Products
Data Sets
Integrations
Services
Just a few years ago, the idea of accessing private equity through a 401(k) seemed far-fetched. But today, that once-distant prospect is rapidly becoming a reality.
The White House is expected to sign an executive order directing the SEC and Department of Labor to issue guidance for incorporating private market assets like private equity, venture capital, private credit, real assets, and hedge funds into 401(k) plans. This marks a watershed moment in the democratization of alternatives and reflects growing appetite among everyday investors for exposure to private markets.
For GPs, this regulatory shift marks the opening of a new, long-duration fundraising channel. 401(k) access unlocks a vast pool of retirement capital, but success will require adapting to new product structures such as CITs, evergreen funds, and interval vehicles that meet the liquidity and transparency standards of defined-contribution plans.
Importantly, this also creates a powerful liquidity release valve: new 401(k)-aligned funds will need assets fast. That creates a unique opportunity for managers to offload aging positions from institutional vehicles, providing liquidity to existing LPs. This will free up capital for the next fundraising cycle. This signifies a capital efficiency breakthrough.
To compete in this space, GPs must build new distribution capabilities and form strategic partnerships with record-keepers, retirement consultants, and plan sponsors. That’s exactly where Dakota excels.
Dakota helps GPs identify, prioritize, and connect with the right platforms and intermediaries shaping retirement investment flows. Our intelligence gives firms visibility into who’s allocating, where product demand is growing, and how to position effectively in this evolving market. We equip managers to accelerate distribution, strengthen investor narratives, and seize first-mover advantage in a channel that’s about to scale.
Through Dakota Marketplace, managers can filter across defined contribution and defined benefit plans, target decision-makers, review fund lineups and rosters, and identify key service providers like record-keepers and investment consultants. It’s a one-stop shop, built inside Salesforce, for anyone selling into retirement plans and looking to act with speed and precision.
This policy update is the start of a structural realignment in private capital formation. And with Dakota as your partner, GPs can lead the way.
Want to learn more? Book a Demo of Dakota Marketplace.
Written By: Peter Harris, Investment Research Associate
925 West Lancaster Ave
Suite 220
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Tel: (610) 642-1481
© Dakota 2025 | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
