LONDON - The private equity firm Ardian said Wednesday that it has raised $10 billion from investors, including $9 billion for a fund that invests in existing buyout funds.
The latest round of fundraising outpaces $8 billion raised by Ardian in 2012 when it was still a part of the French insurer AXA Group. Ardian, formerly known as AXA Private Equity, was spun off last year from the insurer, which owns a minority stake in the firm.
The 2012 fundraising included $7.1 billion to invest in so-called secondaries, or investments in existing buyout funds.
“We see a positive outlook for secondary deal flow in 2014 in the U.S., Europe and Asia, negating any suggestion that the market is losing its prominence within the wider spectrum of private equity,†Benoit Verbrugghe, an Ardian managing partner and the head of Ardian USA, in a statement. “A vibrant secondaries market is hugely important for the investment industry as it offers much needed liquidity.â€
Ardian’s fundraising comes amid a flurry of sales and public floats of portfolio companies by private equity firms in the past year.
Founded in 1996, Ardian has about $47 billion in assets under management and more than 330 employees.
