Tikehau Capital has hired an investment bank to oversee the sale of a stake to a strategic investor, Bloomberg reported on 20 October, a story also reported by L'Agefi in France. The Paris-listed firm was founded in 2004 by Antoine Flamarion and Mathieu Chabran and is one of Europe's largest private credit managers.
Tikehau had approximately $60bn in assets under management as of 30 June 2026 across credit, real assets, private equity and capital markets strategies. Earlier this year it lowered its 2026 AUM target to "at least" $67bn, down from the more than $72bn it set at its 2022 capital markets day. Its shares have fallen more than 20% since its Paris stock market debut in 2017, according to Bloomberg. The founders have previously considered a US listing as consolidation across the industry increases pressure on managers to scale.
The firm's shareholders are mostly founders and management. Its other major investors include an investment vehicle backed by several French financial institutions, health insurer MACSF and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek.
Tikehau would not be the only French firm seeking a partner. Last month Wendel hired advisers to explore partnerships for its private asset management platform. Asset managers have increasingly turned to strategic investors to secure capital, widen distribution and fund acquisitions. Blue Owl, Blackstone and Goldman Sachs-backed Petershill Partners are among the most active buyers of stakes in alternative managers.
The move comes as Tikehau's credit business keeps raising capital. It closed its sixth European direct lending fund at €5.2bn and has partnered with iCapital on a European private credit ELTIF for wealth clients. Even so, the lower AUM target and weak share performance show the gap between mid-sized European platforms and the US giants consolidating the sector. For LPs, a strategic investor at GP level could bring balance sheet capacity and distribution reach. Any change in ownership will also bring the usual questions about alignment and key-person continuity.
