Clearlake Capital Group
Clearlake Capital Group is a Santa Monica–based private equity and alternative asset manager founded in 2006, managing $185B in AUM across private equity, credit, and private-markets platforms, serving institutional and wealth investors globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSanta Monica, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Clearlake Capital Group does
Clearlake Capital Group, L.P., founded in 2006 by José E. Feliciano and Behdad Eghbali, is a privately held global alternative asset manager headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The firm manages integrated investment platforms spanning private equity, liquid and private credit (via Clearlake Credit), and customized private-markets solutions (via Pathway Capital Management). As of 2026, Clearlake reports $185 billion in assets under management across 14 offices in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with more than 500 employees globally and a flagship Fund VIII that closed at $14.8 billion in capital commitments from nearly 300 limited partners across 35 countries. The firm invests across the capital structure in private and public transactions, focused on technology, industrials, and consumer sectors.
Clearlake's core proprietary capability is the O.P.S.® (Operations, People, Strategy) framework, an institutionalized post-investment operational improvement methodology applied across portfolio companies, supplemented by Clearlake AI Labs for AI-enabled value creation. The firm's business model is built on two primary revenue streams: recurring management fees on committed capital (industry-standard 1.5–2% annually on $185B AUM) and performance-based carried interest on successful realizations (approximately $22 billion of realizations over the past five years). Clearlake Credit provides direct lending, subordinated financing, and customized credit solutions to more than 400 sponsor-backed companies globally, with $89B+ deployed to date across liquid and illiquid credit strategies. Go-to-market relies on direct institutional fundraising relationships plus the wealth-management channel enabled through the 2026 Pathway Capital Management acquisition.
The portfolio spans enterprise software (Quest Software, Alteryx, Black Duck, Precisely, symplr), data and analytics (Dun & Bradstreet, ModMed), industrials (Qualus, Springs Window Fashions, Mold-Rite), consumer products (BakeMark), education (Discovery Education), and credit infrastructure (MV Credit, WhiteStar, LCM CLO book). The firm also holds a co-investment stake in Chelsea Football Club via the BlueCo consortium. Ownership remains with the founding partners, with no public listing or parent company.
Clearlake Capital Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clearlake Capital Group
- Legal name
- Clearlake Capital Group, L.P.
- Website
- https://clearlake.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Clearlake Capital Group is a Santa Monica–based private equity and alternative asset manager founded in 2006, managing $185B in AUM across private equity, credit, and private-markets platforms, serving institutional and wealth investors globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clearlake Capital Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity & Alternative Asset Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Other Financial Vehicles (525990), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)
- SIC
- Investors, Nec (6799), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Large-Cap / Sponsor Finance Direct Lending (FSANADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Private Credit / Direct Lending (FSAAAHAG), Managed Account / SMA Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAGAL)
Keywords
Where Clearlake Capital Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Monica
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices13 records
Markets served
Clearlake Capital Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Private Equity Management Fees: Management fees charged on assets under management across flagship funds and co-investment vehicles. The firm's AUM has grown from $3B in 2015 to $185B in 2026.
- Carried Interest/Performance Fees: Performance-based fees from successful portfolio company exits and realizations. Clearlake has achieved approximately $22 billion of realizations over the last five years.
- Credit Investment Returns: Returns from Clearlake Credit platform providing liquid and private credit solutions. Has deployed over $89 billion into credit investments to date.
- Private Markets Solutions: Revenue from Pathway Capital Management platform serving institutional and wealth investors with customized access to private markets opportunities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Institutional investor commitment tiers based on fund size and LP classification |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Clearlake Capital Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clearlake Capital Group is a global alternative investment firm managing $185 billion in assets under management across integrated private equity, liquid credit, and private credit platforms. The firm deploys capital through sector-focused control investments in technology, industrials, and consumer companies using its proprietary O.P.S. operational improvement framework, while also providing bespoke credit and private market solutions to investors and sponsor-backed companies worldwide.
Product overview
Clearlake Capital Group is a global private equity and alternative asset management firm, not a product company. It does not offer a standalone product, platform, or software-as-a-service offering. Clearlake manages integrated investment platforms spanning private equity, liquid and private credit, and related strategies, deploying capital through its O.P.S.® (Operations, People, Strategy) operational improvement framework. Its businesses include Clearlake Private Equity (sector-focused investing in technology, industrials, and consumer sectors), Clearlake Credit (liquid and private credit solutions), and Pathway Capital Management (private market solutions). The firm does not develop or sell technology products, SaaS platforms, or software to external customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Clearlake Credit: Specialist credit platform providing flexible capital solutions including liquid credit and private credit to dynamic global businesses
- Pathway Capital Management
- O.P.S.
- Clearlake Impact Initiative
- Clearlake AI Labs
Products and services
- Clearlake Private Equity (Clearlake Capital Partners flagship buyout funds) Sector-focused private equity fund series making control investments in technology, industrials, and consumer companies, deploying capital across the capital structure in all economic cycles and partnering with management teams to drive operational improvement.
