Developed alongside industry leaders, HarbourVest Partners and I Squared Capital, the new CAIA.nxt™ Infrastructure Microcredential helps professionals evaluate opportunities across energy, transport, digital, and social infrastructure.
AMHERST, MA, (June 1, 2026) – CAIA Association today announced the launch of its newest CAIA.nxt™ microcredential, Infrastructure, developed with support from HarbourVest Partners and I Squared Capital.
With many portfolios still lacking a defined approach to infrastructure allocation, the CAIA.nxt™ Infrastructure Microcredential is an online, self-paced program designed to help investment professionals evaluate, access, and allocate infrastructure investments across a rapidly expanding global market. As infrastructure evolves into a $1.5+ trillion private market and a broader multi-trillion-dollar investable universe, the program provides practical frameworks for understanding infrastructure’s role in modern portfolio construction.
This new and timely course provides investment professionals with a structured framework for evaluating infrastructure investments across sectors, sub-sectors, and market environments. The program explores allocation approaches, fund structures, risk-return characteristics, and portfolio construction considerations relevant to both institutional and wealth management contexts.
“Infrastructure is playing an increasingly important role in modern portfolios, but many investment professionals are still looking for practical frameworks to evaluate the opportunity set and implement allocations effectively,” said Steve Novakovic, Managing Director, Educational Programs, CAIA Association. “This microcredential was developed to help close that knowledge gap through applied, practitioner-focused education, while also expanding the CAIA.nxt™ ecosystem with timely content.”
Building on HarbourVest Partners’ continued support of the CAIA.nxt™ microcredential ecosystem and introducing a new collaboration with I Squared Capital, the Infrastructure Microcredential combines foundational education with practitioner-driven insights into how institutional investors evaluate and implement infrastructure allocations today.
“Effective infrastructure investing hinges on thoughtful diversification—across risk profiles, sectors, geographies, and fund structures—and a clear understanding of the tradeoffs between private and public markets,” said Ben Wu, Managing Director, HarbourVest Partners. “With the majority of the investable infrastructure opportunity set remaining private, investors need education that goes beyond surface level benchmarks to address how portfolios are constructed, accessed, and managed in practice. The CAIA.nxt™ Infrastructure Microcredential delivers that rigor, and HarbourVest is excited to partner with CAIA on a program that equips practitioners with the insight needed to build diversified, resilient infrastructure allocations.”
“Today, infrastructure represents one of the fastest-growing allocations in alternatives portfolios, for both institutional and private wealth investors, and for good reason. Assets in the sector have delivered consistent risk-adjusted returns across market cycles, making infrastructure no longer a niche consideration, but rather a core conviction for capital seeking durable, long-term growth,” said Gautam Bhandari, Co-Founder, Global Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner of I Squared Capital. “We are pleased to collaborate with CAIA on a microcredential that gives investment professionals a foundational understanding of private infrastructure, exploring how the asset class is evolving across digital networks, power, logistics, and transportation, and what that means for the growing opportunity set."
Structured across four focused modules, topics covered include:
- Infrastructure sectors, investment styles, and market characteristics
- Infrastructure financing, debt, and implementation routes
- Liquidity, fee, and performance comparisons across fund structures
- Historical risk-return analysis and diversification benefits
- Portfolio construction and underwriting considerations at both the fund and asset level
The Infrastructure Microcredential is part of the growing CAIA.nxt™ ecosystem, which supports future-ready professionals through focused, flexible education built for real-world impact. The program is eligible for eight continuing education hours from Investments & Wealth Institute (CIMA®, CPWA®, RMA®) and the CFP® Board (U.S. and Canada).
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About CAIA Association
The CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) Association is the leading professional body for alternatives investment education and credentialing. The organization supports the global investment industry by offering the CAIA Charter and a portfolio of education, research, and thought-leadership initiatives. More than 14,000 Members across 100+ countries form the world’s most energized community of alternative investment professionals dedicated to advancing professional standards and promoting better investment outcomes. Learn more at https://caia.org/.
About HarbourVest Partners
HarbourVest is an independent, global private markets firm with over 43 years of experience and $161 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2025. Our interwoven platform provides clients with access to global primary funds, secondary transactions, direct co-investments, real assets and infrastructure, and private credit. Our strengths extend across strategies, enabled by our team of more than 1,200 employees, including more than 225 investment professionals across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Americas. Learn more at https://www.harbourvest.com.
About I Squared Capital
I Squared Capital is a leading independent global infrastructure investor dedicated to the mid-market, managing $60 billion in assets. Founded in 2012, I Squared has evolved into one of the most diverse infrastructure investors in the world, with investments across power & utilities; transportation & logistics; digital infrastructure; environmental infrastructure; and social infrastructure, providing essential services to millions of people globally. Today, the firm’s portfolio includes over 100 companies operating in more than 115 countries and employing more than 110,000 people. Headquartered in Miami, I Squared has a global team of over 360 employees across nine offices in Abu Dhabi, London, Munich, New Delhi, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei and Miami. Learn more at www.isquaredcapital.com.
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