Silver Lake
Silver Lake is a privately held, technology-focused private equity firm founded in 1999, managing approximately $114 billion in AUM and committed capital across global offices and investing in growth-stage and mature technology companies through large-scale equity and take-private transactions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersMenlo Park, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Silver Lake does
Silver Lake is a privately held, technology-focused private equity firm founded in 1999 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, operating globally from offices in New York, London, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The firm invests across growth equity, structured capital, and long-duration strategies via its Silver Lake Partners, Silver Lake Alpine, and Silver Lake Long Term Capital platforms, deploying approximately $114 billion in combined assets under management and committed capital as of March 2026. Portfolio companies collectively generate over $307 billion in annual revenue and employ approximately 433,000 people, with aggregate portfolio enterprise value exceeding $1 trillion across verticals including enterprise software, fintech, semiconductors, digital infrastructure, internet and e-commerce, mobility, and content and entertainment.
The firm monetizes through management fees on committed capital and assets under management, carried interest on successful investments, and direct investment returns from portfolio realizations. Investments are sourced through direct relationships with management teams, founders, and intermediaries, and are typically structured as large-scale minority growth equity or full take-private buyouts alongside management. Notable recent transactions include the take-private acquisitions of Electronic Arts (~$55 billion, consortium with PIF and Affinity Partners), Endeavor Group Holdings (~$25 billion enterprise value), and Zuora ($1.7 billion with GIC); the 51% acquisition of Altera from Intel at an $8.75 billion valuation; co-leading a $9.2 billion equity investment in Vantage Data Centers; and participating in Waymo's $16 billion round at a $126 billion post-money valuation. The firm also holds a ~15% managing-investor stake in TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC alongside Oracle and MGX.
Silver Lake's revenue model is the standard PE dual-stream of recurring management fees plus performance-based carried interest, supplemented by co-investment economics and, increasingly, by proprietary platforms such as its $400 million Digital Infrastructure Platform. There are no publicly disclosed pricing terms; fund economics are negotiated privately with institutional limited partners through limited partnership agreements. Operating geographies span North America, Europe (UK, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, Germany), Latin America (Brazil), and Asia-Pacific (Hong Kong, Singapore), with deal flow and portfolio company operations covering substantially all global technology sub-sectors.
Silver Lake firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Silver Lake
- Legal name
- Silver Lake Technology Management, L.L.C.
- Website
- https://silverlake.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Silver Lake is a privately held, technology-focused private equity firm founded in 1999, managing approximately $114 billion in AUM and committed capital across global offices and investing in growth-stage and mature technology companies through large-scale equity and take-private transactions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Silver Lake industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Technology Private Equity
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Offices of Other Holding Companies (551112)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technology & Software Growth Equity (FSANACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity (FSANACAD)
Keywords
Where Silver Lake is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Menlo Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Silver Lake business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Management Fees: Silver Lake charges management fees on committed capital and assets under management across its various fund strategies, typically calculated as a percentage of committed capital or NAV.
- Carried Interest / Performance Fees: The firm earns carried interest on profits from successful investments, typically 20% of gains above a specified hurdle rate, aligning investor and manager incentives.
- Investment Returns: Realized gains from the sale and appreciation of portfolio company investments generate significant returns for the firm and its investors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Silver Lake product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Silver Lake is a global technology-focused private equity firm that makes large-scale investments in technology companies through multiple investment strategies (Silver Lake Partners, Silver Lake Alpine, Silver Lake Long Term Capital). The firm deploys capital in growth equity, buyouts, and structured investments alongside management teams, and provides operational expertise, strategic guidance, and digital transformation support to portfolio companies.
Product overview
Silver Lake is a global technology investment firm, not a technology product company. The firm operates investment strategies (Silver Lake Partners, Silver Lake Alpine, Silver Lake Long Term Capital) that invest in technology companies. The company's 'products' are investment vehicles, not software or technology products. Their portfolio companies (Carta, Waymo, Qualtrics, Dell Technologies, Endeavor, and approximately 100+ others) are independent companies that Silver Lake has invested in, not products or services offered by Silver Lake itself.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Silver Lake Partners
Quantifiable outcome
- Portfolio companies employ approximately 433,000 people globally and generate over $307 billion in annual revenue
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Silver Lake
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Silver Lake technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Silver Lake partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Silver Lake competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Permira: Europe-headquartered tech and consumer-focused PE firm. Comparable in size, sector focus, and take-private playbook (e.g., Software AG-style carve-outs), with similar geographic footprint including EMEA offices.
- Vista Equity Partners: Technology-focused PE firm investing in enterprise software companies via buyouts and minority growth. Closely comparable to Silver Lake Partners on deal size, sector focus, and operating-partner model.
- Thoma Bravo: Largest US software-focused private equity firm. Directly comparable to Silver Lake on tech buyouts, take-privates, and growth equity in enterprise software (e.g., Qualtrics, Zuora category of assets), competing for the same management teams and LP capital.
Broad incumbents
- EQT: European tech and infrastructure PE firm, former co-investor with Silver Lake in deals like Facile.it. Comparable on global tech buyout activity and large-fund platform strategy.
- CVC Capital Partners: European-headquartered PE firm with large tech franchise. Compares on size and ability to lead mega-LBOs globally, with overlap in software and tech-enabled services.
- Carlyle Group: Global alternative asset manager with significant tech, media, and software investing activity. Comparable on deal scale and LP base, though more diversified across sectors than Silver Lake.
- KKR: Global alternative asset manager with a large technology buyout franchise (e.g., participation in Jio Platforms 2020 round). Overlaps with Silver Lake on large-cap tech take-privates but operates across many non-tech verticals.
- Blackstone: Largest alternative asset manager globally with growing tech, data infrastructure, and growth equity exposure. Competes with Silver Lake at the mega-deal end and shares adjacency in digital infrastructure (e.g., data centers alongside Vantage).
- Apollo Global Management: Large alternative asset manager with technology, media, and telecom buyout activity. Competes for the same mega-LBO opportunities as Silver Lake while running broader credit and yield strategies.
- Bain Capital: Large diversified PE firm with dedicated tech, media, and telecom vertical. Overlaps with Silver Lake on enterprise software buyouts and growth equity but with a broader sector mandate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Silver Lake social profiles
Digital presenceSilver Lake financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Silver Lake leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Silver Lake subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Silver Lake funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Silver Lake M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A34 records
Investments180 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Silver Lake
What does Silver Lake do?
Silver Lake is a global technology-focused private equity firm that makes large-scale investments in technology companies through multiple investment strategies (Silver Lake Partners, Silver Lake Alpine, Silver Lake Long Term Capital). The firm deploys capital in growth equity, buyouts, and structured investments alongside management teams, and provides operational expertise, strategic guidance, and digital transformation support to portfolio companies.
Is Silver Lake a public or private company?
Silver Lake is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Silver Lake founded?
Silver Lake was founded in 1999. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Silver Lake based?
Silver Lake is headquartered in Menlo Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Silver Lake make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest / Performance Fees and investment Returns.
Who are Silver Lake's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Permira, Vista Equity Partners and Thoma Bravo. Broad incumbents are EQT, CVC Capital Partners, Carlyle Group, KKR, Blackstone, Apollo Global Management and Bain Capital.
Does Silver Lake have an API?
No public API is recorded for Silver Lake.
What industry is Silver Lake in?
Silver Lake's product category is Technology Private Equity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANACAA, Technology & Software Growth Equity, with a secondary code of FSANACAD, Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity. Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.