About Polar Capital
What is Polar Capital?
Polar Capital is a specialist, investment-led, active fund manager based in the UK. It offers professional and institutional investors, as well as individual investors in some markets, a range of actively managed funds. These cover single country and regional portfolios, alongside specialist technology, healthcare, and financials strategies.
When was Polar Capital founded?
Polar Capital was founded in 2001. Polar Capital Holdings plc, the parent company, has been listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market since 2007.
Where is Polar Capital based, and does it operate internationally?
Polar Capital's registered office and headquarters are at 16 Palace Street, London SW1E 5JD, United Kingdom. London remains the centre of the firm’s investment and operational activity. Alongside its London headquarters, Polar Capital maintains a global presence, spanning the UK, the US, Spain, Switzerland, France, Germany, China, and Singapore.
What kind of company is Polar Capital?
Polar Capital LLP, the operating investment manager, is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales (registration number OC314700). Its listed parent, Polar Capital Holdings plc, is a UK-based fund manager whose shares trade on AIM. Polar Capital LLP is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and is registered as an investment adviser with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
What is Polar Capital's business model?
Polar Capital is built on a simple belief: differentiated, specialist investment management creates long-term value for both clients and shareholders. Its investment teams operate with a clear focus, combining deep expertise with the conviction to invest differently from the index.
This specialist approach underpins a business model built on recurring management fee income, complemented by performance fees from selected funds. Strong investment performance helps attract client capital and drive organic growth in assets under management.
Investment approach and culture
What is Polar Capital's approach and ambition?
Polar Capital is an investment-led business, putting performance and client outcomes first; sustainable growth follows from delivering both consistently.
Its ambition is to be the specialist active manager of choice, recognised for distinctive, high-conviction strategies, independent thinking and long-term value creation.
It combines specialist investment expertise with a scalable, technology-enabled operating platform, allowing it to grow selectively without diluting what makes it distinctive.
Polar Capital’s entrepreneurial, meritocratic and collegiate culture attracts talented people, supports disciplined decision-making and keeps clients’ interests at the centre of everything we do.
What does "capacity management" mean at Polar Capital?
Capacity management is Polar Capital's practice of managing the size of its investment strategies to protect and maximise performance. Growth in assets under management is not pursued for its own sake. Some strategies are closed to new investment once they reach a level the manager judges to be their practical capacity limit.
What culture does Polar Capital promote?
Polar Capital’s culture is one of collegiality, with teams across the business working together to achieve positive outcomes for our investors. Individuals are included and treated as equals, thriving in a meritocratic environment.
The firm takes a prudent approach to business management, with a culture of compliance and risk assessment at the centre of what we do. The board of directors continually assesses the firm’s ability to maintain high standards.
As a listed company, the company encourages staff ownership of shares in the business through a government-backed Save As You Earn scheme. This enables the interests of our staff to be aligned with shareholders, fosters a sense of loyalty and collegiality, and helps ensure that staff uphold the high standards expected.
Products and funds
What products does Polar Capital offer?
Polar Capital offers a broad range of specialist funds, diversified by asset class, geography, and sector. It manages funds across structures that include UCITS funds, UK-listed closed-ended investment trusts, US mutual funds, and segregated mandates.
How are Polar Capital's funds organised?
Polar Capital groups its fund range into four broad categories:
- Regional funds: investing in a specific country or geographic area, such as the UK, Europe, or emerging markets
- Thematic and sector funds: focused on specialisms such as technology, healthcare, financials, or insurance
- Alternative funds: these use different techniques from traditional funds, such as buying investments expected to rise in value (going ‘long’), while also betting against those expected to fall (going ‘short’). The aim is to protect and grow investments in all market conditions, not just when markets are going up.
- Investment trusts: closed-ended, London-listed funds managed by Polar Capital
Each fund is managed by a specialist investment team responsible for that strategy, and full details of objectives, risks, and charges are set out on each fund's page of the Polar Capital website.
Are Polar Capital’s funds actively managed?
Yes. Every Polar Capital fund is actively managed; the firm does not offer index-tracking or passive products. Each investment team builds a high-conviction portfolio from its own fundamental research, and holdings and weightings will differ materially from the relevant index. Capacity is managed so that the size of a strategy does not dilute the way it is run. Active management means returns will differ from the benchmark, and outperformance is not guaranteed.
What are Polar Capital's investment trusts?
Polar Capital manages three London-listed investment trusts: Polar Capital Technology Trust (a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index), Polar Capital Global Healthcare Trust, and Polar Capital Global Financials Trust. Each trust has its own board of directors and is managed day to day by a dedicated Polar Capital investment team.
Can I hold Polar Capital funds in a Stocks and Shares ISA?
