Tag Archives: Funds

Keen Venture Partners launched the European Defence and Security Fund

Keen

Today, Keen Venture Partners announces that it has completed the ‘first close’ of its European defence and security technology fund. The fund has raised more than €150 million and is now the largest defence-tech venture capital fund in Europe. Keen is fully operational and deploying capital into startups and scale-ups, building defence and security technology in European NATO countries.

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The Urgent Need for European Strategic Autonomy

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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte made clear that Europe can no longer wait to strengthen its own defence capabilities. Investing more in European technology is essential for achieving strategic autonomy.

  • The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that scalable, software-driven technologies, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, now significantly impact effectiveness on the modern battlefield.
  • European startups are also building these technologies.
  • Yet only one quarter of European defence procurement budgets currently stays within the EU.
  • As a result, innovators lack both capital and access to initial defence customers.

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Private and Institutional Investors Stepped Up

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The ‘first close’ was made possible by commitments from private individuals and institutional investors who recognise the urgency of strengthening Europe’s defence-tech ecosystem.

  • The European Investment Fund (EIF) and pension fund PME each committed €40 million.
  • Keen is the first European VC fund to receive a commitment from the EIF under its new €175 million Defence Investment Programme.
  • Other investors include TNO, the Netherlands’ largest applied research organization with deep expertise in defence and deep tech, and ABN AMRO, signalling strong support from the broader financial ecosystem.
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“With the first close completed, we are firing on all cylinders,” say Alexander Ribbink and Giuseppe Lacerenza, partners at Keen Venture Partners. “We have institutional backing from the EIF and PME, and an advisory board with deep experience in both military operations and defence policy. Europe has the talent, the technology and the ambition. What was missing was capital and access to launching defence customers. That is the gap we are closing.”

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“Our message to entrepreneurs is clear: If you are building technology that can make a difference on the modern battlefield or strengthen the resilience and deterrence of Europe, we need to talk. This is about adding entrepreneurs to Europe’s defence-tech ecosystem and building a stronger, more innovative Europe together.”

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Capital Ready to Be Deployed

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Keen backs companies that develop dual-use technology as well as defence-first companies building critical capabilities directly for defence.

  • Fund Focus Areas: cybersecurity, autonomous systems, deterrence technologies, and space applications.
  • Investment Strategy: Keen aims to invest in more than 25 companies from seed to Series B, with the emphasis on Series A.
  • Investment Size: Investments ranging from €1 to €10 million.
  • Previous Investments: EclecticIQ, Intelic (formerly Avalor AI), and Perciv AI.

Keen expects extensive collaboration and co-investment with other European VC firms over the coming years. To support this next phase of growth, Keen is ramping up the team and hiring additional investment professionals.

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Nyver announces oversubscribed closing of inaugural fund at €335m hard-cap

Nyver Capital Partners

Nyver Capital Partners (“Nyver”), an Amsterdam-based newly established private equity firm, is delighted to announce the final close of its inaugural Nyver I fund (“the Fund”) at its hard cap of €335 million. This makes it the largest first-time private equity fund raised to date in the Netherlands. The fund was significantly oversubscribed, reaching its hard cap in just over four months, which is a testament to the strong support from a diverse group of global investors.

The Fund will focus on buyout investments in knowledge-intensive, asset-light businesses across the Netherlands, focusing on founder-led companies. Nyver will target profitable B2B companies across IT & business services, critical engineered components and essential products. Nyver applies a human capital centric approach helping strong teams build even stronger organisations and accelerate growth.

Nyver I received the vast majority of its commitments from a broad group of institutional investors globally, including endowments and foundations, asset managers, family offices and insurance companies. This was augmented with commitments from its network of respected entrepreneurs. The strong demand for Nyver I reflects investor confidence in the team’s vision and track record.

Floris Waage, Managing Partner at Nyver, commented:

“Our vision for Nyver is to be the partner of choice for Dutch entrepreneurs seeking to accelerate and transform their businesses into true market leaders. We have a deep passion for entrepreneurship and cooperating with the best teams possible. We help to build organisations and grow people, not just numbers. We are very grateful that high quality institutional investors and well-respected Dutch entrepreneurs alike have given their overwhelming support to Nyver.”

