Podcast: AI-fueled fintech transforming private markets

The Private Capital Call podcast series hosted by Randy Schwimmer, Vice Chairman and Chief Investment Strategist at Churchill, features conversations with top decision-makers in asset management, institutional and private wealth investing.

This month, we're pleased to welcome Jacob Miller, Co-Founder and Chief Solutions Officer of Opto Investments, a private markets investment platform that helps wealth managers build, fundraise for, and manage private markets programs. A former Bridgewater investor, Jake co-founded Opto with the mission of making private investing more accessible. He's passionate about sensible long-term investing, creating systematic investment processes, and transforming complex market dynamics into clear insights that help investors better understand their portfolios.

In this episode, Jake shares his perspective on the evolution of fintech in asset management, exploring how AI and generative technologies are breaking through operational bottlenecks that have long plagued the industry. He discusses why the traditional 60/40 portfolio strategy may no longer serve investors in today's evolving interest-rate environment and why financial advisors and wealth clients are increasingly turning to private markets for alpha and portfolio diversification. Jake also reflects on the biggest surprises of 2025, what he's watching for in 2026 amid inflationary pressures and potential recession risks, and offers guidance for young professionals navigating today's rapidly changing technology landscape - emphasizing the growing importance of critical thinking and historical context over pure technical skills as AI continues to advance.