Hedge funds face hurdles to reach investors in Nordic region

While there is some acceptance of hedge funds by investors in the Nordic region, funds face considerable obstacles in marketing to high net worth individuals as well as institutions. A tendency by governments to 'protect' investors has hindered development of the industry. With the collapse of equity markets in 2008, however, things may change.

Nordic institutional investors are more interested in offshore rather than onshore hedge funds.

The Nordic region, comprising Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, is a successful region for marketing hedge funds to institutional investors.

Tommi Langstrom, head of Nordics and emerging markets in the institutional relationship management department at Man Investments, says the Nordic countries have been one of the more important strategic and successful regions for marketing hedge funds from the