Asante Capital Group acted as exclusive global fundraising adviser, while Loyens & Loeff acted as lead outside counsel.

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Ardian set to mobilize Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) with European Investment Bank (EIB), Proparco and British International Investment (BII) for a €100m commitment for its Nature-Based Solutions strategy

Ardian

Ardian’s Nature-Based Solutions strategy is dedicated to investing in projects in reforestation, wetlands and mangrove restoration intended to protect biodiversity.
• The strategy aims at providing carbon credit to corporates in their decarbonisation strategy. It will enable the sequestration of 85 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere over a 40 year’ period.
• European Investment Bank commits €50m and Proparco €20m and British International Investment intend to commit €10m, reflecting increasing DFIs appetite in the sector.

Ardian, a world-leading private investment firm, today announces that it has secured commitment from several Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Proparco. British International Investment (BII) have signaled their intention to provide commitment to the Nature Based Solutions fund. Total fund commitments will stand for a total of c. €100m by year end to Ardian’s Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) strategy. As anchor investors, EIB’s development arm EIB Global commits €50m, while Proparco will commit €20m and British International Investment has received approval for a €10m commitment, subject to final negotiations. 

Averrhoa NBS is a SFDR* Article 9 impact fund overseen by Ardian’s Infrastructure team in partnership with aDryada, a specialist developer and manager of large-scale ecosystem restoration projects. The strategy is dedicated to investing in projects to reforest and restore wetlands and mangroves, intended to protect biodiversity while enabling the sequestration of large volumes of carbon from the atmosphere via natural carbon sinks. The strategy aims to sequester 85 million tons of carbon over a period of 40 years**. These anchors investors, including FDJ UNITED for €5m and Mutuelle d’Ivry (La Fraternelle), will allow the fund to secure a €100m first round of commitment, and to attract institutional investors and corporate seeking to have positive environmental and social impact through their investment activities.

As well as sequestering carbon, Averrhoa NBS projects will seek to contribute to climate mitigation by preserving water resources and improving soil and air quality. The aim is to rebuild ecosystems and to protect natural habitats and biodiversity through richer and stronger ecosystems, as well as bringing sustainable income and investments in social infrastructures to local economies.

Over 50% of global GDP depends on healthy ecosystems, yet biodiversity loss is threatening economic stability, warns the World Bank. Forests are vanishing at 5 million hectares a year, while rising temperatures make the 1.5°C target harder to reach and are driving unprecedented species loss, endangering food security, climate resilience, water access, and public health***. Ardian is contributing to address these challenges by developing high‑integrity, nature‑based carbon capture projects that also intend to restore biodiversity, benefit local communities, and support growing demand for credible net‑zero solutions. 

Ardian strives to address a shortage of projects in this area. Large buyers are prioritizing nature-based solutions projects to achieve net zero due to their potential to restore biodiversity and create benefits for local communities.

Ardian’s NBS team has built a robust pipeline across Latin America, Africa and Asia through the careful selection of developers. Key criteria for project selection include a strong track record, a local team equipped for stringent monitoring, and advanced offtake discussions. 

The NBS strategy forms a central part of Ardian’s broader decarbonization agenda. This track record includes financing 8.2GW of heat and renewable energy and its €2bn Hy24 hydrogen infrastructure fund. Ardian also provides capital solutions to companies committed to reducing their carbon footprint, with 11,000 portfolio companies committed to Science-based Target Initiative (SBTI) to support global net-zero target. 

