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Alternative investments have evolved from niche strategies into a central pillar of institutional investor portfolios. Yet while capital allocators increasingly commit to alternatives, the asset class remains complex, nuanced, and subject to ongoing innovation.

A family office is a private company that manages the investments and trusts of an affluent family. Family offices invest directly or indirectly via funds in private equity, venture capital, and other alternative assets to generate returns and preserve wealth across generations. They employ teams of investment professionals to manage portfolios and operations. The ultra-high-net-worth families that establish family offices typically have investable assets exceeding $100 million. By centralizing investment activities in a dedicated family office, wealthy families aim to ensure institutional-quality management of their capital.

Corporate VCs are venture capital divisions within large corporations that invest in innovative startups aligned with the parent company's business goals. Corporate VCs are an increasingly important source of startup funding, with over 1,300 currently globally. They invest to gain access to emerging technologies and talent relevant to their industry. For example, Google Ventures and Salesforce Ventures focus on AI, cloud, and software startups. Corporate VCs invest via the parent's balance sheet rather than traditional VC fundraising. They can provide strategic advantages to portfolio companies beyond just capital, like access to the parent's resources, partners, and customers. Startups view corporate VCs as a stamp of validation while corporations get valuable visibility into disruptive innovations and acquisition targets. Corporate VCs pursue financial returns like traditional VCs, but strategic alignment with the parent company's interests is a higher priority in their investment decisions.

Micro VCs are a new class of venture capital firms focused on investing small amounts in early-stage startups. Micro VCs typically make initial investments between $50k to $500k in seed or Series A rounds, well below traditional VC firms. Their model is high-volume with more investments at lower dollar amounts compared to normal VCs. Micro VCs embrace lean startup principles and aim to fund promising founders early before valuations and competition heat up. Prominent micro VC firms include Y Combinator, First Round Capital, and Funders Club. They are disrupting the VC industry by reaching founders previously ignored by traditional venture firms focused on later stages. Micro VCs fill a key funding gap and often pass their most promising startups onto bigger VC firms for larger follow-on rounds. The Micro VC model produces more failures but also captures outlier returns from the early high-risk investments that make it big.

ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance, referring to the three central factors used to measure sustainability and societal impact of a potential investment. Assessing ESG helps private equity and venture capital firms determine how a company performs on issues like climate change, DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion), board diversity, executive compensation, transparency, etc. Strong ESG performance signals responsible and ethical business practices. Considering ESG factors in the investment process aims to improve returns and align with stakeholder values. Poor ESG can indicate underlying risks. Private equity/VC firms are increasingly prioritizing ESG amid mounting pressure from LPs, regulators, and the public to invest sustainably. ESG metrics provide a more comprehensive view of an investment beyond just financials.

Dry powder refers to the amount of capital or cash reserves that a private equity or venture capital firm has available to invest. It represents committed capital from limited partners that has not yet been deployed into new acquisitions or investments. Firms aim to maintain adequate dry powder, typically $1 billion or more, to capitalize on investment opportunities as they arise. Having dry powder is crucial so firms can act quickly when promising deals become available. Too much dry powder can indicate a firm is having difficulty finding attractive investments whereas too little limits a firm's ability to pursue deals. Firms strive for the ideal amount of dry powder to deploy capital efficiently while remaining sufficiently liquid.

Limited partners (LPs) are investors in private equity and venture capital funds. They provide most of the capital for funds managed by general partners. LPs are typically large institutions such as pension funds, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and high net worth individuals. LPs have limited liability and limited control over the fund's operations. They receive income, capital gains, and tax benefits in return for their investments into funds typically structured as limited partnerships. LPs can invest in multiple funds to diversify their portfolios. Their capital is tied up for years until the fund matures.

