Merchant Banking

Direct Private Investing is offered through the Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division.

Merchant Banking is the primary center for Goldman Sachs’ long term principal investing activity, and Goldman Sachs has operated this business as an integral part of the firm for over 30 years. The group invests in equity, credit and real estate strategies.

Since 1986, Merchant Banking has invested across a number of geographies, industries and transaction types. With 24 offices in 15 countries around the world, the group is one of the largest managers of private capital globally, offering deep expertise and long-standing relationships with companies, investors, entrepreneurs and financial intermediaries around the globe.

Equity

We invest across corporate private equity, growth equity and infrastructure.

Corporate Private Equity

Our Corporate Private Equity Group seeks long-term capital appreciation by committing equity to high quality companies with strong management.

We look to generate superior returns in a variety of situations, including leveraged buy-outs, recapitalizations, growth investments and stressed/distressed investments across a range of industries and geographies. We target investments ranging in size from $50 million to more than $800 million.

We offer unique benefits to our clients, stemming from our 30 years of corporate private equity investing experience. Our global network provides access to well-regarded management teams, sponsors and leading corporations. Other advantages include:

Access to sophisticated financial advice in public and private market financing, mergers, acquisitions, trading, foreign exchange, commodities and investment and economic research
A worldwide network in sourcing, structuring and operating successful business ventures
A creative approach to identifying attractive investments by leveraging the scale of our committed capital, sponsorship and experience
A track record of successful execution, even in difficult market environments, due to our established relationships and broad access to financing and capital markets
Active support for our portfolio companies’ long-term goals, management teams and efforts to build value

Growth Equity

GS Growth seeks to partner with visionary founders and CEOs to build enduring, category-defining businesses by harnessing the global network and deep industry expertise of Goldman Sachs.

As part of the Merchant Banking Division, GS Growth is the dedicated growth equity team within Goldman Sachs. We are a global team across 9 offices in 7 countries, with $8 billion of AUM and a 25+ year investing history of partnering with management teams to execute long-term growth plans.

Approach

The team targets investments of $20-250 million into high-growth companies with the following characteristics:

Compelling market opportunity
Sustainable competitive advantage through technology, product or process
Product / market fit
Solid unit economics
Referenceable customer base
Proven management team

We have the flexibility to invest via either minority or control transactions.

Advantages

In addition to working with an investing team with 25+ years of experience, our portfolio companies have access to the broad range of resources offered by Goldman Sachs, including:

Global network of client relationships, senior executives (including executives at other MBD portfolio companies and Goldman’s internal IT organization), and board directors
Access to market insights and sophisticated financial advice
Availability of additional resources and capital to enable continued growth, acquisitions, or geographic expansion

We take a long-term approach to our investments, dedicating significant time to our portfolio companies and providing access to the Goldman Sachs franchise to accelerate value creation.

To discuss ways in which we can partner with you to achieve your financing objectives, please contact us at gs-growth@gs.com

Learn More About GS Growth

Infrastructure

Our Infrastructure Investment Group seeks to invest capital in infrastructure businesses across a range of sub-sector geographies.

We target investments ranging from $100 million to $500 million, and focus on sectors including transportation infrastructure (such as airports, ports, railways and roads), utilities infrastructure (such as electricity, gas and water networks) and energy (such as pipelines, terminals and power generation).

We pursue a long-term investment strategy focusing on core infrastructure assets and partnering with best in class operators and management teams. Our infrastructure investments typically have the following characteristics:

Fixed assets that provide essential services to communities
Strong competitive positions and high barriers to entry
Revenues that are contracted and/or linked to underlying economic growth/inflation
Existing assets with performance history and select development-stage opportunities

We offer a unique combination of advantages to our investors and operating partners, including:

A dedicated infrastructure investing team with deep sector experience
A broad network of longstanding relationships with companies, infrastructure investors, governments, municipalities, financing providers and advisors throughout the world
Goldman Sachs’ substantial global resources, which are available to assist the investment team throughout the investment lifecycle including with developing differentiated strategies, sourcing opportunities, executing investments and ongoing management of our portfolio businesses
Experience as owners across sectors and economic cycles and active involvement in supporting our management teams in strategic, operational and financial decisions
Access to substantial, long-term capital resources through our funds and relationships with other infrastructure investors
Strong commitment to both our investors and operating partners/management teams

Credit

We invest across mezzanine debt, senior loans, specialty lending, structured credit, alternative energy and opportunistic credit.

Mezzanine Debt

GS Mezzanine Partners ("GSMP") is one of the largest mezzanine fund families in the world.

Investing capital since 1996, we seek to provide private high yield capital for mid- to large-sized leveraged and management buyout transactions, recapitalizations, financings, refinancings, acquisitions and restructurings for clients such as private equity firms, private family companies and corporate issuers. Our team:

Invests across a broad range of industries, primarily in the Americas and Europe
Targets investments ranging in size from $100 million to more than $500 million
Targets high-quality companies with $500 million to more than $5 billion of enterprise value with leading market positions in industries with high barriers to entry
Look for well-regarded management teams and stable, cash generative businesses

With 20 years of experience in the mezzanine market, our group has strong relationships with leading private equity sponsors and corporations across the globe. These relationships, together with our ability to access the Goldman Sachs network, generate opportunities for GS Mezzanine Partners to extend credit. Other advantages include:

Ability to develop customized solutions tailored to each investment situation
Ability to extend credit in size with certainty to companies in need
Access to the full resources and expertise of Goldman Sachs, including sophisticated financial advice in leveraged finance, mergers and acquisitions, research, trading, foreign exchange and commodities

Senior Loans

Goldman Sachs Loan Partners and Senior Credit Partners is one of the largest fund families dedicated to the senior secured loan asset class.