“This first €100m round of commitments marks a milestone in Ardian’s journey to becoming a -leading player in nature restoration projects. On top of targeting the sequestration of 85 million tons of carbon, the fund aims to play a significant role in restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, while benefiting local communities. We are very grateful to our anchor investors for their confidence in Ardian’s world-class Infrastructure and NBS investment expertise.” Laurent Fayollas, Member of the Executive Committee and Deputy Head of Infrastructure, Ardian

“This fund represents an important step forward in scaling nature-based solutions across emerging markets. We are helping to address climate change, protect biodiversity and improve the livelihoods of local communities. This investment reflects our commitment to mobilizing public and private capital for environmental protection and sustainable development.” Ambroise Fayolle, Vice President, EIB

“As part of Proparco’s Natural Capital strategy, we are proud to partner with Ardian, aDryada, and the EU CarbonSinks Programme to support long-term investments in high-quality afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation projects. These initiatives will remove carbon from the atmosphere while also delivering strong climate, biodiversity, and socio-economic benefits for local communities.” Jean-Baptiste Sabatié, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Proparco

“Supporting nature-based solutions is central to climate mitigation and adaptation, a cornerstone of BII’s climate strategy. At COP30, we reaffirm our commitment to mobilising capital for high impact projects that restore ecosystems and build climate resilience in emerging markets because tackling the climate emergency requires both innovation and scale.” Leslie Maasdorp, Chief Executive Officer, British International Investment

With Ardian clients and institutional investors increasingly prioritizing their contributions to biodiversity protection, Ardian’s Nature-Based Solutions strategy offers opportunities to invest in projects intended to enhance biodiversity, restore large-scale depleted ecosystems and support local economies.
Important notice: This press release is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or interests in any fund. Investments in private equity involve risks, including the risk of partial or total loss of capital. Any investment decision should be made solely on the basis of the fund’s official offering documentation. The fund referenced herein is intended exclusively for professional investors within the meaning of Directive 2014/65/EU or equivalent investor categories under the laws of the relevant jurisdictions.

*Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on sustainability‐related disclosures in the financial services sector. The European Union sustainable-finance rules are still evolving. Hence, it cannot be excluded that future changes in law or guidance may not support the Fund’s current categorization under SFDR

**Indicative figures based on current pipeline of project. Post ramp-up phase and assuming 40 years project life.

***Damania, Richard; Ebadi, Ebad; Mayr, Kentaro; Russ, Jason; Zaveri, Esha. Reboot Development: The Economics of a Livable Planet. Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025.

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment firm, managing or advising $192bn of assets on behalf of more than 1,860 clients globally. Our broad expertise, spanning Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit, enables us to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and respond flexibly to our clients’ differing needs. Through Ardian Customized Solutions we create bespoke portfolios that allow institutional clients to specify the precise mix of assets they require and to gain access to funds managed by leading third-party sponsors. Private Wealth Solutions offers dedicated services and access solutions for private banks, family offices and private institutional investors worldwide. Ardian’s main shareholding group is its employees and we place great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Our 1,050+ employees, spread across 20 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Middle East are strongly committed to the principles of Responsible Investment and are determined to make finance a force for good in society. Our goal is to deliver excellent investment performance combined with high ethical standards and social responsibility.
At Ardian we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last.

ardian.com

Media contact

ARDIAN

HEADLAND

ardian@headlandconsultancy.com 

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Forbion closes oversubscribed BioEconomy Fund I at €200 Million Hard Cap

Forbion

The fund stands as one of Europe’s largest dedicated bioeconomy funds

  • Forbion BioEconomy Fund I reaches hard cap, following its first close in 2024.
  • The Fund’s planetary health mandate leverages Forbion’s extensive biotech know-how and expertise in human health.
  • Fund to date has invested in five portfolio companies across its four focus sectors: Food, Agriculture, Materials and Environmental Technologies.

 

Naarden, The Netherlands, 5 November 2025 — Forbion, a leading life sciences venture capital firm with deep roots in Europe, today announced that its Forbion BioEconomy Fund I has reached its hard cap of €200 million. Targeting investments at the nexus of biotechnology and planetary health, the fund stands as one of Europe’s largest dedicated bioeconomy funds, extending Forbion’s vision of supporting sustainable technologies that can contribute to the decarbonizing of multiple industries.

 

Launched in 2024 with an initial target of €150 million, Forbion BioEconomy Fund I attracted strong support from institutional investors across Europe and North America including KfW Capital, Novo Holdings, Rentenbank, Aurae Impact, ABN AMRO Bank and EIFO. The fund invests in biotechnologies and green chemistries that make industrial sustainability scalable. Its portfolio includes eeden, Genomines, SOLASTA Bio, Novameat, and PACT, all developing transformative solutions across the Fund’s four strategic priority sectors of Food, Agriculture, Materials and Environmental Technologies.

 

“We are seeing a clear evolution in how investors approach climate and industrial innovation,” said Alexander Hoffmann, General Partner at Forbion. “Biotechnology is moving beyond healthcare to tackle global challenges in food, materials, and resource efficiency. The strong demand for Forbion BioEconomy Fund I reflects growing confidence that science-led solutions can deliver both environmental and financial value.”

 

“Capital is shifting from software to science,” said Joy Faucher, General Partner at Forbion. “With strong backing from leading institutional and strategic limited partners, we are excited to build a portfolio that leverages the power of biology and chemistry to deliver much-needed, commercially viable sustainable solutions for the planet.”

 

The Forbion BioEconomy Fund I aims to build a portfolio of 12-14 investments across Europe and North America. It targets companies developing cost-effective and scalable biology-based business-to-business solutions that have demonstrated proof of concept, typically at Series A and B stages, and that can replace incumbent products at price parity or better. In addition to the potential positive impact of the Fund’s investments, the market for biotech-enabled alternatives represents a significant commercial opportunity estimated at several trillion euros in the next decade1.

 

Forbion BioEconomy Fund I portfolio companies are:

  • eeden – pioneering textile-to-textile recycling with green chemistry depolymerisation technologies.
  • Genomines – leveraging plant biotechnology to extract valuable metals for a sustainable and cost-competitive mining future.
  •  SOLASTA Bio – leveraging novel first of its kind peptides for a bio-safe, effective and targeted alternative to traditional pesticides.
  • Novameat – developing scalable and clean protein cuts, accelerating the transition to plant-based proteins.
  • PACT – using its biomaterial platform for cost-effective, high-performance collagen-based coating solutions, starting with textiles.

 

***ENDS***

 

About Forbion

Forbion is a leading global venture capital firm with deep roots in Europe and offices in Naarden, the Netherlands, Munich, Germany, and Boston, USA. Forbion invests in innovative biotech companies, managing approximately €5 billion across multiple fund strategies covering all stages of (bio)pharmaceutical drug development. In addition to its human health focus, Forbion also invests in planetary health solutions through its BioEconomy strategy. The firm’s team of over 30 investment professionals has a strong track record, with more than 130 investments across 11 funds, resulting in numerous approved therapies and successful exits. Forbion is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and operates a joint venture with BGV for seed and early-stage investments in the Benelux and Germany regions.

 

About Forbion BioEconomy Fund

The Forbion BioEconomy Fund is Forbion’s dedicated investment platform at the intersection of biotechnology and planetary health. The Forbion BioEconomy Fund focuses on innovative companies that leverage biotechnology to clean and feed the planet across four sectors: Food, Agriculture, Materials and Environmental Technologies. Under the leadership of General Partners Alexander Hoffmann and Joy Faucher, the Forbion BioEconomy Fund applies Forbion’s deep biotech expertise to technologies that combine measurable environmental impact with strong commercial potential.

 

1 Data from McKinsey report, The Bio Revolution: Innovations transforming economies, societies, and our lives, May 2022

Head of Marketing & Communications

info@forbion.com

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Bencis announces the closing of Bencis VII

Bencis

AMSTERDAM, BRUSSELS, DÜSSELDORF, 31 October 2025

Bencis Capital Partners B.V. (“Bencis”) is pleased to announce the first and final closing of Bencis VII at its hard cap of €625 million.

The fund received strong commitments from existing investors as well as from many founders and managers of Bencis portfolio companies, enabling a swift and successful fundraising process completed within six months. Bencis welcomes a number of new limited partners who have joined to support the firm’s continued growth journey.