Distressed investments refer to the purchase of debt or equity securities of companies that are in weak financial condition, distressed, or bankrupt. Private equity firms and other investors may specialize in distressed investing, aiming to turn around troubled companies and sell them for a profit. Two common distressed investment strategies are purchasing the debt of distressed companies at discounted prices and converting debt holdings into equity stakes, or providing rescue financing in exchange for equity. The goal is to implement major restructurings to restore the business to viability then exit at an optimal time. However, turnarounds often fail. Distressed investing requires expertise in bankruptcy proceedings, debt restructuring, and operational reorganizations to profitably execute deals. When successful, distressed investments can produce extremely high returns due to the low prices of purchasing shares in troubled companies.

Growth equity is a private capital investment strategy that provides funding for established companies to expand operations. Unlike venture capital that targets startups, growth equity focuses on more mature, profitable businesses looking to scale up. Growth equity investors inject capital to help companies accelerate growth, increase production capacity, develop new products, or fund acquisitions. The capital may be used as an alternative to taking on additional debt. A company may partner with a growth equity firm to receive funding as well as strategic and operational guidance without giving up control. Growth equity typically takes a minority stake in companies and aims to generate returns through the increased value of that stake as the company grows. Ideal targets for growth equity are high-potential businesses with proven products in need of capital to fulfill their next stage of expansion.

A Leveraged Buyout (LBO) is the acquisition of a company using a significant amount of borrowed money to meet the purchase price. Private equity firms commonly execute LBOs. They partner with investment banks to raise loans and take over target companies, increasing their debt. Cash flow from the acquired company helps repay the debt over time. Companies purchased through LBOs are attractive targets for operational improvements and cash flow growth to pay off the loans. Improved performance also increases the value of the private equity firm’s equity stake. LBOs allow private equity investors to maximize returns through financial engineering. However, high debt loads incurred in LBOs also raise the risk of bankruptcy if cash flows falter.

An institutional investor is an organization that professionally invests large sums of money on behalf of its members or clients. Institutional investors include pension funds, endowments, insurance companies, mutual funds, and hedge funds. In private equity and venture capital, institutional investors provide the bulk of capital in funds managed by investment firms, investing in early stage companies or more mature private companies. Institutional investors bring large amounts of capital and enable private equity and venture capital firms to make bigger investments.

Private equity refers to capital investment in private companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange. Private equity firms raise funds from institutional investors and use that money to invest in and acquire private companies, with the goal of improving performance and eventually selling the company or taking it public for a profit. Private equity enables investors to access higher potential returns than public markets, but also comes with higher risk as the investments are illiquid and long-term. Private equity firms typically target more mature companies for leveraged buyouts, growth capital, or turnarounds.

A Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) is a legal document provided to prospective investors when a company is raising capital through a private offering of securities. It discloses details about the company's operations, financials, risks, and terms of the investment so investors can make an informed decision. PPMs are commonly used in private equity and venture capital deals as they allow companies to raise funds without going through a public offering. The PPM must follow securities regulations and is an important part of the due diligence process for investors evaluating a private investment opportunity.

Private markets refer to the trading of assets that are not listed on public exchanges. Private market transactions involve private equity, private debt, real estate, infrastructure, and natural resources. Participants include institutional investors like pensions, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and family offices who provide the capital, and fund managers who source deals and manage the assets. Private markets aim to generate higher returns compared to public markets by taking on more illiquidity and leverage. They are also less regulated. The private markets ecosystem spans venture capital, growth equity, buyouts, distressed debt, mezzanine financing, real estate, infrastructure, and energy investments globally.

Private equity real estate refers to private equity funds that invest in real estate assets. These funds pool money from institutional investors like pension funds and endowments to acquire, develop, and manage residential, commercial, industrial, and other types of property. The goal is to generate returns for investors through strategies like fixing up distressed assets, changing property management, raising rents, etc. Private equity real estate funds have a longer time horizon than public real estate companies, allowing them to undertake more extensive redevelopment projects.

A private equity conference is an event that brings together private equity firms, institutional investors, investment bankers, advisors, and other industry professionals to enable networking, idea sharing, dealmaking and relationship building within the global private equity ecosystem. Conferences provide an overview of the industry landscape while allowing participants to promote their firms, raise capital, identify deals, and recruit talent.

