– Ardian, a world-leading investment firm, has raised $20 billion for its latest flagship infrastructure platform focused mainly on Europe.
– This marks Ardian’s largest infrastructure platform to date, comprising:
▪️Ardian Infrastructure Fund VI (AIF VI), which hit its hard cap of $13.5 billion (€11.5 billion)
▪️Co-investments alongside the fund
– AIF VI is 90% larger than the previous generation (AIF V), demonstrating strong investor demand and the strength of Ardian’s strategy.
– The fundraise reinforces Ardian’s position as a global leader in essential infrastructure, offering one of the most stable and consistent platforms in the market.
– The fund continues Ardian’s 20-year strategy combining an industrial approach and investment expertise across three verticals:
▪️Energy
▪️Transport
▪️Digital infrastructure
– Raised in two years, AIF VI grew 90% compared to AIF V despite a challenging fundraising environment.
– Strong investor demand:
▪️229 limited partners (LPs) participated from Europe, North America, APAC, and the Middle East
▪️US investors more than doubled, accounting for 14% of capital raised (up from $1bn in AIF V)
▪️Asian investors represented 32% of capital raised, including key Australian investors for the first time
– The number of investors doubled versus AIF V, with re-upping investors increasing commitments by around 40%.
– Ardian’s infrastructure strategy now manages $47 billion in assets across Europe and the Americas, including energy transition-related funds.
– The infrastructure team includes 80 investment professionals and a strong network of operating partners.
– Ardian’s data science capabilities support proprietary tools such as:
▪️OPTA – optimizing wind asset performance
▪️Ardian AirCarbon – quantifying and reducing aviation emissions
– AIF VI has already deployed over 40% of its capital, including key investments in:
▪️London Heathrow Airport (largest shareholder position)
▪️Joint indirect acquisition of Venice Airport (with Finint Investments Infrastrutture)
– Other notable AIF VI investments include:
▪️Verne – UK-based data center platform powered by decarbonized energy
▪️Attero – European waste management and circular economy platform with major CCS project
▪️Akuo – renewable energy pioneer in wind, solar, and storage with 1.9GW capacity
▪️Energia Group – major Irish energy utility serving 900,000 customers
– Mathias Burghardt, CEO of Ardian France and Head of Infrastructure, emphasized Ardian’s consistent, selective focus on essential assets in energy, transport, and digital sectors, and value creation through operational improvement rather than market cycles.
– Jan Philipp Schmitz, EVP and Head of Investor Relations, highlighted the rapid scale of the fundraise as proof of Ardian’s leadership and of global confidence in European infrastructure as a resilient asset class.
