Bain Capital aims to raise $4bn for ‘special situations fund’

Bain Capital aims to raise $4bn for a new global “special situations fund” as the US firm sees an opportunity to snap up distressed investments in a broad range of asset classes, two people familiar with the matter said.

Bain Capital kicked off the fundraising at the start of 2023 and has already raised about $2bn for the new fund, said the sources, who wished to remain anonymous.

The firm is targeting a final close of the fund by the end of 2023, the sources added.

Bain Capital declined to comment.

In 2020, Bain Capital set up a previous global fund after securing $3.2bn in commitments. The programme was called the Bain Capital Distressed and Special Situations Fund and used to sit in Bain Capital’s credit business.

Bain Capital’s special situations strategy is now a standalone business after being carved out with an independent team outside the credit unit. As part of the new strategy, Bain Capital has adopted more flexibility on deploying capital and is investing in a range of asset classes, including equity, distressed assets, loan portfolios, corporate investments, and real estate.

While deal-making involving buyout firms has slumped in 2023 due to a challenging environment, distressed funds have accelerated fundraising efforts over the past few years in anticipation of a downturn following a prolonged period of economic expansion.

Global buyout deals totalled $139bn in 2023, down 62% from the same period a year ago, Dealogic data showed.

A combination of rising interest rates, inflation and a regional banking crisis is driving up default rates, pressuring margins and creating a liquidity crunch in financial services, thus providing opportunities for distressed investors.

A string of investors, including Oaktree Capital Management and MidOcean Partners, have been marketing new special situations funds since 2022, targeting troubled industries and credit-strained companies, according to PitchBook.

In April, Diameter Capital closed a $2.2bn special situations debt fund, which data provider Prequin at the time said was the largest of its type so far in 2023.

Globally, Bain Capital has $16bn of assets under management as part of its special situations strategy.

Since the launch of the strategy in 2002, Bain Capital Special Situations has invested more than $28bn in more than 850 deals across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, according to its website.

In 2022, Bain Capital closed a $2bn “special situations fund” for Asia Pacific to cover a range of asset types, which included a focus on real estate.

Reuters reported on Friday that Bain Capital is also nearing the final close of its fifth and biggest Asia-focused fund after having raised about $6bn from global investors.