Kudu acquires stake in Apera

Apera Asset Management has received a minority investment from Kudu Investment Management, with the aim of driving business growth and diversifying the firm’s client base.

Founded in 2016, Apera is a mid-market private credit investor, active across the UK, DACH, France, Benelux and the Nordics.

Kudu is a provider of long-term capital solutions to independent asset and wealth managers around the globe. As per the firm, it manages generational ownership transfers, management buyouts, acquisition and growth finance, as well as liquidity for legacy partners.

Following the stake sale, Apera will remain majority partner owned and led by founding partners Klaus Petersen, David Wilmot and Robert Shaw. According to the firm, it will use the funds generated through the investment to drive business growth and for other internal uses.

In a statement, Petersen said Apera partnered with Kudu to “accelerate Apera’s growth initiatives and to diversify our client base”, and stated that the team at Apera “value Kudu’s combination of flexible capital, broad industry knowledge and global reach”.

Kudu made the investment through an Apera affiliate. In the course of the transaction, Debevoise & Plimpton advised Apera, while Stephenson Harwood counselled Kudu. Financial details of the investment were not disclosed.