French private equity firm Ardian said on Wednesday it had raised 1 billion euros in its latest fundraising round for investments in small and mid-sized companies in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria and Spain.

The round involved investors from Europe and Canada, with the majority of the new funds coming from insurance companies and pension funds.

“With an initial investment capacity up to 100 million euros, the team will focus on growth capital and buyout transactions through majority and minority investments in companies valued up to 225 million euros,” Ardian said in a statement.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE