London private equity firm Hollyport Capital, which manages over $9bn in assets, is exploring a potential sale at a potential valuation of around $1bn with the assistance of Evercore Inc, according to a report by Bloomberg citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
Early-stage discussions have taken place although there is no guarantee the process will result in a transaction.
Hollyport specialises in acquiring secondary stakes in mature private equity assets. A sale would follow a recent wave of deals in the growing secondaries market, including EQT AB’s $3.2bn acquisition of Coller Capital Ltd last month. Other notable secondary-focused acquisitions include CVC Capital Partners’ purchase of Glendower Capital and Ares Management’s acquisition of Landmark Partners in 2021.
The secondaries market has seen strong growth in recent years, with 2025 volumes climbing 41% to $226bn. These transactions allow investors to sell fund stakes before maturity and give managers flexibility to retain assets beyond traditional timelines. Last year, secondary deals accounted for roughly 40% of the $113bn raised for evergreen-style vehicles designed for retail and smaller institutional investors.
Hollyport was co-founded in 2006 by John Carter, a former investment director at 3i Group Plc. Since inception, the firm has raised nine secondary private equity funds. Its latest fund, Secondary Opportunities IX, closed in October with $4.3bn, exceeding a $3bn target.
