Quartz Partners Acquires AthenaInvest’s Behavioral Investment Strategies and Research

Quartz Partners has taken a significant step forward in its growth strategy with the acquisition of AthenaInvest Advisors LLC, a Denver-area pioneer in behavioral portfolio management. The deal brings a patented behavioral finance research process — developed over three decades by Dr. C. Thomas Howard, Professor Emeritus at the University of Denver — into Quartz Partners' expanding suite of systematic investment strategies.

Combined with Quartz's existing Dynamic Series macro-driven allocation and Astra Series stock-selection models, the addition of AthenaInvest's behavioral equity strategies creates one of the most differentiated SMA platforms available to financial advisors on leading TAMPs including Envestnet, SMArtX Advisory, and Adhesion Wealth.

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April 21, 2026

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY, UNITED STATES, April 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Quartz Partners Investment Management, a venture capital-backed, SEC-registered investment adviser specializing in quantitative separately managed account (SMA) strategies, today announced the acquisition of the investment strategies and intellectual property of AthenaInvest Advisors LLC, a Denver-area pioneer in behavioral portfolio management. Athena’s core team will integrate fully into Quartz Partners, operating as a cohesive unit to deliver an expanded suite of quantitative and behavioral investment strategies to financial advisors nationwide.

The acquisition adds a patented behavioral finance research process — built on more than three decades of academic development by AthenaInvest founder and Chief Investment Officer C. Thomas Howard, Ph.D. — to Quartz Partners’ existing suite of systematic, Dynamic Series macro-driven asset allocation and Astra Series focused stock-selection models. The combination will provide financial advisors a differentiated spectrum of quantitative solutions spanning systematic macro allocation, dynamic asset management, and behavioral equity strategies, built on a state-of-the-art research platform — all accessible through leading turnkey asset management platforms (TAMPs) including Envestnet, SMArtX Advisory, and Adhesion Wealth.

LEADERSHIP COMMENTARY

“This acquisition reflects Quartz Partners’ commitment to being more than a model manager — we are building a platform where intellectual depth and distribution scale come together to deliver real value for financial advisors. Bringing AthenaInvest into our family strengthens our ability to serve advisors at every stage of their practice with institutional-quality, evidence-based strategies.”

— Joseph Leo, CEO, Quartz Partners

“AthenaInvest has pioneered the application of behavioral finance to systematic portfolio construction in a way that is truly differentiated. Their patented research process and deep academic rigor align perfectly with our own quantitative philosophy. The intellectual depth this brings to our platform is a game-changer for the advisors we serve.”

— Joseph Arena, Chief Investment Officer, Quartz Partners

“AthenaInvest was built on one fundamental conviction: that behavioral insights, applied with academic rigor and quantitative discipline, can generate superior, differentiated outcomes for investors. Joining Quartz Partners gives us the distribution infrastructure and growth platform to bring our behavioral strategies to a far broader audience of financial advisors across the country.”

— C. Thomas Howard, Ph.D., Chief Investment Officer, AthenaInvest

“Financial advisors today are searching for solutions that go beyond traditional style or factor-based investing. The combination of Quartz Partners’ macro-driven models and AthenaInvest’s behavioral strategies creates a unique toolkit — one that helps advisors build better portfolios and deeper client relationships. We are excited about what we can accomplish together.”

— Lambert Bunker, VP Business Development, AthenaInvest

ABOUT THE TRANSACTION

AthenaInvest Advisors LLC, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, has spent the past two decades developing and refining a behavioral investment framework that identifies persistent and predictive behavioral factors to construct innovative SMA strategies. The firm is the recognized industry leader in Behavioral Portfolio Management, with a patented research process rooted in a deep academic foundation developed by Dr. Howard, Professor Emeritus at the University of Denver and author of Behavioral Portfolio Management.

AthenaInvest’s behavioral investing strategies — including the Athena Global Tactical and Athena Pure Valuation models — now join Quartz Partners’ established quantitative platform.

The acquisition adds unique, proprietary intellectual capital and cements Quartz Partners’ position as a leading and pioneering boutique SMA manager available on major TAMP platforms. Backed by EOS Ventures, Quartz Partners continues to execute its strategy of targeted, capability-driven growth — adding expertise that strengthens both its quantitative model business and its full-stack financial advisor solutions platform. Existing AthenaInvest clients and advisor partners will experience a seamless transition as both teams integrate under the Quartz Partners banner.

Joseph Walsh, Esq. of Troutman Pepper Locke LLP advised on the transaction.

ABOUT QUARTZ PARTNERS

Quartz Partners Investment Management is an SEC-Registered Investment Adviser headquartered in Saratoga Springs, NY. In addition to operating a network of independent financial advisors, Quartz offers proprietary investment strategies to financial advisors and their clients. Its SMA model strategies are available on a wide variety of asset management platforms and custodians. For more information on Quartz Partners and its investment solutions, please visit: www.quartzpartners.com. Additional information about Quartz is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov under CRD number 174327. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of training or skill.