At the Milken Global Conference, the formal programming may focus on policy, innovation, and the future of the global economy, but the real draw remains much more direct: access to capital.
In a recent Business Insider article on this year’s Milken Global Conference that took place this week in Beverly Hills, CA, Alpha Partners Managing Partner Steve Brotman shared his perspective on why the annual gathering continues to matter for venture capital firms, allocators, and private-market investors.
The article captures a familiar but important fact: Milken brings together a high concentration of institutional investors, fund managers, executives, and dealmakers. For venture capital firms, that level of allocator density can make the event a critical venue for relationship-building and fundraising.
Brotman’s comments help frame why, as he notes in the piece, “This is the biggest aggregation of allocators in the world.” In venture capital, access to capital is central to the business model. Firms need to identify great companies, but they also need to raise the capital required to back them.
That point is especially relevant now as institutional investors reassess their exposure to private technology. With companies like Anthropic and Anduril reaching significant valuations, Brotman argues that allocators are increasingly recognizing the need for private tech exposure.
“If you’re an investor and you’re not in private tech, you’re dust,” Brotman said. “We’re in an AI super cycle.”
That matters because the current AI cycle is reshaping company formation, venture investing, and influencing how large allocators think about portfolio construction. As the most valuable technology companies increasingly remain private for longer, Brotman believes that investors that lack exposure to private tech may risk missing some of the most important growth opportunities in the market. (personal view; all investments involve risk)
The takeaway is that Milken’s continued relevance reflects a deeper shift in private markets and the increasing importance of building relationships with allocators, managers, and private-market leaders.
Read the full Business Insider article here.
Note: The views expressed by Steve Brotman represent his personal perspective and may not reflect the views of Alpha Partners as a firm.
