Private Credit Strategies: Who Uses Them, Who Benefits, and Why

Private Credit has grown in recent years to become one of the primary ways companies raise capital. While the private credit market, which amounts to roughly $2.7 trillion¹, has been around for decades, its popularity began to grow in earnest in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, when non-bank lenders stepped in to provide capital to companies after traditional banks pulled back from many types of lending.

This brochure offers an overview of the six main private credit strategies: direct lending, asset-based finance, distressed debt, mezzanine lending, special situations and venture debt. This discussion aims to provide an understanding of how each strategy works, what its key benefits and risks are, and how each strategy may fit within a private asset portfolio.

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¹PitchBook, 2029 Private Horizons report, May 1, 2025.

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