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CVC Capital Partners is a global private equity and investment advisory firm based in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, that manages strategies across private equity, secondaries, credit, and infrastructure. The firm operates with over 400 employees across 25 international offices and currently manages approximately $125 billion in total assets under management. Since its inception, the organization has successfully secured over $111 billion in capital commitments from more than 300 institutional investors globally. Its diverse investment portfolio spans multiple global industries, featuring recognizable companies such as IT security provider Avast, automotive services firm RAC, and pet retailer Petco. The firm recently realized a record €21.9 billion in total exits during 2025, primarily driven by its core private equity operations. CVC Capital Partners was originally founded in 1981 by Steve Koltes, Donald Mackenzie, and Rolly van Rappard.
Key people at CVC Capital Partners.
CVC Capital Partners was founded in 1981 by Steve Koltes (Co-Founder and Co-Chairman) and Rolly van Rappard (Co-Founder and Co-Chairman) and Donald Mackenzie (Co-Founder and Co-Chairman) and Carlo Pirzio Biroli (Founder, Managing Partner and CEO).
CVC Capital Partners was founded in 1981 by Steve Koltes (Co-Founder and Co-Chairman) and Rolly van Rappard (Co-Founder and Co-Chairman) and Donald Mackenzie (Co-Founder and Co-Chairman) and Carlo Pirzio Biroli (Founder, Managing Partner and CEO).
CVC Capital Partners is a leading global private markets investment firm specializing in private equity, secondaries, credit, and infrastructure, managing approximately €201 billion in assets under management (AUM).[2][5] Its mission centers on building better businesses through operational efficiency, growth reinvestment, and sustainable value creation, leveraging a network of 30 local offices to support investors like pension plans and portfolio companies worldwide.[2] The firm's investment philosophy emphasizes partnering with top management teams across seven complementary strategies—Europe/Americas, Asia, Strategic Opportunities, Catalyst (private equity), plus secondaries, credit, and infrastructure—targeting sectors such as consumer/retail, technology, financial services, healthcare, and business services.[1][2][5] With a strong track record of 84 investments and notable deals like Packworks, Skybox Security, and Optiv, CVC significantly impacts the startup and broader ecosystem by providing growth capital, operational support, and global reach to scale businesses.[1][5]
CVC Capital Partners was founded in 1981 by Steve Koltes, Donald Mackenzie, and Rolly van Rappard as a private equity and investment advisory firm.[1][3] Initially focused on Europe and Asia-Pacific, it evolved into a global powerhouse, expanding to over 30 offices across Europe, Asia, and the US, with more than 300 employees.[2][3] Key milestones include growing its private equity platform to €116 billion AUM, launching dedicated strategies like Strategic Opportunities and Catalyst, and achieving public listing on Euronext Amsterdam as CVC Capital Partners plc.[2][4] This evolution reflects a shift from regional private equity to a diversified private markets manager, securing $71 billion in commitments from over 1,000 blue-chip investors, including long-term pension funds.[2][3]
CVC rides the wave of private markets expansion, where insurers and pensions increasingly allocate to alternatives amid low yields and inflation, fueling Asia's growth and global infrastructure needs.[4] Its timing aligns with post-IPO momentum (Euronext Amsterdam listing) and funds like Strategic Opportunities III (€4.6B for long-hold deals), capitalizing on market forces like regulatory shifts and insurance capital inflows.[2][4] In tech, CVC influences the ecosystem through investments in cybersecurity (Skybox, Optiv), eSIM platforms (Airalo), and SaaS (Acronis, Aleph), providing scale-up capital to startups like Packworks amid digitization in emerging markets.[1][5] This positions CVC as a bridge between mature PE and high-growth tech, enhancing ecosystem liquidity via secondaries and infrastructure plays.[2]
CVC is poised for continued AUM growth beyond €200 billion, driven by new fundraises (9 active as of late 2025) and hires targeting insurance capital, particularly in Asia.[4] Trends like sustainable investing, long-hold strategies, and tech-enabled efficiency will shape its path, with potential staff relocations amid tax changes adding agility.[4] Its influence may evolve toward deeper infrastructure and credit integration, amplifying portfolio value in a fragmented private markets landscape—reinforcing its role as a global leader in sustainable private equity.
CVC Capital Partners has 7 tracked investments across 7 companies. The latest tracked deal is $7.6M Series A in CyberVadis in May 2023.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2023 | CyberVadis | $7.6M Series A | ULI Beckmann | Partech |
| Jul 1, 2022 | Packworks | $2.0M Seed | CVC Capital Partners | Fuel Ventures, Outrun Ventures |
| Aug 1, 2021 | Reath | $430K Seed | Techstart Ventures, CVC Capital Partners | ADA Ventures, Calum Forsyth |
| May 19, 2021 | Great Deals E-Commerce | $30.0M Commerce - Series B | Fast Group | Navegar |
| Feb 1, 2021 | DesignCrowd | $7.6M Other Equity | — | Airtree Ventures, Alium Capital, Ellerston Capital, Perennial Value Management, Regal Funds Management, Starfish Ventures |
| Nov 1, 2019 | SheerID | $64.0M Series C | CVC Capital Partners | Comcast Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Rembrandt Venture Partners, Voyager Capital, Centana Growth Partners |
| Jan 1, 2018 | SmartHR | $14.0M Series B | 500 Startups | Coral Capital, Nikko, Tokio Marine |
Key people at CVC Capital Partners.
