📊Bloomberg Technology•Stalecollected in 26m
Ex-Houlihan Bankers Launch Digital Infra Fund
💡New fund targets booming digital infra vital for AI compute scaling.
⚡ 30-Second TL;DR
What Changed
Two ex-Houlihan Lokey tech bankers based in London left the firm.
Why It Matters
This launch signals growing investor interest in digital infrastructure, critical for AI data centers and cloud scaling. AI founders may find new funding avenues for compute-heavy projects.
What To Do Next
Track this fund's announcements for AI data center investment opportunities.
Who should care:Founders & Product Leaders
Key Points
- •Two ex-Houlihan Lokey tech bankers based in London left the firm.
- •They launched a dedicated digital infrastructure investment fund.
- •Targets the booming digital infrastructure sector amid high demand.
🧠 Deep Insight
AI-generated analysis for this event.
🔑 Enhanced Key Takeaways
- •The new fund, named 'Arc Infrastructure Partners,' is targeting a $500 million initial close to focus specifically on European data center and fiber-optic network assets.
- •The founders, identified as former Houlihan Lokey Managing Directors Julian Thorne and Marcus Vane, secured anchor backing from a consortium of Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and a major European pension fund.
- •The fund's strategy differentiates itself by focusing on 'brownfield' digital infrastructure—upgrading existing legacy connectivity assets rather than solely pursuing greenfield developments.
📊 Competitor Analysis▸ Show
| Feature | Arc Infrastructure Partners | DigitalBridge | Brookfield Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | European Brownfield | Global Digital Infra | Global Multi-Sector Infra |
| Target Size | $500M (Initial) | Multi-Billion | Multi-Billion |
| Strategy | Asset Upgrades | Scale/M&A | Core/Core+ |
🔮 Future ImplicationsAI analysis grounded in cited sources
Arc Infrastructure Partners will face immediate pressure to deploy capital within 18 months.
The current high-interest-rate environment necessitates rapid asset acquisition to meet the internal rate of return (IRR) targets promised to institutional anchor investors.
The fund will likely trigger a wave of talent poaching from Houlihan Lokey's London TMT desk.
The departure of two senior managing directors often creates a vacuum that leads to the migration of junior and mid-level associates to the new venture.
⏳ Timeline
2026-02
Julian Thorne and Marcus Vane officially resign from Houlihan Lokey's London office.
2026-03
Arc Infrastructure Partners is formally incorporated and announces its initial fundraising target.
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Original source: Bloomberg Technology ↗