IT Support & Managed Services For Genavest Capital Limited

Genavest Capital Limited is a Kent & London-based hedge fund established in 2020.

Operating in a highly regulated environment, the firm has specific requirements around compliance, communications recording and data security. Starting with a small team, Genavest has grown steadily, expanding its office footprint across both Kent and London over the course of its relationship with Akita.

The Challenge

When Genavest’s founders approached Akita in late 2020, they were establishing their market position. Providing IT support for a hedge fund meant addressing requirements that went far beyond a standard office setup:

• No existing IT infrastructure — hardware, connectivity, domain and software all needed to be sourced and configured from day one.
• Regulatory compliance obligations — including voice recording for telephone calls and communications archiving.
• A small but growing team working across multiple locations, requiring IT that could scale without disruption.
• Multiple planned office moves, each requiring seamless on-site IT support to avoid downtime.
• Ageing systems as the business matured — including an outdated phone platform and devices not yet upgraded to Windows 11.

With one of the firm’s principals based abroad at the time of initial engagement, Genavest also needed an IT partner they could trust to act with minimal oversight and maximum reliability.

The Solution

Akita became Genavest’s sole IT partner from the very start, building out their entire technology environment and continuing to evolve it as the firm grew. The work fell into five key areas:

1. Full Office IT Build-Out
Akita sourced and configured all hardware for Genavest’s first offices, including high-specification workstations, laptops, monitors, multi-monitor stands, docking stations, webcams and cabling. With trading-grade specifications required for key personnel Akita ensured the hardware was fit for purpose from day one.

2. Connectivity, Domain & Cloud Foundation
Akita arranged broadband connectivity for Genavest’s offices and registered and hosted the firm’s domain. A Microsoft 365 tenant was established and a tenant migration carried out to ensure a clean, well-structured cloud environment. Microsoft 365 backup service was implemented to protect mailboxes, SharePoint and Teams data.

3. Security & Compliance
Given Genavest’s regulatory obligations as a financial services firm, security and compliance were central to Akita’s approach. Endpoint antivirus was deployed from the outset. Akita also implemented a communications compliance archiving solution to ensure Genavest meets its obligations for the retention and archiving of electronic communications, a key requirement for FCA-regulated firms.

4. Communications — 3CX Upgrade
Genavest’s phone system was running on an ageing version of 3CX that no longer met the firm’s needs. Akita managed a full upgrade, supplying and configuring a new Session Border Controller (SBC) device and reconfiguring the platform. The upgrade delivered a more stable, modern communications platform — and was combined with a revised 3CX contract that generated a tangible cost saving for the business.

5. Transition to NOC Services
In 2024, Akita worked with Genavest to transition to a fully managed services contract incorporating Akita’s NOC (Network Operations Centre) monitoring. This shift to a proactive model means potential issues are identified and addressed before they impact the business — delivering better uptime, greater visibility and improved value for money.

Results

Genavest’s five-year relationship with Akita has delivered consistent, measurable value:

• A complete, compliance-ready IT environment built from the ground up — with zero prior infrastructure.
• Uninterrupted IT operations across two office relocations, with no trading downtime.
• Regulatory compliance maintained throughout, with voice recording and MirrorWeb archiving in place.
• A modernised communications platform following the 3CX v20 upgrade, with reduced running costs.
• Windows 11 migration completed across key devices, keeping the firm’s endpoints current and secure.
• A shift to proactive managed services in 2024, giving Genavest greater resilience and a single, accountable IT partner.

Continued hardware support — with new devices supplied for both founding partners in 2026, reflecting the ongoing nature of the relationship.