ULTRA HIGH-WEALTH INVESTOR GROUP RAMPS UP AUSTIN MEMBERSHIP

by Christopher Calnan

Tiger 21 LLC, an investor group for ultra high-net worth individuals, formed an Austin group in April and is on track to reach 12 members by the end of the year, organizers said.

The New York-based organization, open to individuals with more than $10 million of investable capital, meets monthly at the Austonian building at the corner of Congress Avenue and Second Street.

It now has eight members, making it one of the fastest growing Tiger 21 groups in the nation according to Christopher Ryan, who is chairman of the Austin group as well as two Tiger 21 groups in Dallas. He said the timing was right for a local group to launch this year.

“I think the Austin economy may be the most vibrant in the country,” he said. “I think the spirit is highly entrepreneurial.”

Tiger 21 was founded in New York in 1999, and now claims more than 280 members who manage more than $27 billion in total assets. The Austin group increases to 17 the number of cities in which Tiger 21 operates offices. Dallas is the only other Texas city in which Tiger 21 operates.

The group includes entrepreneurs and business leaders who meet monthly to exchange investment ideas and share experiences on a range of wealth-related issues. Tiger 21 members also get access to investment deals including private equity, real estate and hedge funds.

Unlike an angel group, Tiger 21 members conduct a more stringent vetting process and consider international deals versus local startups, Ryan said.

The Austin group will eventually decide its maximum number of members. In Dallas, one group claims 17 members, the other, 15, he said.