iCapital plans to hire more product and engineering staff in Singapore even as AI generates 75% of its code, CEO Lawrence Calcano told The Business Times.

The New York-headquartered alternative investments platform uses AI for code generation, testing and quality assurance.

Calcano said the technology allows the company to improve efficiency while expanding its capabilities.

“I think it is a significant opportunity for us to be more efficient and deliver more capabilities and user friendliness to clients,”

iCapital’s 2026 Asia Advisor Survey found that investors are looking beyond basic access to private markets and seeking more sophisticated portfolio management and analytical tools.

Calcano said the industry’s initial focus was on opening private markets to investors. As more advisers and their clients enter the market, demand is growing for analytics and education to support investment decisions.

These requirements go beyond the reporting capabilities that large institutional investors previously prioritised.

iCapital has invested more than US$1 billion in technology since its founding, focusing on education, access, administration, reporting and liquidity.

The survey identified risk analytics as the top technology priority for Asian advisers, while compliance emerged as the fastest-growing challenge. Advisers are increasingly asking fund managers about exposure, liquidity and regulatory suitability.

Calcano said the company must balance large-scale technology capabilities with tailored solutions to meet different client requirements.

More than a quarter of surveyed advisers plan to increase their allocations to alternative investments over the next 12 months, despite weakening confidence in the global economic outlook.

Calcano said investors increasingly view alternatives as core portfolio holdings that can potentially improve returns and help manage risk.

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