SMEs query make-up of direct lending platforms
Direct lenders that are affiliated with private equity businesses are being eyed with caution

StepStone plans to put $4 billion into private credit
StepStone is looking build its exposure to direct lending by hiring fund managers. It is willing to sign up to managed accounts of up to $500 million

Crestline raises $1.3 billion for its latest credit strategy
Crestline Investors has closed its third credit opportunity fund, according to a press release. The firm states that Opportunity Fund III and related managed accounts secured over $1.34 billion of capital commitments

Aberdeen Standard holds first close on secured credit fund at £350 million
Aberdeen Standard Investments is looking to invest in real estate debt, infrastructure debt and other types of private credit

GSO raises new credit fund as it eyes $2.4 billion portfolio acquisition
Recent fund-raising may be vehicle to acquire large mid market portfolio

Direct lender Tikehau hires Spanish origination specialist
Paris-based private debt manager Tikehau Capital has taken on an experienced origination specialist focusing on the Iberian pensinula

Kartesia closes fourth credit opportunities fund at €870 million hard cap
European direct lender Kartesia has announced the final closing of its fourth fund at €870 million

Finnish firm to launch €300 million European direct lending fund of funds
Finnish firm Certior Capital is set to raise a new fund of funds with a hard cap of €300 million, company officials confirm

AEW and Natixis AM raise another €100 million for real estate debt fund
AEW and Natixis Asset management, both affiliates of Natixis Global Asset Management, have completed a third closing of Senior European Loan Fund II (Self II) following commitments from institutional investors in France, Germany and Italy

European direct lender names former NatWest distressed analyst as partner
Proventus Capital Partners has named Vikas Nanda as a new investment director and partner focusing on direct debt

KKR's private credit fund fund targets Hong Kong and now South Korea
KKR has raised $301.1 million for its KKR Private Credit Opportunities Partners II (EEA) LP fund, which appears to be targeting Asia-based investors

Paris-based direct lender launches institutional fund with €300 million target
Paris-based direct lender Idinvest has announced the launch of new large-scale institutional fund that will lease industrial assets to SMEs

Direct lenders eye opportunities in Germany’s lower mid market
Direct lending in Germany may be about to flourish, with regulatory changes encouraging fund managers to step into what had been considered an over-banked market

Large insurers staff up for major expansion into direct lending
Large insurance companies are looking to take on the heavy-lifting of direct lending themselves 

Credit fundraising hits $11.1bn in September
$11.1 billion was raised for credit-orientated strategies in September, according to Creditflux’s fundraising tracker. Just over half of this ($5.6 billion) comes from direct lending funds

EIB unveils €300 million lending programme for Irish business
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced a new €300 million long-term lending programme aimed at supporting mid-cap companies in Ireland

Local Pensions Partnership looks to go direct with £1.3 billion credit fund
The Local Pensions Partnership (LPP), which runs the pension schemes of two separate UK local government areas, has announced the launch of a £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) credit fund

London-based Signal raises €725 million for credit and real estate funds
London-based private asset management firm Signal Capital Partners has raised €725 million with an investment strategy targeting credit and real estate special situations

Bank of Ireland pair set to join PE firm's direct lending team, reports Debtwire
A budding direct lender is growing fast with two more hires from Bank of Ireland

Neuberger keeps up private credit momentum as it markets new fund
Neuberger Berman is marketing its latest private credit strategy, with the firm launching Neuerger Berman Private Debt Fund III

Insurance-affiliated manager hires from Pemberton for direct lending push
An asset manager with access to insurance company capital has hired the former UK & Ireland head of origination from Pemberton Asset Management

Canadian pension giant makes big hire for new European direct lending unit
Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec (CDPQ) has made its move into European direct lending

Bridgepoint poaches ING leveraged finance star for new direct lending arm
Bridgepoint has hired an ING leveraged finance specialist to support its push into direct lending, sources say

GoldenTree partner joins Alcentra as co-chief investment officer in London
Vijay Rajguru, a partner at GoldenTree Asset Management, is joining Alcentra as its co-chief investment officer.

Debt communications firm Lucid launches trustee business with four hires
London-based debt issuer communications platform Lucid Issuer Services has made four senior hires and launched an agency and trustee services team