Many Polar Capital funds can be held within a UK Stocks and Shares ISA. ISA eligibility depends on the specific fund, share class, and the platform or ISA manager through which an investor buys it, rather than on Polar Capital as a firm. Investors and their advisers should check the relevant fund's Key Investor Information Document (KIID) or UK PRIIPs Key Information Document. Availability should then be confirmed directly with the ISA provider or platform, as not every Polar Capital fund is offered on every platform.
Where can I find fund factsheets?
Factsheets are published monthly for each fund and are available on the relevant fund page of the Polar Capital website, in the fund literature section. They sit alongside the other regulatory documents for that fund, such as the Key Investor Information Document (KIID) or UK PRIIPs Key Information Document, the prospectus, and the annual and interim reports. Factsheets for the London-listed investment trusts are published on each trust's own website, in its document library. The literature available depends on the country and investor type selected upon entering the site.
Where can I find the latest fund prices and portfolio information?
Fund prices and net asset values are published on the relevant fund pages of the Polar Capital website. Portfolio information, including top holdings and sector and geographic breakdowns, is set out in each fund's monthly factsheet, with full holdings disclosed in the annual and interim reports.
For the London-listed investment trusts, the daily net asset value and share price are announced through the London Stock Exchange regulatory news service (RNS) and shown on each trust's website. Prices and portfolio data are provided for information only and are not an offer to buy or sell.
How can I find out more about a specific fund or invest with Polar Capital?
Fund-specific information, including objectives, charges, and regulatory literature, is available on the relevant fund pages of Polar Capital's website. Investors are directed to the "How to Invest" section for guidance on the routes available in their market, or can contact Polar Capital's investor relations team directly.
Governance and regulation
Who regulates Polar Capital?
Polar Capital LLP is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and is registered as an investment adviser with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Individual funds may also be subject to regulation in their country of domicile, such as the Central Bank of Ireland for Irish-domiciled UCITS funds.
How is Polar Capital Holdings plc governed?
Polar Capital Holdings plc reports against the QCA Corporate Governance Code. The Board comprises two Executive Directors and a number of Independent Non-Executive Directors, supported by the Company Secretary. It is collectively responsible for the Group's governance, strategic leadership, executive accountability, risk management, and internal controls. The Board is supported by Audit and Risk, Remuneration, and Nomination Committees.
Further details about the Board of Directors and the Group’s governance can be found at Governance | Polar Capital plc
Who is the Chief Executive Officer?
Iain Evans is the Chief Executive Officer of Polar Capital. Iain was appointed in September 2025, following the retirement of Gavin Rochussen from the Board. He has been with Polar Capital for more than 20 years, most recently as Global Head of Distribution. Iain brings extensive industry experience and a detailed understanding of the Group’s culture, strategy, and client relationships.
Who chairs Polar Capital's Board?
David Lamb is the Independent Non-Executive Chair of Polar Capital Holdings plc. Iain Evans is Chief Executive Officer, and Samir Ayub is Chief Financial Officer. Current Board composition is published on the Governance page of the corporate website.
Does Polar Capital have a whistleblowing or complaints policy?
Yes. Polar Capital publishes a Complaints Handling Policy and a Whistleblowing Policy, alongside its wider governance and regulatory disclosures, on the Governance section of its corporate website.
Governance | Polar Capital plc
Does Polar Capital have a modern slavery or anti-slavery statement?
Yes. Polar Capital publishes an Anti-Slavery Statement, available on both its corporate and fund websites, setting out the steps it takes to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking in its own business and supply chains.
Stewardship, ESG, and responsible investment
Does Polar Capital consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors?
Yes. Polar Capital has established a Sustainability Committee responsible for identifying key regulatory, legal, and industry developments in sustainability and ESG. Portfolio companies are assessed and ESG oversight reports are produced for every strategy, though individual portfolio managers retain discretion over investment decisions.
Further information on Polar Capital’s approach to ESG and sustainability can be found here:
Responsible Investing | Polar Capital
How does Polar Capital approach voting and shareholder engagement?
Polar Capital uses Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) to support proxy voting and to flag situations where the proxy adviser recommends voting against management. Investment teams review these recommendations and decide how to vote. The Group's approach to engagement is set out in its Shareholder Engagement Policy, published under the UK Shareholder Rights Directive II.
Is Polar Capital a signatory to any stewardship or responsible investment standards?
Polar Capital reports under the UK Stewardship Code and publishes a UK Stewardship Code Report, along with a Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Public Transparency Report and a Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report. These, together with its ESG Investment Policy and Proxy Voting Policy, are available in the regulatory literature section of its corporate website.
Contact and further information
How can I contact Polar Capital?
General enquiries can be directed to Polar Capital's Investor Relations team by telephone on +44 (0)20 7227 2700, or by email, as set out on the Contact Us page of the relevant Polar Capital website for your region and investor type.
Contact & Support | Polar Capital
Where can I find Polar Capital's latest financial results and reports?
Polar Capital Holdings plc publishes its annual report, interim and final results, and related presentations on the Results and Reports section of its corporate website, together with its regulatory (RNS) announcements and financial calendar.