Private credit refers to non-bank lending to companies by institutional investors such as private credit funds, private debt funds, and business development corporations. It provides an alternative to traditional bank financing. Private credit supports acquisitions, growth capital, refinancing, recapitalizations and turnarounds. Terms are negotiated and established by private agreement. Private credit allows investors to capitalize on illiquidity and complexity premiums. It enables companies to secure capital beyond what banks will provide.

Private capital refers to equity capital invested in private companies that is not listed on public stock exchanges. It is provided by private equity firms, venture capitalists, angel investors, family offices, and high net worth individuals. Private capital allows companies to access growth funding without diluting public shareholders or meeting regulatory requirements of public markets. It comes in various forms like private equity, venture capital, growth capital, and mezzanine debt. Private capital typically seeks high returns through active ownership and value creation strategies. Companies backed by private capital can scale rapidly before considering potential IPOs or strategic sales.

A Placement Agent is an intermediary firm that raises capital for private equity and venture capital funds. Placement agents connect PE/VC fund managers with prospective investors through extensive business networks and marketing efforts. They identify suitable investors whose investment goals align with the strategy and sector focuses of the PE/VC fund. Placement agents arrange introductions, conduct pitching presentations, provide information on the fund's terms and strategy, negotiate conditions and facilitate the legal process of committing capital. Placement agents minimize fundraising efforts for PE/VC fund managers and streamline securing investor commitments. Leading global placement agent firms include UBS, Credit Suisse, Lazard and Campbell Lutyens.

Venture capital (VC) is the lifeblood of the startup ecosystem, funding early-stage companies with the potential to become tomorrow’s industry leaders. This guide explains what VC is, how it works, the key players involved, and why it’s critical for innovation and economic growth—complete with real examples and trusted sources.

Alternative investments have evolved from niche strategies into a central pillar of institutional investor portfolios. Yet while capital allocators increasingly commit to alternatives, the asset class remains complex, nuanced, and subject to ongoing innovation.

A family office is a private company that manages the investments and trusts of an affluent family. Family offices invest directly or indirectly via funds in private equity, venture capital, and other alternative assets to generate returns and preserve wealth across generations. They employ teams of investment professionals to manage portfolios and operations. The ultra-high-net-worth families that establish family offices typically have investable assets exceeding $100 million. By centralizing investment activities in a dedicated family office, wealthy families aim to ensure institutional-quality management of their capital.

Corporate VCs are venture capital divisions within large corporations that invest in innovative startups aligned with the parent company's business goals. Corporate VCs are an increasingly important source of startup funding, with over 1,300 currently globally. They invest to gain access to emerging technologies and talent relevant to their industry. For example, Google Ventures and Salesforce Ventures focus on AI, cloud, and software startups. Corporate VCs invest via the parent's balance sheet rather than traditional VC fundraising. They can provide strategic advantages to portfolio companies beyond just capital, like access to the parent's resources, partners, and customers. Startups view corporate VCs as a stamp of validation while corporations get valuable visibility into disruptive innovations and acquisition targets. Corporate VCs pursue financial returns like traditional VCs, but strategic alignment with the parent company's interests is a higher priority in their investment decisions.

Micro VCs are a new class of venture capital firms focused on investing small amounts in early-stage startups. Micro VCs typically make initial investments between $50k to $500k in seed or Series A rounds, well below traditional VC firms. Their model is high-volume with more investments at lower dollar amounts compared to normal VCs. Micro VCs embrace lean startup principles and aim to fund promising founders early before valuations and competition heat up. Prominent micro VC firms include Y Combinator, First Round Capital, and Funders Club. They are disrupting the VC industry by reaching founders previously ignored by traditional venture firms focused on later stages. Micro VCs fill a key funding gap and often pass their most promising startups onto bigger VC firms for larger follow-on rounds. The Micro VC model produces more failures but also captures outlier returns from the early high-risk investments that make it big.

ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance, referring to the three central factors used to measure sustainability and societal impact of a potential investment. Assessing ESG helps private equity and venture capital firms determine how a company performs on issues like climate change, DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion), board diversity, executive compensation, transparency, etc. Strong ESG performance signals responsible and ethical business practices. Considering ESG factors in the investment process aims to improve returns and align with stakeholder values. Poor ESG can indicate underlying risks. Private equity/VC firms are increasingly prioritizing ESG amid mounting pressure from LPs, regulators, and the public to invest sustainably. ESG metrics provide a more comprehensive view of an investment beyond just financials.

Dry powder refers to the amount of capital or cash reserves that a private equity or venture capital firm has available to invest. It represents committed capital from limited partners that has not yet been deployed into new acquisitions or investments. Firms aim to maintain adequate dry powder, typically $1 billion or more, to capitalize on investment opportunities as they arise. Having dry powder is crucial so firms can act quickly when promising deals become available. Too much dry powder can indicate a firm is having difficulty finding attractive investments whereas too little limits a firm's ability to pursue deals. Firms strive for the ideal amount of dry powder to deploy capital efficiently while remaining sufficiently liquid.

Limited partners (LPs) are investors in private equity and venture capital funds. They provide most of the capital for funds managed by general partners. LPs are typically large institutions such as pension funds, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and high net worth individuals. LPs have limited liability and limited control over the fund's operations. They receive income, capital gains, and tax benefits in return for their investments into funds typically structured as limited partnerships. LPs can invest in multiple funds to diversify their portfolios. Their capital is tied up for years until the fund matures.

Distressed investments refer to the purchase of debt or equity securities of companies that are in weak financial condition, distressed, or bankrupt. Private equity firms and other investors may specialize in distressed investing, aiming to turn around troubled companies and sell them for a profit. Two common distressed investment strategies are purchasing the debt of distressed companies at discounted prices and converting debt holdings into equity stakes, or providing rescue financing in exchange for equity. The goal is to implement major restructurings to restore the business to viability then exit at an optimal time. However, turnarounds often fail. Distressed investing requires expertise in bankruptcy proceedings, debt restructuring, and operational reorganizations to profitably execute deals. When successful, distressed investments can produce extremely high returns due to the low prices of purchasing shares in troubled companies.

Growth equity is a private capital investment strategy that provides funding for established companies to expand operations. Unlike venture capital that targets startups, growth equity focuses on more mature, profitable businesses looking to scale up. Growth equity investors inject capital to help companies accelerate growth, increase production capacity, develop new products, or fund acquisitions. The capital may be used as an alternative to taking on additional debt. A company may partner with a growth equity firm to receive funding as well as strategic and operational guidance without giving up control. Growth equity typically takes a minority stake in companies and aims to generate returns through the increased value of that stake as the company grows. Ideal targets for growth equity are high-potential businesses with proven products in need of capital to fulfill their next stage of expansion.

A Leveraged Buyout (LBO) is the acquisition of a company using a significant amount of borrowed money to meet the purchase price. Private equity firms commonly execute LBOs. They partner with investment banks to raise loans and take over target companies, increasing their debt. Cash flow from the acquired company helps repay the debt over time. Companies purchased through LBOs are attractive targets for operational improvements and cash flow growth to pay off the loans. Improved performance also increases the value of the private equity firm’s equity stake. LBOs allow private equity investors to maximize returns through financial engineering. However, high debt loads incurred in LBOs also raise the risk of bankruptcy if cash flows falter.

An institutional investor is an organization that professionally invests large sums of money on behalf of its members or clients. Institutional investors include pension funds, endowments, insurance companies, mutual funds, and hedge funds. In private equity and venture capital, institutional investors provide the bulk of capital in funds managed by investment firms, investing in early stage companies or more mature private companies. Institutional investors bring large amounts of capital and enable private equity and venture capital firms to make bigger investments.

