Updated:
Permira
Permira was founded in 1985 as Schroder Ventures, a European private equity arm of Schroders PLC.
Permira
Permira was founded in 1985 as Schroder Ventures, a European private equity arm of Schroders PLC. The firm spun out as an independent partnership in 2001 and rebranded as Permira. Co-Managing Partners Kurt Björklund and Brian Ruder oversee a global investment platform that has evolved from its European buyout roots into a multi-strategy firm. The firm allocates capital across growth equity, buyout, and private credit. Its sector focus includes enterprise software, fintech, digital health, industrial tech, consumer, cybersecurity, and healthcare services. Landmark portfolio companies include the payments network Global Payments, the cybersecurity firm McAfee (acquired in 2022), the enterprise software company Anaplan, and the consumer brands Dr. Martens and Hugo Boss. Geographic deployment spans Western Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Permira has raised over $75 billion in cumulative committed capital across its fund series, including its flagship buyout funds, the Permira Growth Opportunities funds, and the Permira Credit funds. The firm employs more than 400 professionals overall, including over 200 investment professionals across nine offices. In 2024, Permira closed its seventh flagship buyout fund at $16.7 billion (per Bloomberg, 2024). The firm maintains a separate philanthropic foundation, the Permira Foundation, launched in 2020. A structural differentiator is Permira's long-standing sector-specialist model: investment teams are organized into dedicated industry verticals (technology, healthcare, consumer, services) rather than geographic regions, a design intended to deepen domain expertise and proprietary deal sourcing. The firm also runs a permanent capital vehicle, Permira Capital Solutions, which makes minority investments in growth companies.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
1985
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
Corporate office
London, United Kingdom
Additional offices
Menlo Park · New York · Hong Kong · Tokyo · Frankfurt · Paris · Stockholm · Milan · Madrid
Principals
Kurt Björklund
Co-Managing Partner
Brian Ruder
Co-Managing Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Permira?
Investment decisions are led by Co-Managing Partners Kurt Björklund and Brian Ruder, alongside a global investment committee comprising sector-heads. The firm's sector-specialist model means deal teams within technology, healthcare, consumer, and services verticals originate and recommend investments. Permira does not disclose a single CIO.
How does Permira source proprietary deal flow?
Permira sources deals through its sector-specialist teams who maintain relationships with management teams, industry executives, and corporate spin-out candidates. The firm also runs a dedicated origination team that monitors carve-outs and platform build-ups. Historically, about half of Permira's deals have been proprietary or limited-auction processes (per firm communications).
Is Permira structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a private equity firm?
Permira is a traditional private equity firm, not a family office. It is structured as an independent partnership with multiple managing partners and a professional investment staff. The firm manages institutional capital from pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, and insurance companies, alongside some family office commitments.
Does Permira participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Permira operates primarily through direct private equity investments, not fund-of-funds commitments. It deploys capital directly into companies via buyouts, growth equity, and credit investments. The firm does not manage a fund-of-funds vehicle or make passive commitments to other managers.
What investment stages does Permira typically target?
Permira targets the full spectrum of private equity stages: buyouts of established businesses, growth equity investments in scaling companies, and private credit. Its flagship buyout funds focus on larger control transactions, while Permira Growth Opportunities makes minority growth investments. Permira Credit targets direct lending to middle-market companies.
Which sectors does Permira explicitly avoid?
Permira does not publicly list excluded sectors, but its stated focus areas are technology, healthcare, consumer, and services. The firm has avoided real estate, natural resources, and early-stage venture capital, though it has no formal prohibition. Its sector-specialist model implicitly sharpens focus on its five verticals.
How is Permira related to Schroder Ventures?
Permira was originally founded in 1985 as Schroder Ventures, the private equity arm of Schroders PLC. The firm spun out as an independent partnership in 2001 and rebranded as Permira. Schroders no longer holds an ownership stake. The relationship is purely historical — Permira is not affiliated with Schroders' investment banking business.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on family offices?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: