Biggest Private Equity Firms

What Are Private Equity Firms? Private equity firms invest in private, non-public businesses to increase their value and later sell them at a profit. They raise capital from various investors and use it to acquire ownership stakes in companies.

Private equity firms are active participants in management, often taking control of a company, implementing changes, and helping grow the business to enhance its value before selling.

They may use several types of investments:

• venture capital – financing early-stage startups, typically associated with high risk but also high return potential
• growth capital – investing in established companies to scale operations and enter new markets
• leveraged buyouts (LBOs) – acquiring companies using significant amounts of borrowed funds to increase potential returns

Largest Private Equity Firms in Europe

The most prominent private equity firms by assets under management (AUM) in the EU include CVC Capital Partners, KKR, EQT AB, and Blackstone Inc. While company rankings may vary, the world’s largest asset managers, such as BlackRock and Vanguard Group, have offices and subsidiaries across Europe and are among the largest investment managers globally.

The Top 10 European private equity funds include CVC Capital Partners, EQT, Hg, Bridgepoint, Nordic Capital, Cinven, Permira, Ardian, Partners Group, and Investcorp. The list of firms may vary depending on ranking criteria such as assets under management, deal volume, or performance indicators.

The most significant funds in Europe are managed by BlackRock (USA), Amundi (France), and the European divisions of Central American banks, such as BNP Paribas Asset Management and J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Investments in Private Equity, Infrastructure, and Real Estate

The most significant private equity funds in the world include BlackRock, Vanguard Group, Fidelity Investments, State Street Global Advisors, and J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Investment companies with a significant presence in the EU that focus on private equity, real estate, and direct investment funds include EQT AB (Sweden), KKR and Blackstone (USA), Permira (UK), and CVC Capital Partners (Luxembourg).

Asset management firms provide professional services that enable clients to:

• achieve high returns
• diversify their portfolios
• benefit from economies of scale
• ensure capital security