• Fund V is the largest fund in RoundShield’s 11-year history
  • Fund V materially exceeded its fundraising target, closing with capital commitments of $1.01 billion
  • Fund V continues the firm’s track record of steady and disciplined growth, exceeding its predecessor Fund IV (which had client commitments of $880
    million)

LONDON – September 12, 2024 – RoundShield, a private investment firm focused on European asset-backed private credit opportunities and capital solutions, is pleased to announce that it has successfully closed RS Fund V (the “Fund”) with investor commitments of over $1 billion. Despite a challenging fundraising environment, this is the largest fund in RoundShield’s 11-year history and is nearly $150 million above its fundraising target. 

 The Fund attracted commitments from existing investors in RoundShield’s earlier vintage funds, as well as from ten new investors, including a diversified mix of leading public and private pension funds, endowments and foundations, insurance companies and large family offices globally. Demonstrating strong support from previous clients, over 80% of the investors in Fund V had invested in a previous RoundShield fund. 

RoundShield is deploying Fund V in asset-backed private credit investments with a primary focus on real asset sectors in Western Europe, such as hospitality, student housing, residential, social infrastructure, renewable energy and other operating-related real estate. 

Driss Benkirane, Founder and Managing Partner of RoundShield said: “We are delighted to announce the close of Fund V. This fundraising milestone underscores our investors’ confidence in our experience and in our ability to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns through economic cycles. We believe that European real assets private credit is a very attractive sub-category of private credit, especially within the highly fragmented mid-sized deal universe where we invest. Today’s opportunity set is particularly attractive due to the lack of liquidity in the European mid-market, real estate valuations that continue to adjust to the higher interest rate environment and shifts in real estate usage post-pandemic. We are exceptionally proud of the strong support received from both existing and new investors and would like to thank them all for their continued support.” 

With the senior partners each having more than 20 years of experience in asset-backed private credit, RoundShield’s capabilities are further under-pinned by its unique proprietary sourcing network spanning sectors and localities across Europe and the UK. Its in-house asset management team is comprised of former bankruptcy administrators and restructuring specialists, who provide specific expertise to the firm’s asset management capabilities.

The Fund is Article 8 under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation, promoting environmental or social characteristics and integrating sustainability risks.