SYDNEY, Australia – Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) received the 2024 Firm of the Year Award at the Australian Investment Council (AIC) annual conference last night, and the Mid Cap Investment of the Year Award for Up Education.

Tim Sims AM, Co-Founder and Managing Director of PEP said:

“It is really encouraging to be recognised by our industry peers for the team’s performance and for the contribution we have made to the private markets industry in Australia”

“Private Equity in Australia and New Zealand continues to deliver among the highest and most consistent returns of any region in the world. It is a real honour to be recognised for achievement by a peer group and industry of such high quality”.

“We were fortunate to be pioneers in the Australian and New Zealand private markets when the Firm was established in 1998. We had the privilege of leading the first public to private transaction, the first private equity IPO and the first Term Loan B Facility in this market. More recently, that pattern has continued with the first of several Continuation Funds and first certified Green Bond.

“The Firm’s roots were firmly grounded in 20 years of previous experience as strategy consultants, across many different geographies and industries, working with strong management teams and CEOs, to deliver full potential and to plot the course of the business to the next horizon. This apprenticeship and tradition has been extended now over the last 26 years, still working for those management teams and CEOs to deliver consistent ‘best in class’ performance across all of the Firm’s current strategies. Each of the strategies is led by deeply experienced investment teams, with widely distributed incentives, dedicated to each strategy.

Thank you to those CEOs and management teams, to our amazing investors, and advisers and of course to the many hard working colleagues, their families and significant others that have made this journey possible. ”

The highlights of the past 12 months across PEP’s four current investment strategies include:

Private Equity: Full realisation of Fund V (2015), with a 22% annual return (Net IRR) and a 2.0x ‘Cash on Investment return’ or DPI. This result is in line with the consistent 26 year average for the Firm’s funds.

Secure Assets: Continues to grow the value of SAF I (2019) investments, which have so far delivered a 84% Net IRR and a 2.4x DPI. In addition, we have seen continuing successful deployment of SAF II (2023)

Capital Solutions: continues to scale the open-ended private credit program currently at A$1 billion of AUM, while consistently delivering above 10% p.a. Net Cash Distributions since inception

PEP Gateway: continues to investment in selected single asset Continuation Funds globally, which have delivered a 16% Net LTM return for PEP Gateway ‘Evergreen Fund’ and a 17% Net Return for PEP Gateway ‘Vintage 2023’

In addition to 2024 Firm of the Year, PEP was awarded the Mid Cap Investment of the Year Award for Up Education, which was accepted by Scott McKnight.

PEP has been fortunate to be recognised with many awards over the past 26 years, including the recent Asia Firm of the Year Award at the AVCJ Awards in Singapore in 2022.

* * * About PEP * * *

PEP is one of Australasia’s oldest, largest and most active private equity firms, currently with A$12 billion AUM across four main investment strategies. Since 1998, PEP has made more than 200 acquisitions, has engaged close to A$50 billion of transactions, including both acquisitions and exits, and has delivered a 28% average Net IRR p.a. across the closed end funds.

These results are built on a team-based approach of apprenticeship, long term experience, aligned incentives – and a disciplined investment focus, that has delivered ‘best in class’, consistent results for our investors and partners over the last 26 years. Our long-term investors include the world’s largest and most experienced investment institutions and sovereign wealth funds, as well as A$2B of private wealth investors. Private wealth is a rapidly growing part of our business, as investors enjoy the range different products under a trusted brand and consistent investment approach.