By KKR Mar 08, 2022

On the heels of an active year for the alternative investment industry, Private Equity International (PEI), Private Debt Investor (PDI), Private Equity Real Estate (PERE) and Infrastructure Investor announced their 2021 industry awards recognitions on March 1, 2022. This year, we are honored to be selected as the winner of 36 awards as voted by industry participants. We are pleased to see all of KKR’s asset classes and regions represented in these awards, which is a testament to the power of our one firm approach and the incredible support we are fortunate to have from our clients around the world.

Please find a list of awards recognitions below with highlights from the reports published by Private Equity International (PEI), Private Debt Investor (PDI), Private Equity Real Estate (PERE) and Infrastructure Investor.

Private Equity International Awards

• Global Long-Term Private Equity Firm of the Year
  • PEI recognized a busy year for KKR’s core investments (long-term private equity) strategy, which managed approximately $30 billion as of year-end. Highlights included KKR’s investments in sustainability consultancy, Environmental Resources Management, and software firm, Cegid.

• Firm of the Year in France
  • KKR has vastly expanded its local presence in France over the past two years – growing its team to 10 dedicated executives in Paris from just two in 2019 – and according to PEI was one of the most active private equity sponsors in France over the past 12 months. PEI noted KKR’s support for the second-biggest listing on Euronext Paris in 2021, with the IPO of French-headquartered cloud services provider, OVH.

• Large-Cap Firm of the Year in Asia
  • For the sixth consecutive year and eighth time since this award was introduced in 2010, KKR received this honor for what PEI describes “might have been one of its most impressive years on record,” having “raised $15 billion for the largest Asia-focused private equity fund in history and deployed $3.3 billion across 17 investments and follow-ons.”
• Fundraise of the Year in Asia
  • KKR raised a record $15 billion for KKR Asian Fund IV. PEI noted that “not only was the fund size a record for the region, but the number of limited partners that committed – 290 – was the most ever for a single KKR vehicle.”
• Firm of the Year in Australasia
  • KKR won this award for the second consecutive year following three investments in Australia and New Zealand, including Australian customer experience and business solutions provider, Probe CX, New Zealand premium pet food company, Natural Pet Food Group, and Education Perfect, a leading Australian and New Zealand education technology company. KKR’s consumer lending business Latitude also completed a $1.9 billion IPO.
• Firm of the Year in Southeast Asia
  • KKR received this honor for the sixth consecutive year in 2021 after completing three investments, including a $45 million investment into Vietnamese software firm KiotViet, participation in a $167 million funding round for Filipino e-commerce business Voyager Innovations, and an investment in EQuest Education in Vietnam as part of KKR’s global impact strategy.
• Firm of the Year in Japan
  • KKR made two investments in Japan in 2021, including the $1.6 billion acquisition of supermarket chain Seiyu, and saw medical devices maker PHC list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, what PEI noted as “the biggest local IPO since 2018.”
• Deal of the Year in Asia (Seiyu Group)
  • KKR’s eighth win in the ‘Deal of the Year in Asia’ category was given for its acquisition of Seiyu Group, one of Japan’s largest supermarket chains, in a deal that valued Seiyu Group at approximately $1.6 billion.

Private Debt Investor Awards

• Responsible Investor of the Year, Americas
  • In 2021, KKR continued integrating climate change-related considerations into its credit investments. The firm has developed a bespoke methodology to help investment teams systematically consider ESG issues throughout the deal process. Read more in PDI’s Q&A with KKR’s co-heads of private credit, Dan Pietrzak and Matthieu Boulanger.
• Real Estate Debt Manager of the Year, Americas
  • KKR originated approximately $14.5 billion in loans across over 120 deals in 2021, surpassing a prior record of $3.1 billion in 2019. The purchase of Global Atlantic, which closed in February 2021, added approximately $12 billion to KKR’s real estate credit business.

• Junior Lender of the Year, Asia Pacific
  • By the time of PDI’s nomination, KKR’s Asia Credit unit had committed approximately $1.9 billion across nine private credit deals in the region since 2019, and in 2021 backed four notable deals, including the acquisitions of The Executive Center in Singapore and Hong Kong and Vini Cosmetics in India.

Private Equity Real Estate Awards

• Debt Firm of the Year, Global
• Also recognized for: Debt Firm of the Year, North America
  • KKR’s real estate credit was recognized in both the Global and North America categories after growing assets under management by over 5x in 2021 and originating approximately $14.5 billion in loans across over 120 deals in 2021, surpassing a prior record of $3.1 billion in 2019. KKR’s mortgage REIT, KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. originated a record $4.8 billion in loans.

• Debt Firm of the Year, North America
  • See above details in Global.

• Capital Raise of the Year, Europe
  • KKR held a $2.2 billion final close for KKR Real Estate Partners Europe II, which was nearly triple the size of its predecessor fund.

Infrastructure Investor Awards

• Fund Manager of the Year, Global
  • KKR started last year with the close of Asia’s biggest infrastructure fund with $3.9 billion. 2021 highlights include the purchase of UK infrastructure developer, John Laing, and more than 20 deals across the globe in sectors including digital infrastructure, renewables, transportation and energy.
• Deal of the Year, Global (John Laing)
• Also recognized for: Deal of the Year, Europe
  • With the $2.7 billion acquisition of leading UK infrastructure developer, John Laing, Infrastructure Investor noted that KKR has added a company to its portfolio “with a strong global footprint and extensive experience in public-private partnerships."
• Renewables Investor of the Year, Global
  • o KKR invested or committed to six new renewables transactions across North America, Asia and Europe during the awards period. Infrastructure Investor highlighted KKR’s investments including an agreement to acquire Clearway Community Energy, the second largest district energy platform in the U.S., for $1.9 billion; a significant minority investment in U.S. solar developer Sol Systems; and the launch of launched India’s first renewable energy investment trust, Virescent Renewable Energy Trust.
• Energy Deal of the Year, Global (Sempra Infrastructure Partners)
• Also recognized for: Energy Deal of the Year, North America
  • KKR invested a total of $3.37 billion in Sempra Infrastructure Partners (SIP), taking a 20 percent stake. The transaction values the business at a total of $25.2 billion. The newly created platform combines Sempra Energy’s North American LNG business and IEnova, a developer of clean energy in Mexico and North America.
• Digital Infrastructure Deal of the Year, Global (FiberCop)
• Also recognized for: Digital Infrastructure Deal of the Year, Europe
  • In April 2021, KKR acquired a 37.5 percent stake in Telecom Italia’s broadband access network, FiberCop, for €1.8 billion. KKR will support the newly-established FiberCop in managing the upgrade of Gruppo TIM’s fixed-line access network from copper to fiber. TIM and Fastweb, which own 58% and 4.5% stakes respectively, will also invest in the country’s digital infrastructure over the next five years, aiming to increase access to broadband and reduce the country’s digital divide.
• Energy Investor of the Year, Global
  • KKR’s investment in the energy sector included its $3.37 billion deal with Sempra Energy in North America as well as a partnership in Europe with Canadian pension OTPP to acquire an 80 percent stake in Caruna, Finland’s largest electricity distribution company.
• Digital Infrastructure Investor of the Year, Global
  • Over the past year, partnerships with Telefónica in Colombia and Chile allowed KKR to make significant inroads into those countries’ fiber optics markets including, its investment into MetroNet, North America’s largest independent fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) platform. KKR continued this trend in Europe with FTTH investments via Open Dutch Fiber, an independent platform set up in the Netherlands, and FiberCop, a new platform established alongside Gruppo TIM.

• Energy Deal of the Year, Europe (Caruna)
  • KKR and OTPP acquired a total of 80 percent in Caruna, Finland’s largest electricity distribution company, via two separate transactions with OMERS and First Sentier Investments.
• Deal of the Year, Europe (John Laing)
  • See above details in Global.
• Digital Infrastructure Deal of the Year, Europe (FiberCop)
  • See above details in Global.

