The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that Canadian regulators have approved the launch of Obsiido Alternative Investments, an on-line portfolio manager that is aiming to provide retail investors and financial advisers greater access to some of the world's largest private market funds. The Globe's Clare O'Hara writes that Toronto-based Obsiido will announce on Wednesday the launch of Obsiido Direct, an on-line investment platform that gives do-it-yourself investors access to two alternative investment portfolios that will invest in funds managed by more than a dozen global asset management giants, including Brookfield Asset Management. While Obsiido Direct is only open to individual investors, financial advisers can also directly purchase the two Obsiido portfolios for clients on Fundserv, the system used by most financial institutions to access Canadian investment funds. Typically, private market investments involve complex, long-term strategies that have been dominated by institutional investors or wealthy clients, but more recently, asset managers have been looking to broaden the distribution of alternative investments into retail markets as both investors and financial advisers seek to diversify.