Bencis VII will enable Bencis to continue investing alongside entrepreneurs and management teams in the Benelux and DACH regions, supporting them in building stronger and more sustainable businesses.

Over the past 18 months, Bencis has realized eight exits across Bencis IV Continuation Fund, Bencis V and Bencis VI, achieving an average MOIC of 7.0x. These realizations underscore the firm’s proven ability to deliver strong returns through active ownership and close collaboration with portfolio company management teams. Bencis expects further successful exits across all active funds in 2026.

This closing also marks a special milestone in Bencis’ history: exactly 25 years after the launch of its first fund in 2000. Over this period, Bencis has grown into a leading independent investment firm, recognized for its partnership approach and focus on long-term value creation.

“We are grateful for the trust of our investors, founders, and managers who have supported us throughout this fundraising,” said Zoran van Gessel, Managing Partner at Bencis. “The strong demand for Bencis VII is a testament to the enduring relationships we have built over the past 25 years and to our shared belief in partnership and sustainable value creation.

The fund will be managed by the same experienced team that has successfully led previous Bencis funds. Bencis VII will continue to target investments in mid-market companies, supporting them with strategic guidance, operational expertise, and capital for growth.

Bencis was advised by Proskauer Rose LLP and Loyens & Loeff NV.

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SHIFT Invest IV Achieves €92 Million First Close – Rabo Investments Proud to Support

Rabo Investments

Utrecht, 18 July 2025 – Rabo Investments is pleased to announce its participation in the successful first close of SHIFT Invest IV, which has secured an impressive €92 million in committed capital. This marks a significant step forward in advancing climate and nature-positive innovation across Netherlands and Northwestern Europe.

At a time when global attention is divided among numerous pressing issues, the urgency to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion has never been more critical.
SHIFT Invest IV is designed to meet this challenge head-on by investing in pioneering entrepreneurs who are building scalable, technology-driven solutions with measurable environmental and financial impact.

With over 15 years of experience in impact investing, SHIFT Invest has a strong track record of supporting early-stage ventures through to successful exits. The fund is fully aligned with SFDR Article 9 standards and is committed to driving systemic change.

Investment strategy of this deal

Stage: Proof of Concept, Seed, Series A
Business Models: Software, hardware, or hybrid
Focus Areas: Energy, Industry, Mobility, Food & Agriculture
Geography: The Netherlands and Northwestern Europe
Initial Ticket Size: €250K – €4M

SHIFT Invest IV is well on track to reach its €150 million target. Rabo Investments is proud to be part of a strong coalition of investors and ecosystem partners, including Invest-NL, Royal Schiphol Group, regional development agencies such as Oost NL, BOM, ROM Utrecht Region, NV NOM, LIOF, IFG, and knowledge institutions like Delft Enterprises, TNO Ventures, and Wageningen University & Research. The fund is also supported by European funding, family offices, and mission-driven entrepreneurs.

“We are proud to support SHIFT Invest IV in scaling the next generation of climate and nature-positive ventures. This fund exemplifies our commitment to accelerating the transition to a sustainable economy,” said Laura Alberga Berendsen, Director Fund- & Co Investments, Rabo Investments.

 

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Ardian raises $20bn to power essential European infrastructure

Ardian

Fundraise underlines growing investor interest, with the United States being the largest investor base, in the European infrastructure asset class
• Ardian Infrastructure Fund VI is 90% larger than its predecessor, reflecting strong investor confidence in Ardian’s differentiated strategy and track record
• The fund’s success will continue to rely on investment in essential infrastructure across three verticals: energy, transport and digital infrastructure

Ardian, a world-leading investment firm, today announces it has raised $20 billion for its latest flagship infrastructure platform set to invest predominantly in Europe. It is Ardian’s largest infrastructure platform to date, composed of Ardian Infrastructure Fund VI (AIF VI), which reached its hard cap of $13.5bn (€11.5bn), and co-investments alongside the fund. AIF VI is 90% larger than the previous generation, Ardian Infrastructure Fund V (AIF V) , demonstrating growing investor interest and the strength of Ardian’s differentiated strategy.

