Why Do Big Investors Want Custom Credit Portfolios?

BlackRock and Apollo use SMAs, which let them manage investments based on each investor's needs.

For example, BlackRock offers custom bond portfolios. Investors can choose the level of credit risk, when bonds mature, and which industries to invest in. Apollo also uses SMAs when working with large investors, including insurance companies.

This helps investors choose investments that fit their financial needs.

A pension fund needs to make sure it has money coming in when it needs to pay retirees. An insurance company needs investments with the right level of credit risk that also meet regulatory rules. A family office might want to limit how much it invests in certain industries or companies.

The core idea is to build an investment strategy around a specific investor's needs.

Traditional SMAs usually require a large minimum investment.

According to the ACC and Dechert study, in 2025, only 6% of the fund managers surveyed were willing to create custom investments for investors putting in less than $50 million. In 2023, that figure was 23%.

Why? Setting up and managing these investments costs money. Managers have to deal with legal paperwork, administration, compliance checks to make sure they follow the investor's rules, and reporting.

When the investment is small, these costs can make custom investment management too expensive.

That's why more platforms with lower minimum investments are entering the market.

We offer corporate and institutional investors Custom Pools — dedicated pools for funding specific businesses.

The minimum investment is $100,000, which is much lower than the minimums usually required by traditional institutional SMAs.

Custom Pool Terms

• Minimum investment: $100,000
• APR: Starts at 19%. Larger investments may qualify for higher rates, which can be discussed with your account manager.
• Loan term: 4–16 months
• One pool for each project: Each pool funds a specific business.
• Personal support: A dedicated account manager will help you throughout the process.

Each Custom Pool funds one borrower. Before investing, you can review the business details, loan terms, and collateral.

As with other secured projects on 8lends, the Swiss company Maclear AG acts as the Collateral Agent.

Important note: Collateral can help reduce potential losses, but only if the assets can legally be seized and sold. Credit risk remains.

Corporate clients must complete a Know Your Business (KYB) check through Sumsub. This includes checks on the company and its ultimate beneficial owners.

Large investors increasingly want more transparency and control over where their money goes.

Research by the ACC and Dechert shows growing demand for co-investment opportunities and investment options tailored to individual needs. So far, though, these options have mostly been available to large investors who can commit substantial amounts of money.

One important thing to understand: a Custom Pool isn't the same as a diversified portfolio. We give you access to specific projects, but we don't spread your money across different projects for you. You choose where to invest.

We've created Custom Pools for corporate investors who want to fund specific businesses under agreed terms.

With a minimum investment of $100,000 and APR starting at 19%, Custom Pools give investors access to private credit with a lower minimum investment than traditional institutional options.

To discuss investment terms for your company, contact us at: [email protected]

The 8lends platform is run by CLEARCHAIN CORP, registered in British Columbia, Canada, and registered with FINTRAC as a money services business. Maclear AG (Switzerland), a member of PolyReg SRO, acts as the independent Collateral Agent; it does not operate the platform, is not its parent company, does not hold investor funds and is not directly licensed by FINMA.

Investing in business loans involves risk, including possible loss of principal. A fixed rate describes loan terms, not a guaranteed outcome, and collateral does not guarantee full recovery.