Global investment firm KKR & Co has raised $6.4 billion for its dedicated fund aimed at infrastructure and energy investments in the rapidly growing Asia Pacific region. KKR, based in New York, declared that this fund represents the largest pan-regional infrastructure fund ever established for the Asia Pacific. Hardik Shah, a partner in KKR's Infrastructure team in Mumbai, emphasized the importance of this initiative. He pointed out that Asia, contributing to more than 60 percent of global growth, fueled by factors like domestic consumption, productivity, rapid urbanization, and a burgeoning middle class, is experiencing a heightened demand for new infrastructure and sustainable energy sources, poised for acceleration.
The KKR fund attracted significant backing from a diverse group of investors, both new and existing, including public and corporate pensions, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, endowment funds, and asset managers. KKR specified that the fund's focus spans across various sectors, encompassing renewables, power and utilities, water and wastewater, digital infrastructure and transportation. Notably, the fund has already deployed over 50% of its capital across roughly 10 investments.
Establishing its global infrastructure team and strategy in 2008, KKR currently manages an extensive $56 billion in assets under management, spanning more than 80 infrastructure investments worldwide. In the Asia Pacific region, KKR has achieved organic growth, managing approximately $13 billion in assets since its inception in 2019. In 2021, KKR successfully raised $3.9 billion for its inaugural Asia Pacific-dedicated infrastructure fund, KKR Asia Pacific Infrastructure Investors SCSp, marking it as the largest Asia-focused pan-regional fund at that time.