Why Direct Private Opportunities (DPO)?

For the past decade, DPO has evaluated opportunistic investments across a diverse range of industries and geographies, and has a history of finding idiosyncratic investment opportunities. The team is experienced in acting as an extension of team and sharing views with clients looking to invest opportunistically.
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Unique sourcing
Leveraging the platform of the world’s largest asset manager to focus on investments outside of core, private markets.
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Flexible strategy
Identifying thematic opportunities with attractive relative value, seeking to optimize risk and return.
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Extensive expertise
In structuring, execution, and portfolio management, utilizing proprietary risk modeling for private markets.

Growing and attractive opportunity set

As traditional private market strategies have matured and institutionalized, average deal sizes have grown meaningfully. At the same time, the diversity and complexity of the overall private opportunity landscape has increased dramatically. We seek opportunities in growing and less efficient areas of capital markets.

Opportunistic investment universe

Note: The above chart only shows sub-asset classes with $1bn+ in investment AUM. Source: Preqin. As of 30 June 2023.

DPO invests opportunistically across private markets

Our Direct Private Opportunities (DPO) team seeks to deliver:

  • Differentiated sourcing capabilities leveraging the depth and breadth of the BlackRock platform
  • Deep structuring and underwriting expertise to create asymmetric return profiles and enhance downside mitigation
  • Flexible mandates to pursue pockets of relative value across sectors, geographies, and capital structures
  • Lower beta exposures targeting diversifying investments that add idiosyncratic risk to the total portfolio

BlackRock sourcing seeks to deliver distinct advantages

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Proprietary relationships

Long-standing relationships with investment managers and peer investors

BlackRock brand

Frequently invited to participate in opportunities with preferred capacity

Global scale

Visibility on unique opportunity set across the globe with local connectivity and boots on the ground

Robust sourcing platform

Integrated BlackRock Capital Markets platform for counterparty connectivity and deal sourcing

Our DPO team

Paul Braude
Chief Investment Officer and Head, Direct Private Opportunities
Paul Braude is the Chief Investment Officer and Head of the Direct Private Opportunities within BlackRock’s Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions (MASS) group. In this role, he is responsible for leading the team that sources and underwrites opportunistic investments across emerging segments of private markets.

Contact our institutional team to learn more about multi-asset strategies

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