SuperReturn International 2025: Scaling Private Credit, AI-Driven Value Creation, & Climate-Focused Capital

German private-equity leaders flagged consolidation and intensified competition as core themes, while global panels warned that liquidity remains tight and continuation vehicles will be a key release valve for exits

Culture and leadership were repeatedly cited as the differentiator in tech-enabled value-creation plans, signalling that operational playbooks are moving beyond cost-cutting

A pragmatic “LP survival guide” set the tone for diligence meetings – efficient scheduling, clear asks and sharp follow-ups are table stakes in Berlin this year

CIBC Capital Markets highlighted flexible NAV facilities and margin loans for both GPs and LPs, underscoring a broader shift toward capital-structure engineering rather than headline fee cuts

Luxembourg was promoted as the launchpad of choice for new funds, with legal specialists positioning fast-track structures as a hedge against regulatory drift across jurisdictions

Panels on niche direct-lending strategies, data-driven underwriting and infrastructure & energy credit drew standing-room audiences, confirming that private credit has moved from “alternative” to core allocation

APG and other asset owners signalled fresh commitments, while a late-day session on buzzword-free direct lending stressed disciplined covenants and transparent pricing

Forgepoint and others pointed to cybersecurity and AI as the next secular growth vectors; investors view them as defensive plays in a volatile macro backdrop

Balentic officially debuted its Orca platform, positioning the tool as a streamlined marketplace for private-market capital-raising and allocation – early user demos attracted strong LP traffic

Deep-tech VCs argued that Europe’s computing, energy-storage and dual-use sectors need “re-armament” capital to stay globally competitive

The Climate & Energy Summit framed decarbonisation as a “time-boxed opportunity”: capital-efficient infrastructure deals and passive index strategies for energy transition dominated debate

NatureTech and biodiversity sessions were oversubscribed, confirming emerging LP appetite for measurable natural-capital outcomes

The Women in Private Markets Summit stressed the performance upside of diverse GP teams and urged senior leaders to “step outside comfort zones”; multiple speakers advocated for structured pathways to IPOs for women-led companies

Comparative sessions on US versus European sports assets highlighted higher franchise valuations stateside but faster growth levers in Europe; investors see media rights and data analytics as the value-creation engines

SuperVenture interlocks added depth on CVC repositioning, global family-office syndication and digital-asset evolution, illustrating that early-stage capital is benefiting from private-market cross-pollination rather than retreating