US-based investment firm Carlyle and Citi have announced a partnership aimed at exploring opportunities in asset-backed financing within the fintech speciality lending market.
The agreement establishes a framework for the exchange of market intelligence and the identification of co-investment and financing opportunities.
The collaboration seeks to capitalise on the firms’ global leadership in asset-backed finance, with significant input from Citi’s Spread Products Investment in Technologies (SPRINT) team, known for its venture equity investments in fintech speciality lenders.
Carlyle asset-backed finance head Akhil Bansal said: “Our collaboration with Citi brings together two best-in-class platforms to unlock growth in one of the most dynamic areas of private credit.
“Demand for scalable and tailored asset-backed financing solutions from fintech lenders has increased as they mature and seek efficient ways to fund their growth.
“By combining our deep credit and structuring expertise with Citi’s leading presence in the fintech investment landscape, we’re well-positioned to capture emerging opportunities and support the next generation of financial technology leaders.”
Citi markets innovation & investments head Lee Smallwood said: “The strategic connectivity of our SPRINT team to our asset-backed finance business enables us to seamlessly share expertise and fulfil the financing needs of tomorrow’s fintech leaders across the entire capital structure.”
Citi private markets coverage head Rajiv Amlani said: “This collaboration leverages the best of both our firms. Through the scale of our franchise, we are uniquely positioned to unlock opportunities by bringing the dynamism of innovative tech platforms to an established global leader such as Carlyle.”
Carlyle Asset-Backed Finance (Carlyle ABF), a division of Carlyle’s Global Credit platform, concentrates on private fixed income and asset-backed investments.
The team employs Carlyle’s extensive investment platform to provide financing solutions to various entities, including businesses, speciality finance companies, banks, and asset managers.
Since 2021, Carlyle ABF has deployed approximately $8bn and managed around $9bn in assets as of 31 March 2025.