The successful fundraise cements Ardian’s position as an international leader in essential infrastructure, with its unique investment approach and strong track record, offering one of the most stable and consistent platforms in the market. The fund will continue Ardian’s strategy, developed over two decades, of combining an industrial approach with investment expertise across three verticals that are powering the future and supporting Europe’s competitiveness: energy, transport and digital infrastructure.

Despite a challenging fundraising environment which has seen infrastructure funds raise over longer periods of time than prior years, AIF VI was raised in two years with an increase of 90% on the previous generation.

The fund attracted strong interest from both existing and new investors across the globe, with commitments from 229 limited partners (LPs) in Europe, North America, APAC and the Middle East. The fund saw the biggest increase in commitments from investors in the United States, with the number of US investors more than doubling and accounting for 14% of capital raised, up from $1bn in AIF V.

This comes amid growing US investor appetite for investing in Europe. Asian investors also showed strong interest, accounting for 32% of the capital raised, including many key Australian investors for the first time.

The number of investors in AIF VI doubled compared to AIF V. Investors having re-upped into AIF VI increased their commitments in average by c.40%.

Ardian has $47 billion in assets under management (AUM) for its infrastructure strategy covering the European and American essential infrastructure market as well as thematic funds related to the energy transition. The team counts 80 investment professionals who work with a strong network of operating partners. Ardian’s strong, multi-local team includes a market-leading data science capability, which has led to the development of proprietary Ardian tools including OPTA, which uses data to optimize the performance of wind assets, and Ardian AirCarbon, a proprietary emission quantification and reduction tool for the aviation industry.

AIF VI has already successfully deployed more than 40% of its capital, including in landmark infrastructure assets like London Heathrow Airport – Europe’s largest airport – where Ardian is the largest shareholder. Building on Ardian’s expertise in airports, the team, together with Finint Infrastrutture announced the signing of the agreement for the joint indirect acquisition of Venice Airport.

Additional AIF VI investments include:

•    Verne: A UK-headquartered data center platform, powered entirely by decarbonised energy.
•    Attero: a leading European waste management and circular economy platform, which is currently developing a 640 kilo-tonnes per annum of carbon capture and storage project on its Moerdijk plant.
•    Akuo: a pioneer in the renewable energy sector, specializing in wind power, photovoltaics and storage, with 1.9GW of installed capacity across Europe.
•    Energia Group: one of the largest energy utilities on the island of Ireland serving almost 900,000 homes and businesses.

“More than ever, clients expect from us high absolute returns decorrelated from financial market. Amid Ardian’s continued strong performance, this milestone fundraise reflects the success of our differentiated strategy that we have applied consistently since inception 20 years ago. We have expanded into new geographies while maintaining a clear and selective focus on essential and capital intensive assets in three key sectors: energy, transport and digital infrastructure. Our asset management approach is precise: value creation must come from operational improvement, not market cycles. In a market that rewards clarity and conviction, our approach has stood the test of time, and our strategy remains consistent, differentiated and rooted in a long-term view to create value.” Mathias Burghardt, Executive Vice-President, CEO of Ardian France and Head of Infrastructure, Ardian.

“The scale and speed of this fundraise highlights not only the market-leading position of Ardian’s Infrastructure team, but also the attractiveness of the asset class, offering resilience in a world that is anything but predictable. We continue to see strong confidence around the world, particularly in European infrastructure as a standout asset class, with a notable increase in interest among investors outside of Europe, especially the US and APAC. Investors that have a track record of applying industry expertise to deliver value creation are winning in this environment.
“We would like to thank our investors for their continued support and new LPs for their trust, which has allowed us to more than double the size of our platform.” Jan Philip Schmitz, Executive Vice-President and Head of Investor Relations, Ardian.

