• Dawson raises US$5.3 billion; largest fund since inception
• PF5 brings total commitments raised by firm to US$13.5 billion
• Over US$18 billion transacted across 200+ transactions since inception
• Firm grows to over 155 professionals with offices in Toronto and London

TORONTO, August 1, 2023 – Dawson Partners (“Dawson” or the “Firm”), a specialized investment manager focused on providing customized portfolio financing through structured liquidity solutions for private equity portfolios, today announced the successful final close of Dawson Portfolio Finance 5 (“PF5” or the “Fund”) exceeding its US$5.0 billion target. Together with affiliated vehicles, PF5 closed on approximately US$5.3 billion in total commitments. PF5 represents Dawson’s largest fund to-date.

“Closing our largest fund since inception, through a period of uncertainty and market volatility, is a remarkable achievement” says Yann Robard, Managing Partner of Dawson. “This successful fundraise is a recognition by our investors of the vast opportunity set we believe lies ahead of us and further underpins our global position as a leading liquidity solutions provider for private equity portfolios.”

With the closing of PF5, Dawson has now raised US$13.5 billion in commitments, sourced over US$550 billion of potential opportunities, deployed over US$18 billion across over 200 transactions and grown to over 155 professionals since inception only eight years ago.

Yann Robard added, “As many private equity investors remain overallocated to the asset class and GPs seek thoughtful financing providers for their balance sheets, we believe the demand for our customized portfolio financing solutions will remain high. Our innovative approach and the flexibility of our solutions continues to garner significant interest in the market.”

With regards to the fundraise, Michael Gubbels, a Partner at Dawson, said, “Dawson Portfolio Finance 5 welcomed commitments across a number of institutional investors including leading public and corporate pension plans, insurance companies, consultants, family offices and financial institutions. This fundraise would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our existing investors. Altogether, we are proud to have 85% of investors reup. We remain very grateful for their continued support. We are also grateful for and pleased to welcome a set of new investors which have placed their confidence in our people, platform and product.”

With regards to the market opportunity, Giorgio Riva, a Partner at Dawson, said, “Our fund sizes continue to grow as our opportunity set expands. Since inception, Dawson has sourced over US$550 billion of potential opportunities. We believe that as private capital grows, the demand for bespoke portfolio financing solutions by limited partners and general partners will continue to fuel this opportunity set.”

With regards to its recent London expansion, Rob Gavin, a Partner at Dawson, said, “As we finished raising PF5, we thought it was the opportune time to go global and open up our London office. The focus of our London office will be to remain close to our investors, our counterparties and the general partners in our portfolio.”

With regards to firm growth, Derek Miners, a Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Dawson, said, “We have shown our commitment to scaling the business thoughtfully and strategically alongside the increasing market opportunity. This is highlighted by the growth of our team to over 155 professionals and the advancement of our data and technology capabilities. As we scale, we intend to do so with a focus on promoting a culture of partnership, integrity, and performance.”

Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Goodmans LLP served as legal counsel for Dawson Portfolio Finance 5.

About Dawson Partners (“Dawson”)

Dawson, formed in 2015, is a private equity firm focused on providing structured liquidity solutions to the alternative asset class. Dawson has identified what it believes to be a significant and untapped market opportunity in the utilization of structured products to generate liquidity on private equity portfolios. Since inception, Dawson has raised US$13.5 billion in commitments and has deployed over US$18 billion across over 200 transactions. For more information, please visit https://www.dawsonpartners.com.