Davide Serra

Davide Serra is the founder, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Algebris Investments, an independent global asset manager he launched in 2006 (co-founded with Eric Halet, formerly of Wellington Management). The firm began with a focus on the global financial sector across the capital structure and has since expanded into global credit, Italian equity and green-transition strategies. Algebris today manages roughly $26 billion in assets and operates from London (FCA-regulated), Boston (SEC), Singapore (MAS), Tokyo (FSA), Dublin (CBI), Milan, Zurich and Rome. Serra retains full ownership of the firm.

Before founding Algebris, Serra was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, where he headed the European Banks Research Team and coordinated the Global Banks team. He was individually rated among the top European bank analysts in the 1999–2006 period. Earlier, from 1995 to 2000, he worked as a senior analyst in UBS's top-ranked banks research team. He is widely regarded as one of the world's leading experts on financial services and is frequently consulted by central bankers and regulators on policy matters.

A dual Italian and British citizen, Serra graduated cum laude from Bocconi University in Milan and holds a CEMS Master's degree. He has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and was awarded the Commendatore designation of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. He is fluent in Italian, English and French.

Outside of investing, Serra is Chairman and Trustee of the Hakuna Matata Foundation, a UK-registered charity he co-founded with his wife in April 2010 to support orphaned children in central Tanzania. He played professional volleyball in Italy (reaching Serie A1) between 1985 and 1990 and is a keen alpinist and sailor.

• Core discipline — value across the capital structure: Algebris built its reputation on deep fundamental research in financial services (equity and credit), reporting roughly 15% annual net returns on financial credit since pivoting after the 2008 crisis and ~9% compound net returns on equity since 2006.
• Green transition as the growth frontier: In February 2021 Serra established a dedicated green-transition unit (led by Valerio Camerano). It houses the Algebris Green Transition Fund (the firm's first private equity fund) and, from 2025, the Algebris Climatech venture fund.
• Climatech venture strategy: A thematic approach investing in climate-tech and deep-tech companies in key transition industries — energy, materials, industrials and food. The fund targets €100m, building a focused portfolio of 15–20 positions, and is classified Article 9 under EU SFDR (its strictest sustainability tier).
• Personal angel activity is selective: Serra's documented personal angel investing is limited (e.g., Rexer in 2018); the bulk of his startup exposure now flows through Algebris's institutional vehicles rather than personal seed checks.
• What makes him say yes: Strong growth prospects, alignment with the energy/climate transition, and rigorous fundamentals — consistent with his analyst-driven, research-first heritage.