Private equity refers to capital investment in private companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange. Private equity firms raise funds from institutional investors and use that money to invest in and acquire private companies, with the goal of improving performance and eventually selling the company or taking it public for a profit. Private equity enables investors to access higher potential returns than public markets, but also comes with higher risk as the investments are illiquid and long-term. Private equity firms typically target more mature companies for leveraged buyouts, growth capital, or turnarounds.

A Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) is a legal document provided to prospective investors when a company is raising capital through a private offering of securities. It discloses details about the company's operations, financials, risks, and terms of the investment so investors can make an informed decision. PPMs are commonly used in private equity and venture capital deals as they allow companies to raise funds without going through a public offering. The PPM must follow securities regulations and is an important part of the due diligence process for investors evaluating a private investment opportunity.

Private markets refer to the trading of assets that are not listed on public exchanges. Private market transactions involve private equity, private debt, real estate, infrastructure, and natural resources. Participants include institutional investors like pensions, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and family offices who provide the capital, and fund managers who source deals and manage the assets. Private markets aim to generate higher returns compared to public markets by taking on more illiquidity and leverage. They are also less regulated. The private markets ecosystem spans venture capital, growth equity, buyouts, distressed debt, mezzanine financing, real estate, infrastructure, and energy investments globally.

Private equity real estate refers to private equity funds that invest in real estate assets. These funds pool money from institutional investors like pension funds and endowments to acquire, develop, and manage residential, commercial, industrial, and other types of property. The goal is to generate returns for investors through strategies like fixing up distressed assets, changing property management, raising rents, etc. Private equity real estate funds have a longer time horizon than public real estate companies, allowing them to undertake more extensive redevelopment projects.

A private equity conference is an event that brings together private equity firms, institutional investors, investment bankers, advisors, and other industry professionals to enable networking, idea sharing, dealmaking and relationship building within the global private equity ecosystem. Conferences provide an overview of the industry landscape while allowing participants to promote their firms, raise capital, identify deals, and recruit talent.

Private credit refers to non-bank lending to companies by institutional investors such as private credit funds, private debt funds, and business development corporations. It provides an alternative to traditional bank financing. Private credit supports acquisitions, growth capital, refinancing, recapitalizations and turnarounds. Terms are negotiated and established by private agreement. Private credit allows investors to capitalize on illiquidity and complexity premiums. It enables companies to secure capital beyond what banks will provide.

Private capital refers to equity capital invested in private companies that is not listed on public stock exchanges. It is provided by private equity firms, venture capitalists, angel investors, family offices, and high net worth individuals. Private capital allows companies to access growth funding without diluting public shareholders or meeting regulatory requirements of public markets. It comes in various forms like private equity, venture capital, growth capital, and mezzanine debt. Private capital typically seeks high returns through active ownership and value creation strategies. Companies backed by private capital can scale rapidly before considering potential IPOs or strategic sales.

A Placement Agent is an intermediary firm that raises capital for private equity and venture capital funds. Placement agents connect PE/VC fund managers with prospective investors through extensive business networks and marketing efforts. They identify suitable investors whose investment goals align with the strategy and sector focuses of the PE/VC fund. Placement agents arrange introductions, conduct pitching presentations, provide information on the fund's terms and strategy, negotiate conditions and facilitate the legal process of committing capital. Placement agents minimize fundraising efforts for PE/VC fund managers and streamline securing investor commitments. Leading global placement agent firms include UBS, Credit Suisse, Lazard and Campbell Lutyens.

Venture capital (VC) is the lifeblood of the startup ecosystem, funding early-stage companies with the potential to become tomorrow’s industry leaders. This guide explains what VC is, how it works, the key players involved, and why it’s critical for innovation and economic growth—complete with real examples and trusted sources.

Alternative investments have evolved from niche strategies into a central pillar of institutional investor portfolios. Yet while capital allocators increasingly commit to alternatives, the asset class remains complex, nuanced, and subject to ongoing innovation.

A family office is a private company that manages the investments and trusts of an affluent family. Family offices invest directly or indirectly via funds in private equity, venture capital, and other alternative assets to generate returns and preserve wealth across generations. They employ teams of investment professionals to manage portfolios and operations. The ultra-high-net-worth families that establish family offices typically have investable assets exceeding $100 million. By centralizing investment activities in a dedicated family office, wealthy families aim to ensure institutional-quality management of their capital.

