CION Ares Management

Investment decisions are made by Ares Management's credit team, led by Mitchell R. Cohen, Head of Direct Lending at Ares. The platform benefits from Ares' centralized underwriting and risk management processes.

CION Ares originates loans directly through Ares Management's established relationships with private equity sponsors, banks, and middle-market companies. Ares has been active in direct lending since 2004, giving it a large network for sourcing proprietary transactions.

CION Ares is an asset management joint venture, not a family office. It operates as a direct lending platform, issuing loans and investment products like BDCs to accredited investors.

CION Ares focuses on direct origination of loans to companies. It also manages registered investment vehicles, such as its BDC, which invest directly in these loans. It does not typically participate as a fund-of-funds or commit capital to external managers.

The platform targets middle-market companies with EBITDA between $10 million and $100 million, providing senior secured loans for needs such as buyouts, growth capital, refinancing, and dividend recapitalizations. It does not invest in early-stage venture.

Public records show CION Ares lends across a wide range of sectors but avoids early-stage, unsecured, or high-risk sub-investment grade loans in volatile industries such as pure technology startups, cryptocurrencies, or exploration-stage commodities.

CION Ares is a joint venture between CION Investments and Ares Management. Ares provides the investment management, credit platform, and underwriting; CION provides private placements and distribution to individual investors.