Since 2008, we have invested primarily in high quality senior secured loans. Our focus is on originating loans for mid- to large-sized leveraged and management buyout transactions, recapitalizations, refinancings, financings, acquisitions and restructurings for organizations such as private equity firms, private family companies and corporate issuers. We may also make opportunistic purchases of senior secured loans in the secondary market. Our team:

Invests across a broad range of industries in the Americas and Europe
Targets investments ranging in size from $250 million to more than $600 million
Seeks to extend credit to finance companies in need of capital
Targets companies with $300 million to more than $5 billion of enterprise value with leading market positions in industries that have high barriers to entry
Looks for well-regarded management teams and stable, cash generative businesses

Goldman Sachs Loan Partners and Senior Credit Partners benefits from strong relationships with leading private equity sponsors and management teams across the globe. Along with the ability to leverage the rest of the Goldman Sachs franchise, these relationships help us generate opportunities to finance companies in need of capital. Other advantages include:

Ability to develop customized solutions tailored to each investment situation
Ability to extend credit in size with certainty to companies in need
Access to the full resources and expertise of Goldman Sachs, including sophisticated financial advice in leveraged finance, mergers and acquisitions, research, trading, foreign exchange and commodities

Specialty Lending

The Goldman Sachs Specialty Lending Group is the firm’s investment platform dedicated to providing financing solutions to middle market companies based in the Americas and Europe.

Structured Credit

Our Structured Credit Group is the firm’s investment platform dedicated to providing secured asset-based loan financing to financial services and specialty finance companies based in the Americas and Europe.

Alternative Energy Investing

Our Goldman Sachs Alternative Energy Investing Group is a dedicated platform deploying capital in the alternative energy sector through a broad range of financing solutions.

We are committed to the continuous development of the energy sector, from the conventional renewable energy sector to storage solutions and other alternative technologies.

Opportunistic Credit

Our opportunistic credit platform seeks to directly originate debt and structured equity investments in order to generate attractive risk-adjusted value irrespective of market conditions. Our team:

Invests across a broad range of industries and regions
Generally targets investments in size from $100mm+
Seeks to provide unique financing solutions to issuers, which may include direct opportunistic financings, asset dispositions, complex financings, alternatives to private equity, and other special situations
Works constructively with management teams and seeks to add value to portfolio companies

With 20+ years of experience in the opportunistic credit market, our group combines strong relationships with corporations, and our ability to access the Goldman Sachs network, to generate unique investment opportunities. Other advantages include:

Ability to develop customized and targeted solutions to each investment
Opportunistic and flexible mandate to find investment opportunities throughout an entire economic cycle
Time tested approach and development of investment acumen, processes and infrastructure through economic cycles
Access to the full resources and expertise of Goldman Sachs

Real Estate

We are dedicated to providing debt and equity capital to commercial real estate investors, developers and companies globally.

Real Estate Equity

Our Real Estate Group has invested in real estate equity since 1991.

We seek to pursue acquisitions in markets where we have both extensive real estate experience and existing platforms, with a focus in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Our team:

Invests across a broad range of markets, acquiring real estate companies, real estate projects, loan portfolios, debt recapitalizations and direct property
Invests globally across multiple product types (both single properties and large portfolios), including but not limited to hospitality, retail, office, and multifamily
Targets equity investments ranging in size from $50 million+
Manages a series of regional, niche and core/core-plus funds with targeted investment objectives

We source opportunities through our broad network of relationships with companies, real estate private equity firms, private family investors, entrepreneurs, and financial intermediaries. Other advantages include:

Access to strong in-house experience with major product types and niche businesses, and to our relationships with industry experts
Capital markets expertise across Goldman Sachs
Ability to leverage investment expertise across our firm, including through Goldman Sachs’ real estate asset management, which provides global underwriting and asset management as well as a fully integrated real estate services platform including construction, risk management, loan servicing and reporting expertise

Real Estate Credit

Goldman Sachs’ Real Estate Credit Team, including Real Estate Credit Partners, has invested in high-quality real estate loans since 2008.

We seek to generate attractive risk-adjusted return through the creation of a diversified pool of investments in both senior and mezzanine loans collateralized by high quality real estate assets. The primary focus is to create strong current yield for its investors through the origination of loans to facilitate real estate acquisitions, refinancings and recapitalizations throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. As one of the largest global investors in private real estate credit, our team’s dedicated platform, strong sponsor relationships and access to the entire Goldman Sachs network ensures comprehensive coverage of the market and allows for the creation of unique lending opportunities. Our team:

Invests in the Americas, Europe and Asia in senior and mezzanine loans collateralized by quality real estate
Targets investments ranging in size from $50 million to $150 million
Seeks to extend credit to finance real estate developers, owners and operators in need of capital

We leverage our firm’s extensive network of real estate and structured finance professionals across multiple departments to source and execute transactions. Other advantages include:

Access to our firm’s relationships with lenders, real estate investors, broker/dealers and other parties to source unique real estate mezzanine and corporate-style debt investment opportunities
Ability to leverage investment expertise across our firm, including through Goldman Sachs’ real estate asset management, which provides global underwriting and asset management as well as a fully integrated real estate services platform including construction, risk management, loan servicing and reporting expertise