- Clearlake Private Credit
- Clearlake Liquid Credit (CLO Management)
- Pathway Capital Management — Private Market Solutions
Quantifiable outcome
- $22 billion of realizations over the past five years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Clearlake Capital Group
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Clearlake Capital Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Clearlake Capital Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- AnetaccoreQuest Software, backed by Clearlake Capital, acquired Anetac to advance identity security for the agentic AI era. Anetac provides AI-powered identity security for human, non-human, and agentic identities, extending Quest's platform with continuous visibility into identity access and privilege behavior in Microsoft ecosystems.
- LCM Asset ManagementcoreClearlake Credit assumed management of 31 CLOs managed by LCM Asset Management, adding more than $5 billion of AUM. Transaction increases Clearlake Credit's total assets to approximately $39 billion across liquid credit, private credit, and customized credit solutions.
- Pathway Capital ManagementcoreClearlake completed acquisition of Pathway Capital Management, a global provider of private market solutions with over $95 billion in assets under management. Pathway operates under its existing brand as part of Clearlake's broader private markets platform, providing customized access to private equity, private credit, infrastructure, secondaries, and co-investments for institutional and wealth investors.
- FPTflagshipFPT signed a platinum partnership with Clearlake Capital to accelerate digital transformation in the private equity sector. FPT will provide enterprise technology solutions to Clearlake's portfolio companies with strategic focus on growth in US, UK, and global markets.
- MV CreditcoreClearlake acquired MV Credit from Natixis Investment Managers, expanding its private credit and lending capabilities globally. The acquisition increased Clearlake's credit AUM to over $28 billion and total AUM to more than $90 billion, strengthening European market presence.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clearlake Capital Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KKR & Co. Inc. Global investment firm with private equity, credit, and infrastructure strategies targeting large-cap control investments. Directly comparable business mix, AUM tier, and LP relationships.
- Blackstone Inc. Largest global alternative asset manager spanning private equity, credit, real estate, and hedge funds with comparable mega-fund scale and institutional LP base. Closely comparable in AUM scale and multi-strategy breadth.
- Apollo Global Management: Major alternative asset manager with strong private equity and credit franchises including Athene. Comparable in combining private equity control investing with a large-scale credit/insurance balance-sheet strategy.
- Ares Management Corporation: Alternative asset manager with leading private equity, private credit, and liquid credit franchises. Highly comparable given Clearlake's parallel build-out of a credit platform alongside PE.
- TPG Inc. Public alternative asset manager with flagship private equity, growth, credit, and real estate strategies. Similar sector-focused investment approach and institutional LP base as Clearlake.
- Carlyle Group: Diversified global private equity firm with comparable AUM tier, sector-focused funds, and credit platform. Directly competitive in mid- and large-cap buyouts across technology, industrials, and consumer.
- Bain Capital: Private investment firm with multi-strategy PE, credit, and special situations funds at comparable scale. Similar partnership approach with management teams and operational improvement focus.
Emerging players
- Vista Equity Partners: Software-focused PE firm that is a direct sector competitor within Clearlake's technology vertical. Comparable operational improvement playbook (Vista's Best Playbook) and software buyout focus.
- Francisco Partners: Technology-focused PE firm that has co-invested with Clearlake on deals such as Quest Software, Discovery Education, and Black Duck. Highly relevant sector peer in enterprise software buyouts.
Broad incumbents
- Brookfield Asset Management: Large alternative asset manager with private equity, credit, infrastructure, and renewable power strategies. Comparable multi-strategy breadth and institutional scale, though heavier real-asset tilt than Clearlake.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clearlake Capital Group social profiles
Digital presenceClearlake Capital Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clearlake Capital Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Clearlake Capital Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
Clearlake Capital Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clearlake Capital Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A58 records
Investments78 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clearlake Capital Group
What does Clearlake Capital Group do?
Clearlake Capital Group is a global alternative investment firm managing $185 billion in assets under management across integrated private equity, liquid credit, and private credit platforms. The firm deploys capital through sector-focused control investments in technology, industrials, and consumer companies using its proprietary O.P.S. operational improvement framework, while also providing bespoke credit and private market solutions to investors and sponsor-backed companies worldwide.
Is Clearlake Capital Group a public or private company?
Clearlake Capital Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Clearlake Capital Group founded?
Clearlake Capital Group was founded in 2006. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Clearlake Capital Group based?
Clearlake Capital Group is headquartered in Santa Monica, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clearlake Capital Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Private Equity Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest/Performance Fees, credit Investment Returns and private Markets Solutions.
Who are Clearlake Capital Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KKR & Co. Inc., Blackstone Inc., Apollo Global Management, Ares Management Corporation, TPG Inc., Carlyle Group and Bain Capital. Emerging players are Vista Equity Partners and Francisco Partners. Brookfield Asset Management is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Clearlake Capital Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clearlake Capital Group.
What industry is Clearlake Capital Group in?
Clearlake Capital Group's product category is Private Equity & Alternative Asset Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANADAJ, Large-Cap / Sponsor Finance Direct Lending, with a secondary code of FSAAAHAG, Private Credit / Direct Lending. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6799.