List of the 500 largest Private Equity Funds Europe [Update 2024]

List of 5 large European private equity funds

Private equity funds are an essential part of Europe’s investment landscape. We have manually compiled an extensive overview of the most important PE funds in Europe. The included funds are investing in buy-outs, buy-ins, carve outs, succession solutions, growth capital and special situations. In the following, we are introducing you to five investors from our list.

1. CVC Capital Partners (Luxembourg, Luxembourg)

CVC Capital Partners is a major, globally active private equity and investment organization with €193 billion in assets under management. It operates across private equity, secondaries, credit, and infrastructure with over 30 offices globally. Its portfolio comprises in excess of 130 companies and, since sustainability is at the core of its operations, it is embedded into all investment strategies. Growth, Strategic Opportunities, and Secondary Partners are some of the strategies that it adopts. It has also entered infrastructure by acquiring a majority in DIF Capital Partners and thus creating CVC DIF.

2. Apax Partners (London, United Kingdom)

Apax Partners is a prestigious private equity house with an excellent reputation and over half a century of experience, having raised aggregate funds of approximately $80 billion. The three core sectors the firm targets are technology, healthcare, and services. Apax operates on a sector-led approach, bringing extensive operating experience coupled with deep industry knowledge to drive growth. Apax works closely with management teams, using digital tools and expertise to help portfolio companies capitalize on emerging opportunities for innovation and expanded mutual success through strategic partnership and collaboration.

3. EQT Partners (Stockholm, Sweden)

EQT Partners is a global investment firm propelled by a purpose: building sustainable value in businesses all over the world. On the back of a 30-year-long track record, today EQT manages and advises investments across the world in a wide array of sectors and geographies, covering not just private equity but also private capital in Asia and venture. Its strategies span from large investments in growth-stage companies to venture investments meant for emerging firms. Today, EQT supports around more than 300 companies worldwide through its advisory teams, underlined by responsible investment and long-term success in every industry.

4. Permira (London, United Kingdom)

Permira is a global investment company that was established in 1985 with the name Schroder Ventures. With approximately 500 professionals across 16 offices in the world, it has managed capital of about €80 billion. Permira realizes investments through Buyout, Growth Equity and Credit funds with focus areas that include technology, consumer, healthcare, services, and climate. Its thematic investment approach uses deep sector knowledge to underpin portfolio companies to realize growth and strategic objectives within fluctuating market cycles.

5. BC Partners (London, United Kingdom)

BC Partners is a leading private equity firm with over 35 years of experience, focusing on control buyouts of market-leading businesses in Europe and North America. The firm has raised over €30 billion across 11 funds and made 128 investments. BC Partners’ focus is on resilient companies in growing markets,with robust cash generation and growth potential, in close co-operation with its management teams, whose incentives are aligned with those of the investors. Underpinning its investment approach, the strategic value creation, along with optimal exits, is pursued through priority on those sectors that offer the most attractive risk-reward dynamics.

Columns included in our list

Through our list, you can get an overview of the most important private equity investors Europe. In detail, the list offers the most important data points to get in touch with the most important private equity funds:

• Name
• Country of Origin
• City
• URL
• E-Mail (if available)
• LinkedIn Page (if available)
• Managing directors (if available)
• Assets under Management in €M (approximation, if available)
• Geographic focus (office locations)

Especially the LinkedIn pages of the PE funds helps to get in touch with the executives and investment managers of the included firms.

Picture source: Alev Takil, Anthony Delanoix