[2][3][7]
As private markets mature, AGM's blend of media muscle and capital deployment positions it to redefine founder success, turning niche visibility into mainstream scale much like its own journey from podcasts to Studio powerhouse.[1][2]
