Three flagship funds close above their hard caps, underscoring Ardian’s innovation-driven strategy and leadership in the European market.
Private wealth participation continues to grow, with Ardian Access expanding its global offering to individual investors and family offices.
Abu Dhabi, UAE — December 4, 2025: Ardian, a world-leading private investment firm, announced that it is on track to complete another year of raising more than $20 billion across its investment activities, supported by strong commitments from investors in the US, Asia, and the Middle East. This marks the third consecutive year in which Ardian surpasses the $20bn fundraising milestone, highlighting sustained global interest in European assets.
Record Fund Closures in 2025
Throughout 2025, Ardian successfully closed three major flagship funds, each exceeding their initial hard caps—reinforcing investor confidence in the firm’s European-focused growth and innovation strategy:
- Ardian Secondaries Fund IX — Raised $30bn, becoming the largest secondaries platform ever launched globally, with over 50% already deployed.
- Ardian Infrastructure Fund VI — Raised $20bn, a 90% increase from its predecessor, targeting energy, transport, and digital infrastructure across Europe.
- Ardian Expansion Fund VI — Raised €3.2bn, focused on fast-growing European SMEs aiming to scale globally.
Additional fundraising achievements included:
- Over $6bn for the secondary infrastructure strategy
- Nearly €5bn for private credit
- €300m for the Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) strategy from CBRE Investment Management
- €100m first close for the NBS platform at COP30, backed by major Development Finance Institutions and the European Investment Bank
Strong Deployment and Returns
Ardian deployed approximately $23.8bn in 2025, focusing heavily on Europe’s core economies. Key investments strengthened the firm’s presence in aviation, energy, semiconductors, and real estate, while also expanding its European student accommodation portfolio.
The firm also returned around $8.8bn to investors, emphasizing strong exit capabilities and portfolio performance.
Growing Role of Private Wealth
Private wealth commitments represented approximately 14% of Ardian’s total fundraising this year—highlighting rising demand from individual investors and family offices seeking access to sophisticated private-market opportunities.
In 2025, Ardian also launched three new evergreen products under the Ardian Access series, providing professional private investors with exposure to the same transactions as major global institutions. With four Access funds now active, investors have enhanced opportunities to participate in Ardian’s global investment strategies.
Leadership Commentary
Mark Benedetti, Executive President of Ardian, said:
“Another consecutive year of fundraising success demonstrates the growing attractiveness of European businesses and assets, particularly among investors outside Europe who seek diversification and resilient returns. At Ardian, we continue providing access to the best opportunities in Europe and beyond, creating value for investors, portfolio companies, and communities. Our global reach, local insight, and commitment to client service remain central to our success.”
Jan Philipp Schmitz, Executive Vice-President and Head of Investor Relations at Ardian, added:
“In 2025, we continued to earn the trust of our investors, who recognize the strength of our strategies and the expertise of our teams. Ardian’s scale and diversification across secondaries and direct investments are key advantages. This year, we expanded our private-wealth offerings and opened new offices worldwide. We expect fundraising and deployment momentum to accelerate further in 2026 and beyond.”
