Arcano

What Arcano does

Arcano Partners is an independent international financial advisory and alternative asset management firm founded in 2003 and headquartered in Madrid, Spain. The firm operates through four business lines: (1) Investment Banking, providing M&A advisory, restructurings, and refinancings through a team of more than 80 professionals and recognized as the leader by number of operations in Spain and Portugal; (2) Asset Management, managing more than €12.5B across six asset classes (private equity secondaries, credit strategies including a €5.4B credit platform, sustainable infrastructure, real estate, venture capital, and aviation finance) via its CNMV-regulated subsidiary Arcano Capital SGIIC; (3) Asset Finance, structuring Tax Equity solutions for R&D, transport, and renewable energy; and (4) Research & Strategic Advisory, providing macroeconomic, technological, and geopolitical analysis to more than 300 clients.

The firm employs 260+ professionals of more than 20 nationalities across seven offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Dublin, New York, and California. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: advisory fees from M&A and capital solutions mandates (27 transactions in 2025), recurring asset management fees across multiple fund vintages (Arcano Secondary Fund V at €850M, Arcano Earth Fund III with €300M target, AVA III real estate fund, and the CLO platform with €1.6B+ AUM), and transaction fees from CLO structuring and placement (e.g., €456M Arcano Euro CLO IV DAC and €405M Arcano Euro CLO II DAC, both placed via Jefferies).

Arcano's go-to-market is built on direct institutional and private banking distribution with no third-party intermediaries, supplemented by an exclusive international advisory alliance with Baird for cross-border execution. Strategic hires (notably José del Valle from Saudi Arabia's PIF and Stc in June 2026) and a partnership-based talent model support the firm's stated ambition to accelerate international expansion beyond Iberia and into Europe and North America.

Name

Arcano

Legal name

ARCANO ASESORES FINANCIEROS, S.L.

Website

https://arcanopartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Arcano Partners is an independent Madrid-based international financial advisory and alternative asset management firm managing €12.5B+ across six asset classes, advising on M&A and providing CLO, secondaries, infrastructure, and credit strategies to institutional investors, private banking clients, and mid-to-large corporates across Europe and the Americas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Banking & Alternative Asset Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Secondaries-Focused Fund of Funds (LP / GP-led / Continuation Vehicles) (FSAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

UCITS / Liquid Alternatives Fund of Funds (FSAHAKAE), Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers (FSAAACAA)

Keywords

• Investment banking advisory
• Alternative asset management
• M&A advisory services
• CLO management platform
• Financial advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advisory fees: Investment banking division earns advisory fees for M&A transactions, restructurings, refinancings, and capital markets mandates across sectors including technology, retail, industrial, hospitality, and professional services.
2. Asset management fees: Management and performance fees from managing alternative asset funds including private equity secondary funds, CLOs, infrastructure funds, real estate funds, and venture capital vehicles across six asset classes.
3. CLO structuring and placement fees: Fees from structuring and placing CLO (Collateralized Loan Obligation) issuances in European capital markets. Arcano Euro CLO IV DAC placed for €456 million; Arcano Euro CLO II DAC placed for €405 million. Platform aspires to issue at least two CLOs per year.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Arcano Partners is an international independent financial advisory and alternative asset management firm. It delivers M&A advisory, restructurings, refinancings, and capital markets solutions to mid-to-large companies (leader by deal count in Spain and Portugal), while managing more than €12,500M across six alternative asset classes (Private Equity, Credit Strategies, Real Estate, Sustainable Infrastructure, Venture Capital, Aviation Finance) for institutional and private banking investors. The firm also provides Tax Equity asset financing solutions and independent macroeconomic/geopolitical research.

Product overview

Arcano Partners is an international financial advisory and alternative asset management firm organized into four main business lines: Investment Banking (M&A advisory, restructurings, refinancings), Asset Management (managing over €12.5 billion across multiple asset classes including private equity, credit strategies, real estate, sustainable infrastructure, venture capital, and aviation finance), Asset Finance (tax equity structuring for R&D, transport, and renewable energy), and Research & Strategic Advisory (macroeconomic and technology analysis). The firm operates through its regulated subsidiary Arcano Capital SGIIC and offers specialized fund products including CLO platforms, secondary private equity funds (Arcano Secondary Fund V with €850M), infrastructure funds (Arcano Earth Fund III with €300M target), and real estate vehicles (AVA III). The AAA Academy provides educational content on alternative investments. The platform manages €5.4 billion in credit assets and over €5.4 billion in total AUM across six asset classes, serving institutional investors, banks, and private clients across Europe and North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AAA Academy: First alternative asset management academy in Spain, providing educational content on alternative investments
• Arcano Capital SGIIC
• Arcano Research
• Arcano Earth Fund
• Arcano Euro CLO
• Arcano Secondary Fund

