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Buyer landscape

Likely buyers · Energy.

Prepared 2026-08-28 with GP Intel · deterministic scoring, published weights: gp-intel.com/methodology/league-tables

How companies like this sold · 419 verified exits: 27% to sponsors, 68% to corporates and platforms, 4% via IPO, 1% other routes. Route shift since 2020: sponsors 27% (was 28%), corporates and platforms 69% (was 66%), IPO 4% (was 6%).

The list: 25 Tier 1 · 0 Tier 2 of 120 matched buyers. A first round of the Tier 1 names plus the expansion buyers covers the demonstrated demand.

Financial buyers · 25

Tier 1 · Very High · score 70+

1. Eiffel Investment Group, Mirova SponsorVery High93

23 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 15 deals 2024–26

AUM €7.0B · Eiffel Energy Transition III · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €24-180M

8 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 7 per fund.

Backed British Solar Renewables, 2026 · Energy, UK

2. RGreen Invest SponsorVery High90

17 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 8 deals 2024–26

AUM €2.5B · INFRABRIDGE IV · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €10-75M

3 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 4 per fund.

Backed Geogreen, 2026 · Energy, France

3. Luxcara SponsorVery High87

16 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 4 deals 2024–26

AUM €7.5B · FLAVEO V · 2024 vintage · deploying

4 platform investments since the 2024 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 3 per fund.

Backed Kozani Solar PV, 2026 · Energy, Greece

4. Aquila Capital funds SponsorVery High86

17 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 8 deals 2024–26

AUM €6.5B · Aquila Capital Energy Transition Fund I · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €12-90M

Accelerating: 5 deals in the last 2 years vs 0.8/yr before.

Bought Desfina Wind Farm from Aquila Capital, 2026 · Energy, Greece

5. Ardian SponsorVery High85

53 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 51 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

6. Just Climate SponsorVery High84

9 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 11 deals 2024–26

AUM €1.7B · Natural Climate Solutions Strategy · 2024 vintage · deploying · check €7-52M

Accelerating: 9 deals in the last 2 years vs 1.5/yr before.

Backed Zanskar, 2026 · Energy, US

7. Ardian Clean Energy Evergreen Fund SponsorVery High83

51 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 44 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

8. Ardian Mid Cap Buyout SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 42 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

9. Ardian (Clean Energy Evergreen Fund) SponsorVery High83

50 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 43 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

10. Ardian (ex-AXA Private Equity) SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 42 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

11. Ardian / Crédit Agricole Assurances consortium SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 42 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

12. Ardian + Tikehau Capital + EMZ consortium (Bpifrance + Amundi + Siparex) SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 43 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

13. Ardian and Centerbridge Partners SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 42 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

14. Ardian and GoldenTree Asset Management SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 42 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

15. Ardian and Latour Capital SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 42 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

16. Ardian Expansion SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 42 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

17. Ardian Expansion (Fund V) SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 42 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

18. Ardian Semiconductor SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 43 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

19. Ardian Tikehau EMZ consortium SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 42 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

20. Ardian, Finint Infrastrutture SponsorVery High83

49 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 43 deals 2024–26

AUM €196.0B · Ardian Expansion Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €64-480M

13 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Energia Group, 2026 · Energy, Ireland

21. EQT SponsorVery High83

29 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 51 deals 2024–26

AUM €291.0B · EQT X · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €440M-3.3B

53 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 11 per fund.

Backed Calisen, 2025 · Energy, UK

22. Ring Capital SponsorVery High81

11 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 32 deals 2024–26

AUM €470M · Ring Altitude II · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €4-33M

17 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 13 per fund.

Backed Solarock, 2025 · Energy, France

23. RIVE Private Investment SponsorVery High81

10 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 7 deals 2024–26

AUM €1.2B · RIVE Infrastructure Impact Fund (RIIF) · 2024 vintage · deploying · check €6-45M

7 platform investments since the 2024 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 6 per fund.

Backed REBI (Recursos de la Biomasa), 2026 · Energy, Spain

24. Idia SponsorVery High80

53 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 27 deals 2024–26

AUM €2.4B · Crédit Agricole Assurances Avenir et Territoires · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €2-15M

5 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · early in deployment vs its usual 25 per fund.

Backed MELVAN, 2025 · Energy, France

25. Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity (France) SponsorVery High80

11 platform investments in Energy & Climate · 11 deals 2024–26

AUM €4.3B · Amethis Fund III · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €8-61M

18 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 6 per fund.

Backed ADEMAT, 2026 · Energy, Cote d'Ivoire

Scores and facts derive from verified deal records only; sample floors and thresholds are published on the methodology page. Figures marked with a tilde are bands, not disclosures.