Corporate VCs are venture capital divisions within large corporations that invest in innovative startups aligned with the parent company's business goals. Corporate VCs are an increasingly important source of startup funding, with over 1,300 currently globally. They invest to gain access to emerging technologies and talent relevant to their industry. For example, Google Ventures and Salesforce Ventures focus on AI, cloud, and software startups. Corporate VCs invest via the parent's balance sheet rather than traditional VC fundraising. They can provide strategic advantages to portfolio companies beyond just capital, like access to the parent's resources, partners, and customers. Startups view corporate VCs as a stamp of validation while corporations get valuable visibility into disruptive innovations and acquisition targets. Corporate VCs pursue financial returns like traditional VCs, but strategic alignment with the parent company's interests is a higher priority in their investment decisions.

Micro VCs are a new class of venture capital firms focused on investing small amounts in early-stage startups. Micro VCs typically make initial investments between $50k to $500k in seed or Series A rounds, well below traditional VC firms. Their model is high-volume with more investments at lower dollar amounts compared to normal VCs. Micro VCs embrace lean startup principles and aim to fund promising founders early before valuations and competition heat up. Prominent micro VC firms include Y Combinator, First Round Capital, and Funders Club. They are disrupting the VC industry by reaching founders previously ignored by traditional venture firms focused on later stages. Micro VCs fill a key funding gap and often pass their most promising startups onto bigger VC firms for larger follow-on rounds. The Micro VC model produces more failures but also captures outlier returns from the early high-risk investments that make it big.

ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance, referring to the three central factors used to measure sustainability and societal impact of a potential investment. Assessing ESG helps private equity and venture capital firms determine how a company performs on issues like climate change, DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion), board diversity, executive compensation, transparency, etc. Strong ESG performance signals responsible and ethical business practices. Considering ESG factors in the investment process aims to improve returns and align with stakeholder values. Poor ESG can indicate underlying risks. Private equity/VC firms are increasingly prioritizing ESG amid mounting pressure from LPs, regulators, and the public to invest sustainably. ESG metrics provide a more comprehensive view of an investment beyond just financials.

Dry powder refers to the amount of capital or cash reserves that a private equity or venture capital firm has available to invest. It represents committed capital from limited partners that has not yet been deployed into new acquisitions or investments. Firms aim to maintain adequate dry powder, typically $1 billion or more, to capitalize on investment opportunities as they arise. Having dry powder is crucial so firms can act quickly when promising deals become available. Too much dry powder can indicate a firm is having difficulty finding attractive investments whereas too little limits a firm's ability to pursue deals. Firms strive for the ideal amount of dry powder to deploy capital efficiently while remaining sufficiently liquid.

Limited partners (LPs) are investors in private equity and venture capital funds. They provide most of the capital for funds managed by general partners. LPs are typically large institutions such as pension funds, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, and high net worth individuals. LPs have limited liability and limited control over the fund's operations. They receive income, capital gains, and tax benefits in return for their investments into funds typically structured as limited partnerships. LPs can invest in multiple funds to diversify their portfolios. Their capital is tied up for years until the fund matures.

Distressed investments refer to the purchase of debt or equity securities of companies that are in weak financial condition, distressed, or bankrupt. Private equity firms and other investors may specialize in distressed investing, aiming to turn around troubled companies and sell them for a profit. Two common distressed investment strategies are purchasing the debt of distressed companies at discounted prices and converting debt holdings into equity stakes, or providing rescue financing in exchange for equity. The goal is to implement major restructurings to restore the business to viability then exit at an optimal time. However, turnarounds often fail. Distressed investing requires expertise in bankruptcy proceedings, debt restructuring, and operational reorganizations to profitably execute deals. When successful, distressed investments can produce extremely high returns due to the low prices of purchasing shares in troubled companies.