Products and services

• Investment Banking Advisory Investment banking division providing M&A advisory, restructurings, and refinancings to mid-to-large corporates across Spain, Portugal, and international markets. Recognized as the leader by number of transactions in Spain and Portugal.
• Asset Management International asset management division offering investment opportunities with attractive risk-return profiles through high diversification and specialization across six asset classes. Manages over €12,500M for institutional and private banking investors.
• Asset Finance (Tax Equity Structuring) Asset financing unit specializing in structuring solutions for real and intangible asset financing, with focus on Tax Equity investments for R&D+i, the transport industry, and renewable energy.
• Research & Strategic Advisory Macroeconomic, technological, and geopolitical analysis unit helping more than 300 clients anticipate trends and make informed decisions in real time.
• European CLO Management Platform European CLO (Collateralized Loan Obligation) management platform investing in diversified portfolios of senior European leveraged loans, with €1.6B in CLO AUM across four issuances since March 2025.
• Arcano Secondary Fund V Fifth secondary private equity fund with €850M final close, targeting smaller mid-market transactions across Europe and North America with LP-led, GP-led, and co-investment strategies.
• Arcano Earth Fund III Third sustainable infrastructure fund targeting €300M with focus on Digital Infrastructure, Energy Transition, and Transport & Logistics sectors across 25+ countries.
• AVA III (Arcano Spanish Value Added Real Estate III) Spanish value-added real estate fund investing in hotel and hospitality assets, with portfolio including three 4-star Tenerife hotels totaling over 1,050 rooms acquired from Hyatt subsidiary.
• Credit Strategies Platform Private credit platform managing diversified credit strategies including European senior floating rate funds, ESG corporate bond funds, and direct lending operations across Southern Europe.
• Arcano Research Economic and market research division providing macroeconomic, real estate, geopolitical, and technology trend analysis to optimize strategic and investment decisions for 300+ clients.
• AAA Academy First alternative asset management academy in Spain, providing educational content on private equity, venture capital, infrastructure, real estate, private debt, and regulatory topics; provides training certifications.
• Private Equity Global Quality Opportunities SCR Private equity investment vehicle managed by Arcano Partners for EDM Gestión, targeting €25M with primary, secondary, and co-investment strategies in technology, healthcare, and industry sectors across Europe and North America.

Quantifiable outcome

• Arcano Secondary Fund V raised €850M, surpassing initial €500M target, reflecting strong investor demand for secondaries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• José del VallecoreOthers · 22 June 2026José del Valle joins Arcano as a new partner, expected to accelerate the firm's international growth under chairman Álvaro de Remedios. Del Valle previously served as an executive at Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and telecommunications company Stc, bringing extensive institutional experience from major international organizations to support Arcano's global expansion strategy.
• WavecrestminorOthers · 17 June 2026Wavecrest acquired both Stay App and RealTime Reservation as part of a strategy to build a comprehensive hotel and resort software platform. Arcano acted as exclusive financial advisor to Stay App shareholders in this simultaneous dual acquisition.
• BairdcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 5 February 2026Arcano and Baird acted as co-financial advisors to A&M Capital Europe and Ayesa Ingeniería on the sale to Colliers for €600M. Arcano and Baird maintain an exclusive alliance combining local Iberian execution with global advisory capabilities, allowing differentiated service to leading companies.
• BairdminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 16 October 2025Arcano Partners and Baird Global Investment Banking advised Portobello Capital on the sale of a minority stake in AGQ Labs to Fremman Capital. The partnership enables cross-border execution for mid-market transactions involving Iberian companies.
• Wavecrest (Stay App / RealTime Reservation acquisition)minorOthers · 14 July 2025Wavecrest simultaneously acquired Stay App and RealTime Reservation, creating a specialized hotel software platform with end-to-end guest experience and reservation capabilities. Arcano advised Stay App shareholders in the transaction, which falls within Arcano's positioning as M&A advisor of reference in software and technology services.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ardian: Global private investment house with major secondaries, private debt, infrastructure, and private equity franchises. Comparable as a much larger alternative AM peer with a leading secondaries platform against which Arcano competes in the HEC-Dow Jones rankings.
• Evercore: Independent investment banking advisory and investment management firm focused on M&A, restructurings, and private equity fundraising. Comparable as a global independent advisory peer with adjacent asset management capabilities.
• Tikehau Capital: European alternative asset manager spanning private debt, real estate, private equity, and CLO strategies. Comparable as a publicly listed European peer building a multi-strategy credit and alternatives platform with CLO capabilities.
• Rothschild & Co: Independent global advisory firm with strong European M&A advisory and wealth & asset management businesses. Comparable as a long-established independent advisory house operating an integrated model similar to Arcano's merchant-banking approach.
• Kepler Cheuvreux: European independent broker and advisory group offering equity research, corporate advisory, and asset management. Comparable as a European-headquartered independent advisor with cross-border mid-market capabilities.
• Lazard: Global independent financial advisory and asset management firm with operations across M&A advisory, restructurings, and alternative investments. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the independent advisory + AM model that Arcano aspires to scale toward.
• Moelis & Company: Global independent investment bank focused on M&A, restructurings, and capital markets advisory. Comparable as a pure-play independent advisory competitor for cross-border mid- and large-cap mandates.

Regional players

• Banca March: Spanish private banking and asset management group with corporate advisory and proprietary fund operations. Comparable as a Spanish-headquartered multi-business financial services firm overlapping with Arcano's Iberian asset management and advisory activities.

Direct peers

• Alantra Partners: Madrid-headquartered independent financial advisory and alternative asset management firm serving Iberian mid-market clients across investment banking, credit, private equity, and asset management. Closest direct comparable to Arcano given shared Iberian footprint, partnership model, and multi-strategy AM platform.

Others

• Portobello Capital: Spanish private equity firm focused on mid-market Iberian buyouts. Comparable as a client/user of Arcano's advisory services in Iberian PE transactions; overlaps with Arcano's PE secondaries and co-invest strategies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ArcanoPartners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arcano-partners
• Xx.com/arcanopartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments6 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Arcano