New York-based Traunche Capital Advisors has launched its first hedge fund.

The Traunche Global Micro Fund began trading last night on the Hong Kong market, according to founder Evan Vaughn, with $7 million in initial capital. The firm’s plans for the new fund were first reported in FINalternatives (Dec. 7, 2006).

Vaughn says that while the fund is primarily a global long/short offering, he also uses currencies and options. “It focuses on generally smaller- and mid-cap equities, using a top-down approach where there’s a macroeconomic inefficiency in the market,” he says.

The fund charges a 1.5% management fee and 20% performance fee, with a $250,000 minimum investment requirement.