About Ardian

Ardian is a world-leading private investment firm, managing or advising $192bn of assets on behalf of more than 1,860 clients globally. Our broad expertise, spanning Private Equity, Real Assets and Credit, enables us to offer a wide range of investment opportunities and respond flexibly to our clients’ differing needs. Through Ardian Customized Solutions we create bespoke portfolios that allow institutional clients to specify the precise mix of assets they require and to gain access to funds managed by leading third-party sponsors. Private Wealth Solutions offers dedicated services and access solutions for private banks, family offices and private institutional investors worldwide. Ardian’s main shareholding group is its employees and we place great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Our 1,050+ employees, spread across 20 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Middle East are strongly committed to the principles of Responsible Investment and are determined to make finance a force for good in society. Our goal is to deliver excellent investment performance combined with high ethical standards and social responsibility.

At Ardian we invest all of ourselves in building companies that last.

ardian.com

Press contact

Headland

ardian@headlandconsultancy.com 

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819 Capital Partners launches 819 Seed Fund!

819 Capital Partners

Deventer, 9 October 2025 – 819 Capital Partners announces the launch of 819 Seed Fund, a new €9 million fund established with support from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).

819 Seed Fund is designed to address the growing demand for venture capital among early-stage deep tech and med tech companies, offering ticket sizes from €250k – €1.5M. Its mission is to help entrepreneurs develop, validate, and scale breakthrough technologies in the Netherlands.

By investing at this critical stage, we aim to strengthen the Dutch startup ecosystem and support entrepreneurs shaping the future of technology.

For more information: https://819-capital.com/819-seedfund/

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Bain Capital Closes Fourteenth Flagship Private Equity Fund at $14 Billion

BainCapital

Successful fundraise reflects the strength of Bain Capital’s global private equity platform, which combines scale with a differentiated investment strategy and now manages more than $27 billion across its latest vintage of North America, Europe, and Asia funds

BOSTON – October 3, 2025 – Bain Capital today announced it completed fundraising for its latest flagship private equity fund, Bain Capital Fund XIV, (“Fund XIV”), with $14 billion in total commitments, including approximately $11.8 billion of external commitments exceeding its original target of $10 billion. In keeping with the firm’s heritage across all of its funds, Bain Capital-related entities committed the balance of the capital and collectively are its single largest investor.

Together, Fund XIV and the recently closed Europe VI (2023) and Asia V (2023) private equity funds represent more than $27 billion of committed capital. Bain Capital’s private equity platform, which manages approximately $68 billion in total assets, combines the scale of a global leader with the agility of regionally focused funds and the connectivity of a fully integrated global team. This fundraise also reflects the continued confidence investors place in disciplined, durable platforms with strong alignment and a consistent record of performance across cycles.

Fund XIV is the latest vintage of Bain Capital’s global private equity business, a strategy the firm has executed consistently since 1984. Over four decades, Bain Capital has partnered with management teams to help companies grow and transform by driving operating improvements, unlocking transformational change, and achieving sustainable scale. The private equity team invests across five core verticals — Consumer, Healthcare, Industrials, Services, and Technology — and regularly draws on the insights and capabilities of the broader Bain Capital platform.

“Bain Capital’s ability to help companies reach their full potential, even in complex environments, has been the foundation of our private equity strategy for more than four decades,” said Chris Gordon, Partner and Global Co-Head of Private Equity. “Our growth-oriented approach connects global insight with deep industry expertise, empowering people across our firm and our portfolio companies to unlock transformational change and achieve sustainable scale. We are one hands-on, collaborative, and integrated team across our platform, which is particularly well-suited for today’s market. With the continued support of our investors and the strength of our global platform, Fund XIV positions us to carry this work forward and continue to create lasting impact.”

“In today’s competitive environment, scale without discipline is not enough,” added David Humphrey, Partner and Co-Head of North America Private Equity. “Our strategy has always been to focus on opportunities where Bain Capital can bring a true advantage — pairing sector specialists with cross-platform insights and the resources of our global team. That approach has enabled us to generate meaningful liquidity for our investors even in one of the most challenging exit markets since the financial crisis. Looking ahead, we remain focused on supporting transformation, driving growth, and continuing to serve as a trusted partner to leading businesses across the globe.”

