Specialist Summits Day
How are rates and persistent inflation impacting leverage and pricing in the lower mid‑market across Europe? As the refinancing wave approaches, how are lower mid-market sponsors and niche direct lenders managing potential pinch points and liquidity constraints? What structural advantages does the lower mid-market offer to protect downside risk and deliver superior risk-adjusted returns compared to larger segments?
How are macroeconomic headwinds shifting the balance of power between sponsors and direct lenders in the upper mid-market? How is intensifying competition among mega-funds impacting documentation standards and driving covenant-lite structures? As boundaries blur with the syndicated loan market, how is the risk/return profile of the upper mid-market evolving to sustain institutional LP appetite?
How are emerging managers differentiating themselves in a crowded mid-market through sector specialism, speed and creative structuring? Which fundraising strategies are delivering for first‑time funds and smaller managers? What do LPs prioritise when weighing allocations to emerging managers versus established firms in the mid-market?
- Sven Gralla - Senior Director, Private Debt, bfinance
- Jon Ferguson - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, AshGrove Capital
- Matthias Mathieu - Managing Partner, BRIGHT CAPITAL
- Ralf Ackermann - Vertis Capital Partners, Vertis Capital Partners
How are mid-market GPs evolving their structural terms, such as PIK toggles and co-investments, to maintain strong yield alignment with LPs? With borrower leverage remaining complex, how are mid-market lenders innovating maintenance covenants and covenant-lite structures to protect downside risk? How are deal structures being adapted to handle the unique tax, currency, and multi-jurisdictional enforcement risks found in fast-growing regions across Europe?
- Johan Hultner - Managing Partner, ARCOS Capital
How is European healthcare performing against persistent inflationary pressures, particularly regarding rising clinical staff wages and specialized supply chain costs? Are LPs viewing healthcare allocations purely as a defensive, recession-proof hedge, or are they pushing GPs to back higher-growth, higher-risk tech-enabled healthcare models? Where are the absolute best risk-adjusted opportunities across European healthcare?
How is increased European defence spending creating new loan opportunities for mid-market suppliers? Where are lenders finding the cleanest risk-adjusted returns in commercial aerospace, dual-use technologies and traditional defence maintenance and logistics? How are GPs navigating the complex ethical boundaries of defence lending, and how are LPs shifting their ESG exclusion frameworks to accommodate national security assets?
- Ana Maria Harrison - Partner, Adams Street Partners
What is driving the sudden shift in investor sentiment towards southern, central & eastern Europe, and are LPs viewing them as temporary yield plays or permanent portfolio anchors? How are strict local bank capital regulations across Italy and Spain creating a lucrative vacuum for mid-market funds? How is the massive wave of industrial near-shoring turning manufacturing hubs in Poland and Romania into a prime target for mid-market debt?
- Justas Daujotas - Investment Manager, Willgrow
- Christian Stix - Partner, Head of Investor Relations, Accession Capital Partners
Why are global LPs increasingly targeting the Nordic mid-market? How are Nordic managers utilizing advanced ESG data metrics and sustainability-linked pricing to satisfy LPs while protecting mid-market yields? How are mid-market funds structuring non-sponsored deals for founder-owned businesses in the Nordics to unlock premium yields?