Ardian has raised a record $20 billion for its next-generation fund dedicated to energy, transport and digital connectivity in Europe, showing strong investor interest in critical infrastructure, the French private equity firm said on Thursday.
With US President Donald Trump reshaping global alliances and trade policies, Europe is seeking private investment to pursue new avenues for economic growth and strengthen its independence in infrastructure, defence, energy and data centres.
“Volatility is so high today, and events are so surprising and so violent that investors feel they have finally rediscovered the virtues of diversification,” Ardian France CEO Mathias Burghardt told journalists, referring to U.S. and other international investors.
International backing
Burghardt said Ardian Infrastructure Fund VI was targeting physical and virtual connectivity, attracting growing investments from the United States.
The fund, backed by 229 investors, represents the investment firm’s largest infrastructure platform, with a 90% increase from Ardian Infrastructure Fund V.
Investors from Asia-Pacific countries contributed 32% of investments in the fund, Ardian said.
Its fundraising comes after Sweden’s EQT closed its flagship EQT Infrastructure VI fund at 21.5 billion euros earlier this year, 35% more than its predecessor.
Reuters
