The direct credit investment strategy is focused on the opportunity set within more senior components of a company’s capital structure, and with characteristics including contractual yield, shorter duration and capital preservation. Our goal is to provide investors with attractive, risk-adjusted returns by employing our differentiated approach to this strategy.
- Investing alongside experienced, best-in-class general partners operating in their areas of expertise
- Focusing on transactions with Hamilton Lane information and/or access advantages
- Prioritizing transaction structures designed to offer enhanced downside protection
- Emphasizing asset quality by targeting defensible, market-leading assets
Deal Spotlights
EN Engineering
Who they are
Provider of regulatory and maintenance-driven services, including design, engineering and program/project management, serving a primarily utility-oriented customer base.
Unique Access
Hamilton Lane has a long-standing relationship with the equity sponsor, with whom we have completed numerous primary investments and co-investments. Our strong relationship allowed us the opportunity to invest directly in the transaction.
Why it matters
The company has developed a long-standing presence in the utility industry as a provider of outsourced maintenance and design services. They have long-term customer relationships, averaging 13 years for the top 10 largest.The company has a highly cash-generative business model with a variable cost structure, and has generated consistent organic growth while expanding its customer base and offerings through acquisitions.
The bottom line
As the company has continued to grow, so too has our investment. We have made four investments in the company across our platform, continuously leveraging our information advantages and prior strong knowledge of the company.AML RightSource
Who they are
A leading outsourced provider of anti-money laundering, Know Your Customer, and Bank Secrecy Act solutions to a diverse set of banks and non-bank financial institutions.
The HL Advantage
Hamilton Lane had strong relationships and direct access to the new equity and credit sponsors as well as the previous equity sponsor. Our strong sponsor relationships meant we were offered the opportunity to co-invest in the equity.
Big picture
The company is a leading business within a large and resilient market benefitting from secular tailwinds. They have a differentiated business model with a high value proposition for customers and an impressive recurring revenue model.The bottom line
In March 2021, we helped fund a strategic acquisition by participating in a pro-rata share upsize to the term loan. This investment highlights our ability to gain differentiated access to attractive private credit opportunities and build exposure over time to support the growth of market-leading platforms.DigiCert
Who they are
A leading digital security company offering SSL certificates and managed public key infrastructure software solutions. More simply described: anytime you click into your web-browser and a little green lock appears…that is this company.The HL advantage
Prior to our investment in the preferred equity of the company to facilitate continued growth, Hamilton Lane was an incumbent lender in the Company’s collateralized term loan. Additionally, we had extensive knowledge of the company through a predecessor fund commitment in the second lien term loan.The bottom line
This asset-level familiarity and strong sponsor relationship enabled HL to underwrite the opportunity with speed and conviction by leveraging existing company-level information to support our investment thesis.
The Hamilton Lane credit platform provides our investors with differentiated access to the private credit market opportunity through our broad and well-established network of investment partners. A flexible investment approach targeting more senior portions of the capital structure allows us the opportunity to generate attractive, risk-adjusted returns, but with an aim toward downside protection, shorter duration and current yield.
Co-Head of Direct Credit
Enhancing Deal Selection and Portfolio Construction with Proprietary Data
Our vast proprietary database comprises over $16T in fund assets and 110,000+ portfolio companies over 50 vintage years. Our significant investments in leading private markets technology platforms and our extensive network of relationships with general partners allows us to be highly selective investors. We gain access to unique opportunities in part by leveraging our technology capabilities to make better-informed investment decisions.