Ardian, a prominent private investment firm, has successfully raised $30 billion for its ninth-generation secondaries platform, marking the largest secondaries fundraise in history. This achievement surpasses the $19 billion raised for its previous platform in 2020 and elevates Ardian’s total assets under management in Secondaries & Primaries to $97 billion.

The oversubscribed fundraise reflects a growing demand for liquidity solutions among limited partners (LPs), driven by market volatility and a surge in deal volumes in 2024. The fund attracted over 465 investors from 44 countries, including major pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, and high-net-worth individuals. Notably, private wealth clients contributed 22% of the capital raised, a significant increase from 11% in the previous fund.

Ardian's strategy focuses on acquiring stakes in high-quality private equity assets, providing liquidity to sophisticated institutional investors and general partners. The firm’s capability to handle large and complex transactions positions it as a leader in the secondaries market. With a team of over 100 investment professionals and nearly two decades of collaboration, Ardian boasts extensive industry experience.

The firm has developed a comprehensive database of private market assets, covering 1,600 funds and offering access to real-time data on over 10,000 companies. This data-driven approach, enhanced by artificial intelligence, allows Ardian to identify optimal investment opportunities swiftly.

Mark Benedetti, Executive President and Co-Head of Secondaries at Ardian, emphasized the current generational buying opportunity in the secondaries market. As private markets continue to grow, investors increasingly rely on secondary buyers for portfolio management, especially amid changing interest rates and public market volatility. Benedetti noted that Ardian's scale enables it to secure unprecedented transactions, including two recent deals exceeding $3 billion each.

Vladimir Colas, Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Secondaries, highlighted that the past year has seen record-breaking volumes in the secondaries market. The use of secondary markets for liquidity and portfolio rebalancing has become integral to institutional investors' strategies, leading to larger asset volumes for sale. Ardian's robust portfolio, with an average deal size of $2 billion, is already 50% deployed, and the firm anticipates even greater activity in 2025.

Ardian manages or advises $176 billion in assets for over 1,720 clients worldwide, showcasing its broad expertise across various investment sectors. The firm’s successful fundraising and strategic positioning underscore its leadership in the secondaries market, poised to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the evolving financial landscape.