Bain Capital’s global private equity platform brings together more than 330 investment and portfolio professionals worldwide, including a dedicated Portfolio Group of nearly 90 specialists. This team combines deep sector expertise with functional capabilities in areas such as digital transformation, supply chain, and talent, and works side by side with investment teams and management from diligence through ownership. This differentiated, hands-on model — with roughly 80% of value creation over the past decade driven by operating improvements rather than financial engineering — has enabled Bain Capital to build enduring businesses and deliver consistent results across market environments.

About Bain Capital 
Founded in 1984, Bain Capital is one of the world’s leading private investment firms. We are committed to creating lasting impact for our investors, teams, businesses, and the communities in which we live. As a private partnership, we lead with conviction and a culture of collaboration, advantages that enable us to innovate investment approaches, unlock opportunities, and create exceptional outcomes. Our global platform invests across five focus areas: Private Equity, Growth & Venture, Capital Solutions, Credit & Capital Markets, and Real Assets. In these focus areas, we bring deep sector expertise and wide-ranging capabilities. We have 24 offices on four continents, more than 1,850 employees, and approximately $185 billion in assets under management. To learn more, visit www.baincapital.com. Follow @BainCapital on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

 

Media Contacts

 Scott Lessne / Charlyn Lusk

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CVC raises €10.4 billion for its European direct lending strategy

CVC Capital Partners

CVC Credit, the global credit management business of CVC, is pleased to announce the final close of its fourth European Direct Lending fund (“EUDL IV”)

CVC has raised €10.4 billion1 to deploy across the European Direct Lending opportunity, representing a significant increase over CVC’s prior European Direct Lending funds, which raised €6.3 billion1 in 2022 and €1.3 billion1 in 2020.

The growth of CVC’s European Direct lending platform has been underpinned by CVC’s deep local relationships across its network of sixteen European offices, and CVC’s focus on Europe for over forty years.

Rob Lucas, CEO at CVC said: “This is an excellent outcome for our latest European Direct Lending fund reflecting strong investment performance and deep and longstanding relationships with the highest quality institutional investors.

Quotes

This is an excellent outcome for our latest European Direct Lending fund reflecting strong investment performance and deep and longstanding relationships with the highest quality institutional investors

Rob LucasCEO, CVC

“CVC’s Credit platform benefits greatly from our international network of 30 local offices and its deep investment expertise. We are the number one CLO manager and a top three Private Credit manager in Europe. Our Liquid and Private Credit strategies have grown consistently over recent years and together now account for nearly a quarter of CVC’s total assets under management. We continue to see a significant number of opportunities for further growth in our Credit platform and forms a key part of our broader ambitions in Insurance and Private Wealth.”

Andrew Davies, Managing Partner, Head of CVC Credit, said: “We are extremely grateful for the continued trust and support of CVC’s global investor base. The European private credit market has developed significantly in recent years, driven by structural tailwinds and the increasing relevance of private credit within the wider credit ecosystem. We have capitalised on this market shift to scale our platform and deepen our resources, establishing CVC Credit as one of the top three private credit players in Europe.

“Looking ahead, our focus remains on delivering compelling financing solutions for Europe’s leading financial sponsors. By leveraging the insights from CVC’s leading Private Equity platform and the strength of the wider CVC Network, we are ideally positioned to act as a reliable long-term partner and to continue to take advantage of the significant European credit opportunity.”

EUDL IV has already made strong progress, committing to more than 30 investments. Recent transactions completed by EUDL IV include: KKR’s buyout of Immedica Pharma; the acquisition and growth strategy of smartTrade; Cinven’s acquisition of idealista; acting as sole lender for the acquisition of Innovative Beauty Group; and, supporting the delisting of Alpha FMC from the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange by Bridgepoint.

CVC Credit manages total assets of more than €48 billion (€43 billion of fee paying AUM) across its Liquid Credit and Private Credit businesses. The Private Credit platform comprises its European Direct Lending and Capital Solutions strategies with assets of more than €18 billion.

1. Taken together with parallel investment funds and accounts

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