Carlyle’s North America funds engage in buyout, venture and growth capital, real estate and leveraged finance transactions. Our success in each area is the result of a disciplined and conservative investment approach, consistency of decisionmaking, focus on industries we know and in which we have a competitive advantage, and the ability to recruit and retain a team of outstanding investment professionals.

Carlyle’s disciplined approach manifests itself in our avoidance of auctions. All investment firms strive for this, but Carlyle has many proprietary deals under its belt and when we do participate in an auction, our deal professionals walk away when prices get too high. Also, Carlyle’s hands-on approach in the management of a company or property can mean the difference between average and superior returns.

Teamwork, discipline, and focus, are the hallmarks of the Carlyle approach to investing and the key to our success. 

Carlyle Partners II, III, IV and V: Launched in 1996 at $1.3 billion, 2000 at $3.9 billion, 2004 at $7.9 billion, and 2007 at $13.7 billion, respectively, these funds conduct leveraged buyout transactions in the aerospace, defense, automotive, consumer, industrial, healthcare, information technology, transportation, and telecommunication and media sectors.

Carlyle Venture Partners I, II and III: Launched in 1997 at $210 million, 2001 at $600 million and 2006 at $605 million, respectively, these venture funds pursue opportunities in emerging technology companies, providing entrepreneurs the means to build companies at all stages of development, with a focus on enterprise infrastructure applications like network security and storage, defense technologies, software, and specialty semiconductors.

Carlyle Realty Partners I, II, III, IV and V: Launched in 1997 at $470 million, 1999 at $250 million, 2001 at $570 million, 2004 at $950 million and 2006 at $3.0 billion, respectively, these real estate funds target opportunistic investments in the office, hotel, industrial and retail sectors in New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Carlyle/Riverstone Global Energy and Power Funds I, II & III and Riverstone/Carlyle Global Energy & Power Fund IV: Launched in 2000 at $222 million, 2002 at $1.1 billion, 2005 at $3.8 billion and 2007 at $6.0 billion, respectively, these funds provide equity capital opportunities and strategic joint ventures in the energy and power industry, with a focus on the midstream sector.

Carlyle/Riverstone Renewable Energy Infrastructure Partners I and Riverstone/Carlyle Renewable and Alternative Energy Partners II: Launched in 2005 at $685 million and 2007 at $3.4 billion, respectively, these funds invest in the renewable energy infrastructure industry.

Carlyle U.S. Leveraged Finance: The U.S. Leveraged Finance team currently manages 10 funds with more than $5 billion in capital commitments; these funds acquire and manage a portfolio comprising primarily below investment-grade debt and equity investments such as loans, public high yield debt securities, distressed debt, mezzanine investments and private equity.

Carlyle Mezzanine Partners I & II: Launched in 2004 at $436 million and 2008 at $554 million, respectively, these funds invest in mezzanine securities.

Carlyle Strategic Partners I & II: Launched in 2004 at $211 million and 2007 at $1.35 billion, these funds invest in the securities of operationally sound, financially distressed companies.

Carlyle Mexico Partners: Launched in 2004 at $134 million, this fund invests in private and publicly owned high growth businesses, opportunistic restructurings and NAFTA companies in Mexico in Carlyle's core industries.