Investment Manager Andrew Chapman is known for his own successful funds management operation, Merchant Group which manages funds for a VIP client base across Australia.
Andrew has Graduate and Post Graduate qualifications in Business, Finance and Hospitality. He established Merchant Group in 2011, after spending 9 years with one of Perth’s leading private wealth managers.
During his financial career, he has traded through a number of market cycles, which have in turn shaped his views on active portfolio management and risk. Through Merchant Group he offers a specialised investment management service to a select group of high-net-worth clients, the unit holders within the Merchant Opportunities Fund and the soon to be launched, Merchant Biotech Fund.
Away from the markets, he is passionate about the hospitality industry and is an owner of several venues in Perth. In 2014, Andrew was an integral part of the establishment of the Western Australian branch of the food rescue organisation, Oz Harvest. He still holds the Australian record for the highest amount raised by one person at a single fundraiser event, the 2019 OzHarvest CEO Cookoff, where he raised $324,000.
Now, on the back of the continued success of the Opportunities Fund, Merchant is about to launch their newest investment opportunity, the Merchant Biotech Fund which is focusing on the emerging Medical Technology, Biotech, Health and Life Science Industries. Like the Merchant Opportunities Fund, it will be capped at $250m and will be open to retail investors. With the minimum investment being $25,000 Andrew is going against the grain and hoping to appeal to many individuals in Australia who once thought investing in these types of funds are only for the wealthy.
Over the past few decades, this growing market has driven innovation in health care and is changing lives the world over. These Biotech companies are focused on the development of new medicines and therapeutic treatments, vaccines and medical devices through innovative technology and advanced medical science.
Biotech companies are striving to bring significant change by working to end some of our most devastating health problems, such as cancer, heart disease, mental health concerns and many other rare conditions.
The growth of the biotechnology industry has already led to expended life spans and improves quality of life for countless people. It led to the development of treatments that now mean that HIV, Hep C and even some cancers are no longer a death sentence.
Most recently on the back of COVID 19, it has seen a huge growth in revenue, profits and investor interest in stocks in this important market and with a reputation in the industry as one of the leading Biotech investors in Australia, by establishing the Merchant Biotech Fund we will be at the forefront of industry change.