Permira raises €16.7bn Europe-focused fund

BY Richard Summerfield

Leading private equity firm Permira has announced the closing of its most recent flagship buyout fund, Permira VIII (P8), with total capital commitments of €16.7bn.

The fund saw strong demand from investors, closing above its target size of €15bn, which represents around a 50 percent increase in size compared to its predecessor, P7, which closed at €11bn in 2019.

The new fund has already deployed capital across four deals: Mimecast, Zendesk, Reorg and Acuity Knowledge Partners. According to Permira, the new fund will “aim to adhere to specific, fund-level targets relating to climate, gender diversity and governance”, which will be reported on annually throughout the fund’s lifecycle.

With a re-up rate of over 90 percent and over 50 new investors, P8 secured investment from a globally diversified base of leading international investors, including public and private pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, institutional fund managers and family offices of entrepreneurs.

“This fundraise is testament to the close relationships we have built with investors over nearly four decades, and an investment strategy that backs rapidly growing companies and highly resilient market leaders,” said Kurt Björklund, managing partner at Permira. “Across both P8 and PGO II, we now have committed capital of more than €20 billion to invest across both our buyout and growth equity strategies. I’d like to thank all of our investors for their continued and unwavering support."

“P8 comes at an exciting time, when we can continue to execute on our thematic, growth-focused investment strategy, whilst also applying it through the lens of values-based investing,” he continued. “We believe the four investments from P8 so far are a clear demonstration of this. We look forward to partnering with outstanding entrepreneurs and management teams to build the leading companies of tomorrow.”

The fund’s close follows the $4bn closing of Permira’s second growth equity fund, Permira Growth Opportunities II, in December 2021, which also beat its target of $2.5bn. The firm believes that the two funds will “enable Permira to invest flexibly across the most compelling investment opportunities globally, whilst leveraging the breadth of expertise available from Permira’s wide network and deep sector expertise”.

The firm has a strong track record of investing in businesses where technology is, or is expected to be, a significant part of their growth trajectory. As such, P8 is expected to see investments in the technology, consumer, healthcare and services sectors.

News: Permira raises €16.7bn for one of Europe’s biggest-ever buyout funds

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