Sagard U.S. Wealth
FOR U.S. FINANCIAL ADVISORS AND ACCREDITED INVESTORS
Private credit. Direct relationships. Disciplined lending.
Sagard Credit Partners lend directly to established U.S. middle-market companies, focusing on senior secured loans. We carefully evaluate each business, negotiate loan terms and actively monitor our investments.
Understanding private credit
Private credit is financing provided directly to companies by investment managers and other non-bank lenders, outside traditional public bond markets and bank lending channels.
Private credit includes different types of lending, each with its own characteristics and level of risk. Loan terms may include fixed or floating interest rates, collateral, financial covenants and other contractual provisions negotiated between the borrower and lender.
The potential outcomes and risks of private credit depend on factors such as the type of loan, its position in the borrower’s capital structure, the terms negotiated with the borrower and the borrower’s ability to repay. Private credit investments involve risks, including borrower default, limited liquidity and the potential loss of principal.
Why companies use private credit
Companies may turn to private credit when traditional financing is limited or when they value greater speed, flexibility and certainty of execution. Working directly with a lender can also allow financing terms to be tailored to a company’s business, capital structure and plans for growth.
Approach
Sagard’s approach to private credit
Sagard believes disciplined lending begins with selecting the right businesses and structuring each loan carefully. We focus primarily on directly originated, senior secured loans to established middle-market companies, with particular experience lending to founder-led and family-owned businesses.
Direct sourcing
Sagard seeks opportunities through long-standing relationships with business owners, management teams, corporate advisers, banks and other market participants. These direct relationships can provide greater insight into a company, its management and its financing needs.
Selective underwriting
Each opportunity undergoes a detailed underwriting process focused on business quality, cash flow, capital structure, collateral and the borrower’s ability to repay. Sagard also considers the company’s industry, competitive position, management team and performance under a range of potential conditions.
Structured with protections
By working directly with borrowers, Sagard seeks to negotiate appropriate seniority, collateral, financial covenants, reporting requirements and other contractual protections intended to support downside management.
Active portfolio management
Our work continues after a loan is made. Sagard maintains regular contact with borrowers, monitors financial performance and evaluates whether each company continues to meet the terms and expectations established during underwriting.
An established private credit platform
Sagard has managed private credit investments on behalf of institutional investors since 2018. Our team brings more than two decades of experience in specialized middle-market lending, supported by the relationships, insights and capabilities of Sagard’s broader investment platform.
- US$5.8B managed across private credit strategies
- 1,000 to 1,200 direct lending opportunities reviewed annually
- 1-2% of investment opportunities are selected each year, reflecting a very selective approach
Explore Private Credit Insights
Explore insights from Sagard’s investment professionals on private credit, middle-market lending and the forces shaping today’s financing environment.
Expert Insights with Sagard: A Disciplined Approach to Private Credit
Dayna Kleinman and Adam Vigna discuss Sagard’s approach to private credit and the importance of disciplined sourcing, rigorous underwriting and downside protection in today’s market.
Expert Insights with Sagard: The Case for Non-Sponsored Lending
Dayna Kleinman and Adam Vigna discuss non-sponsored lending, the role private credit can play in client portfolios and what advisors should consider when evaluating managers.
FAQs
Private credit is lending provided by investment managers and other non-bank lenders directly to companies. Companies may choose private credit because it can offer faster, more flexible financing with terms tailored to their needs.
Private credit includes different types of lending, each with its own potential risks and returns. Sagard focuses mainly on senior secured loans to established middle-market companies. These loans are backed by company assets and are generally repaid before other types of debt if the borrower experiences financial difficulty.
Investors may earn income from the interest companies pay on these loans. However, private credit involves risks, including missed payments, limited access to invested capital and the potential loss of principal.
Sagard seeks to originate loans directly through its relationships with business owners, management teams, corporate advisers, banks and other market participants, as well as through the broader Sagard ecosystem.
The investment team evaluates a significant number of potential transactions and applies a selective underwriting process before committing capital. Sagard’s sourcing model is intended to provide access to opportunities where it can negotiate directly with borrowers and tailor financing terms to their circumstances.
Sagard may also participate in traded, broadly syndicated and asset-based loan opportunities to support portfolio construction and liquidity management.
In sponsored lending, the borrower is generally owned or being acquired by a private equity firm. The lender typically works with the private equity sponsor, which may contribute equity, oversee the company and facilitate the financing process.
In non-sponsored lending, the lender provides financing directly to a company that is not controlled by a private equity sponsor. These borrowers may be founder-led, family-owned or otherwise privately owned.
Non-sponsored transactions can require more direct sourcing, due diligence and structuring because there is no private equity sponsor acting as an intermediary. This may give a lender greater opportunity to negotiate pricing, covenants and collateral protections. It may also involve additional sourcing, governance, information and execution risks.
Sagard’s strategy focuses primarily on non-sponsored borrowers while retaining the ability to invest in other credit opportunities.
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All information is as of October 14, 2026 unless otherwise noted
