A total of 43 new investment funds were launched during first quarter 2015, tiptoeing close to the first quarter total in 2014 of 48. As a group, they are seeking to raise approximately $32.8 billion. The fundraising target is the highest it has been in a long while and is up from fourth quarter 2014’s figure of $20.6 billion.

In fact, this quarter’s total alone is more than half of the targeted fundraising volume for the entire year of 2014.

As a new year starts, a new trend may be starting as well. For the last three quarters the Americas dominated the geographic focus, but during first quarter the global focus took the top spot with a targeted fundraising volume of $14.1 billion (43.2 percent). Although the group comprises only five funds, it claimed the top spot due to the launch of Brookfield Asset Managment’s Brookfield Strategic Real Estate Partners II. The fund is seeking to raise $7 billion of equity for what would be one of Brookfield&