Lincoln Financial, a leading provider of insurance, annuities, group benefits and retirement solutions, announced its expansion into the rapidly growing private markets industry, partnering with Bain Capital, a leading global private investment firm, and Partners Group, one of the largest firms in the global private markets industry, to launch two new private markets-focused funds. Lincoln expects the new offerings to be available in late 2025.
“Powered by industry-leading distribution capabilities, a vast network of strategic partner relationships and a nearly 120-year track record of serving customer needs, Lincoln, in partnership with Bain Capital and Partners Group, is well-positioned to deliver innovative and differentiated investment solutions,” said John Kennedy, executive vice president, Chief Distribution & Brand Officer. “This collaboration is a natural extension of Lincoln’s long-standing partnerships with top-tier asset managers and furthers our ability to provide consultative support for financial professionals to meet the evolving needs of their clients.”
Bain Capital will partner with Lincoln Financial to provide investors access to an evergreen fund offering focused on a globally varied portfolio of private credit investments, including direct lending, asset-based finance, and structured credit. With more than 25 years of multi-asset credit investing experience, Bain Capital will leverage its dynamic approach to investing and the deep expertise of its team to source, analyze, and execute compelling opportunities across global debt markets.
Lincoln Financial is partnering with Partners Group to launch an evergreen fund that will provide access to a globally varied cross-sector private markets royalty portfolio. Partners Group will follow a relative value approach to invest across both well-established royalty sectors, such as intellectual property assets in the pharmaceutical and entertainment industries, and emerging high-growth sectors like energy transition, sports, and brands. The fund will look to employ a range of structures, including direct purchases of royalties, creating royalties, and lending against royalties.
“Private market investments have been a staple within the portfolios of institutional and high-net-worth investors for decades. However, in recent years, the demand from individual investors has increased as they seek access to the return potential and diversification benefits that private markets can bring to a well-diversified portfolio,” said Jayson Bronchetti, executive vice president, Chief Investment Officer. “The private market investment strategies we have deployed through our multi-manager framework have enabled us to drive value within our own investment portfolio,” Bronchetti added. “We are thrilled to leverage our asset management relationships and investment and fund structure expertise to create private market funds for our customers to invest directly into these strategies with Bain Capital and Partners Group.”
“By combining our deep expertise in private markets with Lincoln’s innovative, expansive distribution platform, we can further expand access to private markets for more investors,” said John Wright, Partner and Global Head of Credit at Bain Capital. “We look forward to partnering with an institution that has spent more than a century building a legacy of trust, financial stewardship, and value creation for its clients.”
“We’re excited to extend our long-standing strategic partnership with Lincoln to bring a new offering to the US private wealth market,” said Nicholas Hegarty, Managing Director and Co-Head of Client Solutions Americas at Partners Group. “Our 20-year plus track record in managing bespoke evergreen solutions and deep expertise in private markets royalties, coupled with Lincoln’s market-leading distribution capabilities, provide strong foundations from which to deliver a very impactful private markets solution.”
Industry veteran Tom Morelli, Investment Distribution, was recently hired to advance Lincoln’s distribution efforts with private market funds and other investment solutions, leveraging Lincoln's broad set of capabilities and expertise across distribution and investments.