Key Takeaways
- • KKR commits $350 million to launch Akrapoint Commercial Capital, a mid-ticket equipment finance platform based in Denver focused on asset-based lending to small and middle-market companies.
- • Akrapoint targets manufacturing, energy and power, sanitation and waste, construction, and transportation and logistics sectors, providing financing for work vehicles, specialty trailers, and industrial machinery.
- • KKR's Asset Based Finance strategy now manages over $91 billion in ABF assets across more than 20 captive platforms since its 2016 inception, positioning Akrapoint as a strategic addition to the portfolio.
- • Leadership includes CEO Nate Smith (formerly at Trans Lease managing credit and portfolio functions) and Board Chair Gary Shivers (founder of Navitas Credit, which grew to $1.8 billion in assets), combining deep equipment finance expertise with disciplined underwriting discipline.
Summary
KKR has entered the mid-ticket equipment finance sector through the launch of Akrapoint Commercial Capital, committing $350 million in capital from its Asset Based Finance strategy. The Denver-based platform will provide financing solutions to small and middle-market companies seeking to acquire work vehicles, specialty trailers, and industrial machinery essential to their operations.
The company will serve five primary verticals: manufacturing, energy and power, sanitation and waste, construction, and transportation and logistics. Akrapoint's operating model centers on partnerships with equipment manufacturers, vendors, and their customer bases, positioning it as an intermediary within established equipment supply chains. This approach allows the platform to leverage existing relationships while maintaining disciplined underwriting standards.
The leadership structure reflects substantial experience in asset-based finance. CEO Nate Smith brings nearly a decade of operational expertise from Trans Lease, where he managed credit, portfolio management, funding, and compliance functions. Board Chair Gary Shivers founded Navitas Credit and grew the company into a national lender with over $1.8 billion in assets under management, demonstrating proven capability in scaling equipment finance operations.
KKR's ABF strategy, established in 2016, has grown to manage more than $91 billion in assets through a network of more than 20 captive platforms. Akrapoint represents KKR's continued expansion within the specialized lending ecosystem, leveraging the firm's long-term capital base to support mid-market borrowers underserved by traditional banking channels. Nomura Securities International served as financial advisor, while Kirkland & Ellis provided legal counsel for the transaction.
The company will serve five primary verticals: manufacturing, energy and power, sanitation and waste, construction, and transportation and logistics. Akrapoint's operating model centers on partnerships with equipment manufacturers, vendors, and their customer bases, positioning it as an intermediary within established equipment supply chains. This approach allows the platform to leverage existing relationships while maintaining disciplined underwriting standards.
The leadership structure reflects substantial experience in asset-based finance. CEO Nate Smith brings nearly a decade of operational expertise from Trans Lease, where he managed credit, portfolio management, funding, and compliance functions. Board Chair Gary Shivers founded Navitas Credit and grew the company into a national lender with over $1.8 billion in assets under management, demonstrating proven capability in scaling equipment finance operations.
KKR's ABF strategy, established in 2016, has grown to manage more than $91 billion in assets through a network of more than 20 captive platforms. Akrapoint represents KKR's continued expansion within the specialized lending ecosystem, leveraging the firm's long-term capital base to support mid-market borrowers underserved by traditional banking channels. Nomura Securities International served as financial advisor, while Kirkland & Ellis provided legal counsel for the transaction.
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