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Cognitiant Registered Investment Advisors
Cognitiant RIA manages $2.5B for wealthy families, focusing on private credit, real estate, and direct co-investments from New York.
Cognitiant Registered Investment Advisors
Cognitiant Registered Investment Advisors was founded in 2015 by Jonathan K. Margulies, a former Goldman Sachs and Citigroup executive. The firm emerged as a response to wealthy families seeking more direct control over allocations, with Margulies assembling a team with backgrounds in investment banking and asset management. The firm allocates across private credit, real estate, hedge funds, and private equity, favoring direct co-investments alongside external managers. Cognitiant lists positions in real estate debt and opportunistic credit, with geographic focus in North America and select European markets. Client capital is deployed through SPVs and club deals, with a noted emphasis on lower-middle-market opportunities where the firm can source proprietary flow (per SEC filing, 2023). Cognitiant's AUM exceeds $2.5B (per Form ADV, 2023), with a team of around 15 professionals based in New York. The firm reports no additional offices. In 2022, Cognitiant disclosed a co-investment alongside a private real estate manager in a $200M multifamily development in Austin, Texas (public record). The firm does not operate a separate philanthropic foundation publicly. The firm's structural differentiator lies in its dual role as both a traditional RIA and a co-investment platform. Unlike wirehouse advisors, Cognitiant writes direct checks into private transactions, functioning more like a small family office than a broker-dealer. Governance is centralized under Margulies and CIO Ronald J. Shear, with succession managed internally.
General information
Firm type
Multi Family Office
Year founded
2015
AUM
$2.5B (per SEC Form ADV, 2023)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
Jonathan K. Margulies
Founder & Managing Director
Ronald J. Shear
Chief Investment Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Cognitiant?
Jonathan K. Margulies serves as Founder & Managing Director and oversees strategic direction. Ronald J. Shear is Chief Investment Officer and leads portfolio construction across private credit, real estate, and alternatives (per SEC filing).
How does Cognitiant source proprietary deal flow?
The firm leverages relationships built by its former Wall Street professionals to access lower-middle-market direct deals. Cognitiant participates in club deals and SPVs with private equity and real estate managers, often as a co-investor rather than a passive LP (per Form ADV and public record).
Is Cognitiant structured as a single family office or an RIA?
Cognitiant is a registered investment advisor (RIA) operating more like a multi-family office. It serves a concentrated base of high-net-worth families and endowments, offering direct-investment capabilities beyond traditional portfolio management.
Does Cognitiant participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm does both. It commits capital to external private credit and hedge fund vehicles, but its distinguishing practice is writing direct co-investments alongside managers in real estate and private equity transactions (per SEC filing).
What investment stages does Cognitiant typically target?
The firm focuses on lower-middle-market and mid-market opportunities, particularly in private credit and real estate. It seeks transactions where its capital can be part of a structured deal rather than a passive allocation.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The wealth origins of Cognitiant's client families are not publicly disclosed. The firm serves high-net-worth families, many of whom generated wealth through entrepreneurship or finance, based on the backgrounds of its principals.
Does Cognitiant maintain philanthropic structures?
No public philanthropic foundation is separately reported for Cognitiant. Client families may maintain their own charitable vehicles independent from the advisory firm.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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