NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AEA Private Debt, AEA Investors' ("AEA") private credit platform, and Carlyle AlpInvest, a leading global private equity investor, today announced the successful closing of an approximately $550 million credit continuation vehicle. The transaction was led by Carlyle AlpInvest, who is also providing additional capital to support new loans originated by AEA Private Debt.
The continuation vehicle was established to acquire a diversified, income-generating portfolio of first-lien senior secured loans from AEA Private Debt's 2016 vintage direct lending fund – AEA Middle Market Debt Fund III – primarily consisting of loans to sponsor-backed U.S. middle market companies. Further enhancing long-term alignment between AEA Private Debt and its LPs, the vehicle provided existing investors with an attractive liquidity option or the opportunity to reinvest in a high-quality pool of private credit assets that will continue to be managed by a proven, deeply experienced team. Building on the existing relationship between Carlyle AlpInvest and AEA, the transaction also underscores Carlyle AlpInvest's leadership in credit secondaries and validates AEA Private Debt's differentiated origination and underwriting capabilities.
"This transaction underscores our commitment to delivering strong outcomes and innovative liquidity solutions for our investors," said Alexandra Jung, Partner and Head of AEA Private Debt. "Our partnership with Carlyle AlpInvest is a testament to our cycle-tested approach and reflects the strategic growth of AEA's private debt business. With this continuation fund, we are further bolstering our ability to support leading middle market companies and sponsors while expanding the reach of the AEA Private Debt platform for the long term."
"This transaction reflects the strength of AEA Private Debt's portfolio and their partnerships with many of the best private equity sponsors. With significant overlap between AEA Private Debt's relationships and Carlyle AlpInvest's long history of investing alongside leading sponsors, this transaction highlights the strong alignment between our organizations," said Mike Hacker, Partner and Global Head of Portfolio Finance, Carlyle AlpInvest. "We are proud to establish this partnership with AEA and support the continued growth of their private debt platform."
"Carlyle AlpInvest has a long history of delivering innovative and LP-friendly solutions to GPs across private equity and private credit. The growth of our Secondaries & Portfolio Finance platform continues to strengthen our ability to build impactful and differentiated partnerships with credit managers like AEA Private Debt," said Stefan Singer, Managing Director on Carlyle AlpInvest's Portfolio Finance Team.
PJT Partners LP served as financial adviser on the transaction. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal counsel for AEA Private Debt. Ropes & Gray LLP acted as legal counsel for Carlyle AlpInvest. Wells Fargo provided certain financing for the transaction.
ABOUT AEA INVESTORS
AEA Investors ("AEA") was founded in 1968 by the Rockefeller, Mellon, and Harriman family interests and S.G. Warburg & Co. as a private investment vehicle for a select group of industrial family offices with substantial assets. AEA has an extraordinary global network built over many years which includes leading industrial families, business executives, and leaders, many of whom invest with AEA as active individual investors, join its portfolio company boards, or act in other advisory roles. Today, AEA's over 120 investment professionals operate globally with offices in New York, Stamford, Jacksonville, San Francisco, London, Munich, and Shanghai. The firm manages funds that have approximately $18 billion of invested and committed capital including the leveraged buyouts of middle market and small business companies, growth equity, and private debt investments.
AEA Private Debt makes senior debt, unitranche, junior debt, and equity co-investments in leading middle market companies across a broad range of industries and end markets. AEA Private Debt's team of experienced professionals partners with private equity firms, family offices, and entrepreneur-backed companies to provide financing solutions in support of leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, add-on acquisitions, refinancings, and other similar capital needs. Since inception in 2005, AEA Private Debt has invested over $8.5 billion across more than 425 transactions.
For more information, visit www.aeainvestors.com.
ABOUT CARLYLE ALPINVEST
Carlyle AlpInvest is a leading global private equity investor with $97 billion of assets under management and more than 600 investors as of June 30, 2025. It has invested with over 380 private equity managers and committed over $100 billion across primary commitments to private equity funds, secondary transactions, portfolio financings, and co-investments. AlpInvest employs more than 230 people in New York, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, London, and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.carlylealpinvest.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS
AEA Investors:
Kaitlin Bilby
(212) 845-4307
[email protected]
Carlyle:
Kristen Ashton
(212) 813-4763
[email protected]
SOURCE AEA Investors
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