Bain Capital and SMBC Launch €1.5 billion Joint Lending Platform Backing European Corporate Credit

Partnership to Deliver Flexible Credit Solutions to European Sponsors

London - December 4, 2025 - Bain Capital, a leading global private investment firm, today announced a joint venture with top-tier bookrunner SMBC to establish a new European loan platform providing up to € 1.5 billion in senior secured credit to corporate borrowers across Europe and the UK.

The platform is structured as a co-governed credit vehicle, combining SMBC's pan-European leveraged finance origination and structuring expertise with Bain Capital's underwriting and asset management capabilities. Leveraging SMBC's position as a leading arranger of leveraged finance transactions, the platform benefits from access to primary deal flow in the syndicated loan market. The initiative brings together Bain Capital's Special Situations and Credit businesses and reflects the firm's focus on scalable, cycle-aware capital solutions.

"This partnership with SMBC represents a pivotal moment for our Special Situations business in Europe," said Angelo Rufino, a Partner and Head of Bain Capital Corporate Special Situations in Europe. "It highlights our ability to engineer large-scale and innovative platforms with leading global partners and to underwrite complex capital structures that perform across market cycles."

"This structure gives us direct access to primary origination through a globally respected bank, while maintaining full underwriting control," said Gauthier Reymondier, a Partner and Head of Bain Capital's Credit business in Europe. "It also positions both institutions as solution providers to financial sponsors seeking capital across market environments."

"The JV is a strong validation of our European team's sourcing, structuring and asset management capabilities," added Elena Lieskovska, a Partner in Bain Capital's European Special Situations Corporate Investing team. "We believe this platform is well positioned to support sponsor-led transactions at scale and across cycles," concluded Ray Colleran, a Managing Director on Bain Capital's Liquid & Structured Credit team.

The platform will target financing for sponsor-backed European companies across a diversified set of industries, with a focus on opportunities in the broadly syndicated loan (BSL) market. Designed to offer flexibility, strong governance, and institutional-grade underwriting discipline, the joint venture reflects the evolving landscape of private credit in Europe.

About Bain Capital

Founded in 1984, Bain Capital is one of the world's leading private investment firms. We are committed to creating lasting impact for our investors, teams, businesses, and the communities in which we live. As a private partnership, we lead with conviction and a culture of collaboration, advantages that enable us to innovate investment approaches, unlock opportunities, and create exceptional outcomes. Our global platform invests across five focus areas: Private Equity, Growth & Venture, Capital Solutions, Credit & Capital Markets, and Real Assets. In these focus areas, we bring deep sector expertise and wide-ranging capabilities. We have 24 offices on four continents, more than 1,850 employees, and approximately $205 billion in assets under management. To learn more, visit https://www.baincapital.com. Follow @BainCapital on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

About SMBC

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) is a leading global financial institution headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. With a presence in over 40 countries, SMBC provides a comprehensive suite of financial services, including corporate banking, investment banking, and asset management.

SMBC has one of the largest Leverage Finance platforms in the European market with over 100 investment professionals across 4 offices and a strong presence across the broadly syndicated and private credit markets. SMBC acted as Bookrunner on over 60 leveraged loan transactions in 2024 and rank #8 in Dealogic's European Sponsor Leveraged Loan Bookrunner league table.