-These clubs are not about gathering a large amount of money, but about finding synergies and profitable projects –
In recent years, the macroeconomic and geopolitical context has been marked by instability, driven by the conflict in Ukraine, inflation, the oil crisis, rising interest rates, and the trade war reignited after Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Like a butterfly effect, this phenomenon has reached traditional investment banks, which have stopped investing in certain projects because they cannot guarantee medium- and long-term stability and profits, as explained by analysts at Permira.
This highly volatile environment is the ideal breeding ground for club deals — highly exclusive investment structures that are very difficult to access. Family offices, financial institutions, investment funds, and private individuals typically participate. These groups usually engage in private investments in various forms, such as venture capital, private equity, real estate, or infrastructure projects.
The key values underpinning these club deal alliances are trust and transparency between parties, increasingly important in investment markets. They are essential to the health of financial markets, reducing risks and fostering stability.
Although their operation may resemble that of a traditional fund, club deals offer investors greater governance rights over investment management, often allowing them to avoid the time pressure associated with the typical fund duration. However, they are not a classic form of co-investment either, as opportunities largely arise from the relationships and networks of the investor partners.
A Select Group of Investors
The team leading a club deal does not focus on raising money to grow available funds; rather, it brings investors together and seeks out and analyses future investment opportunities. Club deal operations provide a strategic solution, enabling investors to pool their resources, networks, and knowledge to offer larger-scale transactions. In this regard, carefully selecting the club’s partners is crucial, as they hold the key to accessing unique opportunities.
Thus, the goal is not to amass a large financial sum but to find synergies, knowledge, networks, and projects that are genuinely profitable and aligned with the values and beliefs of all investors. This often materializes in access to off-market opportunities — investments in assets not publicly available — offering a competitive advantage and potentially higher returns.
Thanks to their collaborative nature, these investments are flexible and can be tailored to the real financing needs of each project, allowing investors to expand their portfolios while adding resilience and flexibility.
In the very essence of club deals, knowledge and experience are assets as valuable as capital itself. They enable investors to identify truly revolutionary and highly profitable projects. Knowledge and expertise thus become key factors for unlocking great opportunities, beyond fleeting investment trends. In fact, it is this expertise that adds value to the group and makes access to these investment vehicles so exclusive. This is how an elite group of investors is formed.
In short, club deals offer a sophisticated and highly valuable alternative, with greater control and transparency, in a framework of trust and collaboration. They are a gateway to exclusive investments — but one that only opens with the key of contacts and knowledge. A privileged option for those seeking unique opportunities and superior returns.
