Aceana Group

Aceana Group

Aceana Group was established in 2006 by Russell Deakin after his experience in private equity and venture capital at Rio Bravo Investimentos and an eleven-year stint as partner-CFO to a Brazilian real estate developer. Deakin holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson and completed undergraduate studies at Oxford and Tufts. The firm remains headquartered in Miami and functions strictly as a single-family office. Deployment centers on venture capital and private equity through fund commitments and direct co-investments, supplemented by real estate, infrastructure and renewable energy. Since the pandemic the office has executed more than 50 direct and co-investments alongside 20 fund commitments. Confirmed positions include early childhood education real estate and blockchain holdings. Geographic coverage spans North America, Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. Aaruni Kumar leads due diligence and portfolio management for technology investments. No public AUM figure exists. The team participates in industry forums including CAASA, VNTR and LAFOS, where Deakin serves on the board. Russell Deakin spoke at multiple 2025–2026 events including SuperReturn International in Berlin and the VC Latam Summit in Miami. The office maintains relationships with co-investors such as Fortec in education real estate. Aceana Group’s structure ties investment decisions directly to the founder’s operating history in Latin American real estate and alternatives, producing a mandate that blends direct co-investments with selective fund commitments rather than outsourcing allocation entirely to external managers.