Liechtenstein’s royal family’s private capital firm LGT Capital Partners has expanded its venture capital ( VC ) platform with the addition of the core VC fund investment team of Sapphire Partners, a US-based limited partner ( LP ) investing in early-stage VC funds.

Bringing the team onto the platform will strengthen LGT Capital’s US presence, it notes, and further enhance its global VC investment capabilities.

Sapphire Partners, the fund investing arm of Sapphire Ventures, has invested as an LP for nearly 15 years, committing over US$1.2 billion across more than 200 funds.

Sapphire Ventures is an enterprise AI-focused VC firm with over US$10 billion in assets under management and whose core strategies include direct investments in post-product-market fit companies and a selective fund investment programme backing leading early-stage venture managers.

The team transitioning to LGT Capital is co-led by Beezer Clarkson, who brings more than 20 years of experience in US and global VC fund investing and comprises six investment professionals. They join the firm’s platform, the company points out, with deep domain expertise as well as early insight and access to identify the next generation of most promising talent.

“Expanding our VC platform in the US is a strategic priority for LGT Capital Partners,” adds Thomas Kristensen, a company partner with responsibility for the firm’s VC team. “The investment professionals joining from Sapphire bring a well-established track record, deep relationships across the global venture market and strong alignment with our long-term view and partnership-oriented culture.

“The addition significantly strengthens our ability to identify and evaluate best-in-class venture managers for the benefit of both current and future clients.”