Private Equity Firm Kohlberg Closes $3.4 Billion Fund

MT. KISCO, NY  — Kohlberg & Company, a private equity firm specializing in middle market investing based in Mt. Kisco, announced the final closing of its ninth private equity fund, Kohlberg Investors IX, L.P. (“Fund IX”) with $3.4 billion in total commitments.

“We are grateful to our longtime investors for their continued support, and are pleased to welcome an august group of new investors into the Kohlberg community,” said Sam Frieder, Managing Partner at Kohlberg. “We are humbled and gratified by the enthusiasm expressed towards the Firm as experienced stewards of capital and view that responsibility as a privilege and an honor.”

Global investors who participated as limited partners in Kohlberg Investors IX include a diverse group of public pension funds, financial institutions, endowments, family offices, corporate pensions, sovereign wealth funds and funds of funds, with commitments coming from investors in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The overwhelming majority of investors from Fund VIII increased their commitment for Fund IX.

“Kohlberg is delighted to have received such strong support from our existing limited partners and to have been able to secure commitments from several new investors, many through entirely virtual diligence,” said Shant Mardirossian, Chief Operating Officer at Kohlberg. “It was certainly an unprecedented period to be raising capital, and against that backdrop our proven track record of success, coupled with our over 30 years of experience in the middle market, especially resonated in our marketing efforts for Fund IX.”

“The Firm looks forward to continuing to leverage its differentiated core practice area expertise and thesis-driven White Paper investment strategy into being the partner of choice for sellers and management teams,” said Gordon Woodward, Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Kohlberg. “We are excited by the opportunity to construct a portfolio poised to build on our consistent track record of business transformation and value creation.”

Kohlberg has more than 60 investment and portfolio support professionals who will be responsible for deploying Fund IX. The investments will be focused across five broad sectors, including industrial manufacturing, consumer products, business services, healthcare services and financial services.

Lazard acted as placement agent for Kohlberg, while Ropes & Gray served as legal counsel in the formation of Kohlberg Investors IX.

Since its founding in 1987, Kohlberg has completed 84 platform investments and over 200 add-on acquisitions, with an aggregate transaction value in excess of $27 billion.