Apera makes crisp entry into direct lending with its first deals
Apera Capital has put £45.5 million to work by completing its first direct lending deals. The London-based outfit has been one of the most-highly anticipated fund launches this year.

EQT raises €1.3 billion for its latest credit opps fund
EQT has rounded out 2017 with a final close on its private credit fund at €1.3 billion

Life sciences investment firm raises $154 million from share issue
BioPharma Credit, an investment company focused on the life sciences industry, has raised approximately $154 million to fund future investment opportunities and commitments already made

London direct lender seeks more than €1 billion for strategic credit fund
According to a market source, Pemberton's latest strategc credit fund is aiming to raise at least as much as its inaugural fund, which last year raised €1.2 billion from 27 investors

GreenOak announces final close at €600 million on real estate debt fund
The manager has held a final close on its Europe Secured Lending Fund, with total capital commitments of €600 million, surpassing its original target size of €500 million 

Private debt performance shines in institutional investing study
A quarter of institutional investors say private debt outperformed their expectations over 12 months to 28 August 2017

Private debt manager makes multi-million dollar sales for third credit opps fund
Private debt manager Park Square has made significant sales for its Capital Credit Opportunities III fund over the course of a year, regulatory filings indicate

Manager poised to launch $100 million shipping debt fund
The fund will aim to provide financing for investments within shipping and maritime, according to market sources

Manager holds first close at £90 million for UK lower mid-market fund
The direct lending fund, which has a $300 million hard cap and targets UK lower mid-market companies, has held its first close at £90 million ($120 million) 

M&G adds to its direct lending team in London
M&G Investments has hired Oliver Wilson to serve as head of asset-based lending

London bridging lender Octane fuels growth with new credit hire
London-based bridging lender Octane Capital has named a new credit manager

EIB and DLL Ireland team up for €200 million direct lending initiative
The European Investment Bank has teamed up with vendor finance company DLL to offer a €200 million scheme to support Irish business investment

London manager closes third credit fund at €459 million
Rothschild Credit Management has announced the final close of its third credit investment fund at €459 million

Balance of power shifts away from direct lenders
Mid-sized corporations are getting their way at the expense of direct lenders at the negotiation table, recent research suggests.

Credit Suisse unit acquires majority stake in SME-focused Swiss startup
The financial services giant's venture capital investment arm, SVC-Ltd, has acquired a majority stake in Swiss alternatives startup Tradeplus24

French manager launches its latest private debt fund

European Investment Bank supports Spanish direct lending with €300 million loan
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a €300 million loan to Bankinter, a Spanish bank, in order to promote lending to small and mid-sized enterprises in Spain

Aircraft specialist Airborne launches with $5 billion AUM target on its radar
Whereas most start-ups aim for slow and steady growth, Airborne is aiming to scale greater heights: its target is to have $5 billion in assets under management within five years

Tikehau raises another €300 million through bond issue
Tikehau has considerable firepower to deploy into the credit market, obtaining €1.3 billion of financing in the last month.

Investors pledge cash after turning to direct lender Prestige
Just like every magic trick has three parts, every fundraising has three stages: building a track record, marketing and, the most difficult, delivering strong returns. Prestige is clearly performing well as it gains three investor mandates

Bain rebrands Dublin unit and applies for management license in Ireland
Dublin-based Broadhaven Credit Partners - launched as a JV between Bain and financier Dermot Desmond - will now operate as Bain Capital Credit

Manager's aviation debt fund takes off with $115 million
A new debt fund is getting into gear, having held a first close of $115 million

French direct lender opens Munich office and unveils new private debt fund
The Paris-based firm has also announced two new hires in its French and German offices

Clearwater increases headcount in its UK debt advisory business
Clearwater International has made two hires to its UK debt advisory team with David Grassby and Hertej Rattan joining the firm

BNP Paribas acquires stake in SME credit specialist Caple
BNP Paribas Asset Management has acquired a 10% stake in Caple, which facilitates lending to small and mid-sized enterprises through a fintech platform