# abrdn

abrdn is an Asset Manager based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** London, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 1995
- **Assets under management:** Over $450B (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** www.abrdn.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/abrdn

## About

abrdn is an SEC-registered investment adviser in Edinburgh, registered since 2012. It manages $206.5 billion in assets, $202.3 billion on a discretionary basis. The firm has 1296 employees and 295 investment advisers.

## Questions

### What were the key antecedents that formed abrdn?

abrdn was created from the 2017 merger of Standard Life plc and Aberdeen Asset Management PLC. Standard Life brought a large UK insurance and workplace pension book, while Aberdeen contributed a strong institutional and emerging-market equities franchise. The combined entity initially traded as Standard Life Aberdeen before rebranding to abrdn in 2021.

### How does abrdn source investment opportunities?

As a large, listed asset manager with deep UK institutional relationships, abrdn primarily sources through public markets, broker networks, and its internal research teams. In private markets, it leans on direct origination and co-investment relationships with private equity and infrastructure partners. It does not operate a family office–style proprietary deal network.

### Is abrdn investing its own balance-sheet capital or client capital?

abrdn primarily deploys capital on behalf of third-party clients — including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurers, endowments, and retail investors. The firm does maintain a modest proprietary balance sheet from legacy insurance operations, but its core business is fee-based asset management, not proprietary principal investing.

### What is abrdn's exposure to alternative assets?

abrdn has steadily built its alternative investment capabilities in private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and private credit. Its acquisition of SVG Capital's private equity platform and ongoing expansion in real-asset debt demonstrates a commitment to diversifying beyond listed markets. However, the majority of its AUM remains in traditional liquid strategies.

## Related profiles

- [Allspring Global Investments](https://altss.com/profile/allspring-global-investments)
- [Wealth Management of the Bluegrass](https://altss.com/profile/wealth-management-of-the-bluegrass)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/abrdn

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology