Summary List PlacementHedge funds, long considered the world's best public market investors, have been losing their edge. Quants are squeezing out inefficiencies while funds struggle to justify their cost. In turn, these managers have turned to the murkier private markets to boost returns. Like in the public markets, strategies run the gambit. At biotech specialist Perceptive Advisors, Chris Garabedian looks for startups at the beginning of their lifespans with limited track records. D.E. Shaw has put money to work overseas, including in China. Point72's Hyperscale fund uses artificial intelligence to supercharge its portfolio companies' operations.