What Claret Capital Partners does

Claret Capital Partners is Europe's largest independent growth debt fund manager, providing tailored venture and growth debt financing to high-growth SMEs across technology, life sciences, and climate/impact tech sectors. Founded in 2013 by David Bateman and Johan Kampe as Harbert European Growth Capital, the firm completed a management buyout from Harbert Management Corporation in 2020 and rebranded as Claret Capital Partners. The firm is headquartered in London with additional offices in Athens (Greece) and Malaga (Spain), is authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 993228), and operates across 14+ European countries plus the United States.

Claret's core product is senior secured growth debt loans typically ranging from €2 million to €100 million per transaction, with 3-5 year maturities, usually amortising structures featuring a 12-month interest-only period, and equity participation through warrants (typically less than 1% warrant coverage). Interest rates are typically in low double digits. The firm manages multiple fund vehicles including Fund III and Fund IV (CEGCF IV), with Fund IV reaching a second close of over €350 million in September 2025 and total AUM exceeding $1 billion. Since inception, Claret has deployed over €1.2 billion across 200+ portfolio companies, including notable names such as Abivax, Inventiva, Holidu, Paysend, Cinclus Pharma, Wellster Healthtech, Deciphex, and Gridbeyond. Fund IV LPs include major institutional investors such as the European Investment Fund, British Business Bank, KfW Capital, ISIF, Banca March, Wachstumsfonds Deutschland, a Canadian pension fund, and a German foundation, with IQ-EQ serving as AIFM across ELTIF and institutional vehicles.

The firm's revenue model rests on three streams: management fees from fund vehicles (recurring), interest income on senior secured loans, and equity participation through warrants providing upside in portfolio company success. Distribution is sales-led, sourced through direct outreach, VC referrals, and the partners' 25+ year network across the European technology and life sciences ecosystem. The firm has been recognized as Venture Debt Provider of the Year in 2024 and 2025 (consecutive) by the Growth Investor Awards and ranked #2 Most Active Venture Debt Provider in Europe by Sifted.

Name

Claret Capital Partners

Legal name

Claret Capital Partners Limited

Website

https://claret-capital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Claret Capital Partners is Europe's largest independent growth debt fund manager, providing €2M-€100M senior secured loans with warrant coverage to high-growth SMEs in technology, life sciences, and climate tech sectors, supported by Fund IV (€350M+) and over €1.2B cumulatively deployed across 200+ companies since 2013.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Growth Debt Financing (Venture Debt)

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Senior Secured Direct Lending (FSANADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Credit / Direct Lending (FSAAAHAG), SME Term Loans & Growth Capital (FSAKAGAB)

Keywords

• Venture debt financing
• Growth debt funds
• Senior secured loans
• Life sciences financing
• Technology lending

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Growth Loans: Claret provides senior secured loans to growth-stage companies, generating interest income. Loans typically have 3-5 year maturities and are usually amortising, with interest rates typically in low double digits.
2. Equity Participation (Warrants): As part of their investment structure, Claret includes equity participation through warrants, enabling them to participate in future success of portfolio companies through potential equity upside.
3. Fund Management Fees: Management fees earned from managing funds including Fund IV (CEGCF IV), which had second close at over €350 million. Additional co-investment partnerships of over €115 million with Fund IV LPs provide additional fee income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Claret Capital Partners provides tailored growth debt financing in the form of senior secured loans (typically €2 million to €100 million) to innovative European technology, life sciences, and climate tech companies. Loans carry 3-5 year maturities, usually amortising with a 12-month interest-only period, and include equity participation through warrants. The firm manages dedicated growth debt funds (including CEGCF IV with over €350M raised) and provides strategic advisory and portfolio support alongside capital deployment.

Product overview

Claret Capital Partners is Europe's largest independent growth debt fund manager providing tailored financing solutions to innovative companies across technology, life sciences, and climate tech sectors. Their core offering centers on growth debt financing through senior secured loans (typically €2-100M with 3-5 year maturity) that include equity participation. They manage multiple fund vehicles including Fund III and Fund IV (CEGCF IV with over €350M in commitments as of September 2025), which have supported 190+ companies with over €1.2B deployed since inception. Their fund management services include bespoke advisory, strategic guidance, and portfolio support across the European investment ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Growth Debt Financing
• Senior Secured Loans
• CEGCF IV (Fund IV)
• Fund Management Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 200th portfolio company milestone reached in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• IQ-EQsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 September 2025Acts as AIFM (Alternative Investment Fund Manager) to both ELTIF and institutional vehicles for Fund IV
• Open CosmoscoreTechnology or Integration · 12 May 2025Satellite mission company backed by Claret since 2023, simplifying access to space through satellite constellation design and operation

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Muzinich & Co: Global private credit and direct lending manager with European exposure; while more diversified than Claret, it participates in the same private credit opportunity set and overlaps on certain mid-market and growth-stage lending.
• Pemberton Asset Management: European direct lending and private credit manager; broader in mandate than Claret but increasingly active in European mid-market and growth-stage lending, making it a relevant adjacent competitor for LP capital and borrowers.
• HSBC Innovation Banking: Bank-affiliated venture debt and banking franchise (formerly SVB UK); offers venture debt, deposit, and FX services to VC-backed tech and life-sciences businesses across Europe with the balance-sheet capacity to compete on pricing.
• First Citizens Bank (Silicon Valley Bank franchise): Acquired SVB's US venture-banking franchise; together with HSBC Innovation Banking represents the bank-affiliated venture-debt competition that Claret competes against for European growth-stage borrowers.

Direct peers

• Kreos Capital (now Six Peaks Capital): Historically Europe's largest venture debt provider; acquired by M&G in 2022 and now operating as Six Peaks Capital, providing senior secured loans to high-growth European tech and life-sciences companies — directly comparable to Claret in product, ticket size, and customer profile.
• Columbia Lake Partners: European growth-debt fund manager providing venture debt and senior secured loans to tech and tech-enabled businesses across Europe; overlapping deal universe and ticket size with Claret's growth debt offering.
• Velocity Capital: Amsterdam-based growth debt provider focused on European scale-ups, offering venture debt and structured financing to software and tech-enabled companies — competes head-to-head with Claret for similar borrowers and VC referrals.
• Boost & Co: European growth-debt specialist providing venture debt and growth loans to tech-enabled SMEs; competes directly with Claret for European scale-ups seeking non-dilutive capital between equity rounds.

Emerging players

• 17Capital: Specialist provider of preferred equity and NAV financing to private equity funds; operates in adjacent non-control private capital space, sharing Claret's upper-middle-market European institutional LP universe.

Others

• Harbert Management Corporation: Former parent of Claret Capital Partners (predecessor Harbert European Growth Capital); Claret completed a management buyout in 2020 but Harbert remains a structural and historical reference point for LP relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/claret-capital-partners

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments117 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Claret Capital Partners