Growth equity is a private capital investment strategy that provides funding for established companies to expand operations. Unlike venture capital that targets startups, growth equity focuses on more mature, profitable businesses looking to scale up. Growth equity investors inject capital to help companies accelerate growth, increase production capacity, develop new products, or fund acquisitions. The capital may be used as an alternative to taking on additional debt. A company may partner with a growth equity firm to receive funding as well as strategic and operational guidance without giving up control. Growth equity typically takes a minority stake in companies and aims to generate returns through the increased value of that stake as the company grows. Ideal targets for growth equity are high-potential businesses with proven products in need of capital to fulfill their next stage of expansion.

A Leveraged Buyout (LBO) is the acquisition of a company using a significant amount of borrowed money to meet the purchase price. Private equity firms commonly execute LBOs. They partner with investment banks to raise loans and take over target companies, increasing their debt. Cash flow from the acquired company helps repay the debt over time. Companies purchased through LBOs are attractive targets for operational improvements and cash flow growth to pay off the loans. Improved performance also increases the value of the private equity firm’s equity stake. LBOs allow private equity investors to maximize returns through financial engineering. However, high debt loads incurred in LBOs also raise the risk of bankruptcy if cash flows falter.

An institutional investor is an organization that professionally invests large sums of money on behalf of its members or clients. Institutional investors include pension funds, endowments, insurance companies, mutual funds, and hedge funds. In private equity and venture capital, institutional investors provide the bulk of capital in funds managed by investment firms, investing in early stage companies or more mature private companies. Institutional investors bring large amounts of capital and enable private equity and venture capital firms to make bigger investments.

Private equity refers to capital investment in private companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange. Private equity firms raise funds from institutional investors and use that money to invest in and acquire private companies, with the goal of improving performance and eventually selling the company or taking it public for a profit. Private equity enables investors to access higher potential returns than public markets, but also comes with higher risk as the investments are illiquid and long-term. Private equity firms typically target more mature companies for leveraged buyouts, growth capital, or turnarounds.

A Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) is a legal document provided to prospective investors when a company is raising capital through a private offering of securities. It discloses details about the company's operations, financials, risks, and terms of the investment so investors can make an informed decision. PPMs are commonly used in private equity and venture capital deals as they allow companies to raise funds without going through a public offering. The PPM must follow securities regulations and is an important part of the due diligence process for investors evaluating a private investment opportunity.

Private markets refer to the trading of assets that are not listed on public exchanges. Private market transactions involve private equity, private debt, real estate, infrastructure, and natural resources. Participants include institutional investors like pensions, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and family offices who provide the capital, and fund managers who source deals and manage the assets. Private markets aim to generate higher returns compared to public markets by taking on more illiquidity and leverage. They are also less regulated. The private markets ecosystem spans venture capital, growth equity, buyouts, distressed debt, mezzanine financing, real estate, infrastructure, and energy investments globally.

Private equity real estate refers to private equity funds that invest in real estate assets. These funds pool money from institutional investors like pension funds and endowments to acquire, develop, and manage residential, commercial, industrial, and other types of property. The goal is to generate returns for investors through strategies like fixing up distressed assets, changing property management, raising rents, etc. Private equity real estate funds have a longer time horizon than public real estate companies, allowing them to undertake more extensive redevelopment projects.

A private equity conference is an event that brings together private equity firms, institutional investors, investment bankers, advisors, and other industry professionals to enable networking, idea sharing, dealmaking and relationship building within the global private equity ecosystem. Conferences provide an overview of the industry landscape while allowing participants to promote their firms, raise capital, identify deals, and recruit talent.

Private credit refers to non-bank lending to companies by institutional investors such as private credit funds, private debt funds, and business development corporations. It provides an alternative to traditional bank financing. Private credit supports acquisitions, growth capital, refinancing, recapitalizations and turnarounds. Terms are negotiated and established by private agreement. Private credit allows investors to capitalize on illiquidity and complexity premiums. It enables companies to secure capital beyond what banks will provide.