PE fundraising continued uptick in 2016

At a time when investors are searching for yield, private equity, as one of the best-performing asset classes, is not struggling to attract capital, sister publication Private Equity International reported.

The 10 largest fund closes in 2016 raised a staggering aggregate amount of $92.12 billion, which represented an increase of $5.9 billion, or 7 percent, from 2015.

By comparison, the top 10 biggest fund closes in 2015 pooled together a total of $86.22 billion, according to data from PEI data. The largest fund close, which was executed by Paris-based Ardian for its $14 billion Ardian Secondary Fund VII, was smaller than the $18 billion raised for Blackstone’s Blackstone Capital Partners VII in 2015.

Average 2016 fund sizes were larger, as well. In 2016, there were 664 funds that closed on an aggregate amount of $427.98 billion, versus 720 funds on $427.38 billion in 2015, indicating that fewer funds last year raised slightly more capital than in the preceding year.

Although the aggregate amount still pales in comparison to the whopping $533 billion raised in 2008, the numbers seem to show that fundraising is again gaining momentum.

After a post-crisis peak of $458.3 billion in 2013, fundraising volumes sharply fell in 2014 to $426.5 billion, but have been gradually inching up since then.

Peter Martenson, partner at placement agent Eaton Partners, told PEI earlier this month that he anticipates 2017 to be another strong, if not stronger, fundraising year. He referred to “a lot of pent-up demand” going into the new year, resulting from some investors holding back throughout 2016’s volatility and uncertainty – marked by events such as Brexit and the US election.