• Energy Investor of the Year, North America
  • KKR’s $3.37 billion investment in Sempra Infrastructure Partners, a newly-launched entity by San Diego-based Sempra Energy marked “one of the largest energy networks in North America,” according to Infrastructure Investor. The platform will focus on the development and construction of North American LNG export infrastructure, natural gas infrastructure and renewable energy generation.
• Digital Infrastructure Deal of the Year, Latin America (InfraCo)
  • KKR partnered with Telefónica Chile to establish Chile’s first wholesale open access fiber optic network in a $1 billion deal. The company announced plans to expand broadband coverage in Chile from 2 million households to a minimum of 3.5 million households by 2023 and to provide wholesale service to more than 40,000 businesses, telecom towers and small cells.
• Energy Deal of the Year, North America (Sempra Infrastructure Partners)
  • See above details in Global.

• Fund Manager of the Year, Asia Pacific
  • KKR reached a $3.9 billion close for its inaugural Asia-focused infrastructure fund, and committed approximately $2.9 billion across 10 investments in the region including Ritchies Transport, a leading transportation operator in New Zealand, and Central Tank Terminal, a chemical storage tank operator. Additionally, KKR-sponsored India renewable energy platform, Virescent Infrastructure, raised $62 million to establish the country’s first renewable energy infrastructure investment trust.
• Equity Fundraising of the Year, Asia Pacific
  • KKR raised $3.9 billion for its inaugural Asia-focused infrastructure fund, exceeding its $2 billion target and representing the largest pan-regional infrastructure fund at the time of its close. Launched in June 2019, the fund secured approximately $3.6 billion in LP commitments from global investors and, as of Infrastructure Investor’s nomination, has already committed 79 percent of the fund across 11 investments.
• Deal of the Year, Asia Pacific (Virescent Renewable Energy Trust)
• Also recognized for: Renewables Deal of the Year, Asia Pacific
  • KKR-backed renewable energy platform Virescent Infrastructure established India’s first renewable energy infrastructure trust. The InvIT raised $62 million from a group of investors including KKR and AIMCo and Infrastructure Investor noted it “will enable KKR to contribute further to helping India achieve its ambitious clean energy targets.”
• Energy Deal of the Year, Asia Pacific (SK E&S)
  • KKR acquired $2 billion-worth of redeemable convertible preferred shares SK E&S, a member of South Korea’s SK Group. KKR’s investment is “further evidence of its push into Asian markets,” and “supports KKR’s strategy in Asia Pacific clean energy,” according to Infrastructure Investor.
• Transport Deal of the Year, Asia Pacific (Highway Concessions One)
  • KKR made its first investment in Asia’s transportation sector with the acquisition of Global Infrastructure Partners’ interest in Highway Concessions One, a platform managing a roads portfolio across seven states in India covering 487 kilometers.
• Energy Investor of the Year, Asia Pacific
  • KKR made several major energy investments across the region, including investing in South Korean energy company SK E&S and a follow-on investment in First Gen Corp in the Philippines. Both are committed to being clean energy providers in the long term. KKR was also a lead member of a consortium that agreed to acquire Sydney-based electricity infrastructure owner, Spark Infrastructure, in 2021.
• Renewables Investor of the Year, Asia Pacific
  • KKR had another busy year in the Asia Pacific region, with renewable energy being one of the central planks of its strategy. The firm launched India’s first infrastructure trust focused on renewable energy, the Virescent Renewable Energy Trust, and also has plans to increase renewable energy capacity in South Korea through SK E&S. It also completed a follow-on investment in First Gen, one of the Philippines’ largest independent power producers.
• Transport Investor of the Year, Asia Pacific
  • KKR invested in leading New Zealand transport operator, Ritchies Transport, marking its first foray into New Zealand’s Infrastructure market. KKR’s first investment in Asia’s transport sector came earlier in the year, though, with the acquisition of GIP’s entire interest In Highway Concessions One, a platform responsible for a roads portfolio spanning seven states across India.