Ardian raises €5bn for fifth-generation Private Credit platform

Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, today announced that it has raised €5bn for its fifth generation Private Credit platform. It will seek to provide alternative, flexible financing to mid-market businesses across Europe.

The €5bn platform is well in excess of the initial €4bn target size and represents a 70% increase from the previous generation, which raised €3bn in 2020. This reflects the rapid growth of Ardian Private Credit and strong investor appetite for exposure to high quality private credit investment opportunities. It also demonstrates increased opportunities across Europe for private credit providers, as mid-market businesses seek alternative financing amid continued bank retrenchment.

Continuing its successful, disciplined investment strategy, the platform will invest in high-quality, mid-market companies with particularly visible demand drivers and business models that are resilient through the cycle. As with previous generations, it will seek a high degree of control in its deals. With a strong track record of investing through multiple market cycles since 2005, Ardian Private Credit is well-placed to take advantage of changing market dynamics to drive returns.

The successful fundraise, which was completed within 12 months, has gathered commitments from an increasingly diversified and global LP base, in addition to maintaining a strong re-up rate from existing investors. The platform attracted over 130 investors, including 34 new investors to Ardian, drawn from 19 different countries across the Europe, Asia and North America comprising mainly major insurance companies and pension funds, as well as endowments & foundations, government agencies and high-net-worth investors. The €5bn platform includes commitments from separately managed investor mandates, which will invest in parallel to the commingled fund.

“Our long track record of investing through multiple market cycles, including in previous downturns, and delivering consistently strong returns has helped us close this landmark platform in less than a year. The growth of Ardian Private Credit is testament to the efficacy of our disciplined investment strategy, which is highly selective in backing high quality businesses. In the current environment, the strength of our offer, ongoing bank retrenchment and the resilience of the asset class continues to create opportunities and drive investor demand for exposure to private credit.” Mark Brenke, Head of Ardian Private Credit

The fund is classified as Article 8 under the European Commission’s Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFDR), meaning an ESG evaluation of the targeted company is fully integrated in the investment process.
Ardian Credit currently manages or advises more than $10bn, and has executed over 150 deals since 2005, including 115 exits. The team now consists of 24 investment professionals across London, Paris, and Frankfurt. The team multi-local approach provides a deeper, more diverse pool of investment opportunities.