Private equity firms are increasingly raising money to buy individual companies on a deal-by-deal basis, as they struggle with a downturn in the market and investors look for ways to cut management fees. A record $31bn was deployed by “deal-by-deal” investors last year, according to data provided by private equity advisory firm Triago, defying a broader dealmaking and fundraising slump in the industry. This was more than five times the amount raised and invested in 2019.
Dealmakers have also found it hard to find attractive new deals in a higher interest rate environment, leaving them sitting on $4tn of ‘dry powder’, or uninvested client funds. The deal-by-deal approach can be an easier sell to investors. It often means lower, more bespoke management fees, though dealmakers can demand a bigger proportion of profits when the investment is sold on. But investors also know where their money is being spent from the start of the process.