Key Takeaways
- • Global alternatives market projected to reach $32 trillion AUM by 2030, encompassing private equity, private credit, infrastructure, real estate, hedge funds, and natural resources—representing Preqin's flagship forecast for institutional capital deployment.
- • Private credit market expected to mature to $4.5 trillion by 2030, driven by bank disintermediation, new borrower supply, and emergence of liquid fund structures that will reshape alternative financing alongside traditional lending.
- • Artificial intelligence identified as core growth catalyst for private capital, with PE-backed companies positioned to capture disproportionate share of AI-driven value creation while infrastructure investments support digital infrastructure requirements.
- • Exit activity recovery anticipated by 2030 following marked slowdown since 2022, signaling emergence of new private equity cycle and catalyzing liquidity events across private markets.
Summary
Preqin, operating as a division of BlackRock, released its flagship Private Markets in 2030 Report on October 16, 2025, establishing benchmark forecasts for the global alternatives market through the end of the decade. The report projects global alternatives AUM will reach $32 trillion by 2030, representing comprehensive coverage of private equity, private credit, infrastructure, real estate, hedge funds, and natural resources. This projection serves as the definitive data-driven analysis for institutional investors, fund managers, and industry stakeholders evaluating portfolio positioning and capital allocation strategies.
The report identifies artificial intelligence as a transformational driver reshaping private capital markets. AI adoption is expected to lower barriers for startup formation while fundamentally altering capital requirements across portfolio companies. Preqin anticipates that private equity-backed companies will capture disproportionate value creation from AI-driven innovation, while concurrent infrastructure investments will support the digital backbone required for widespread AI implementation. This positioning creates strategic implications for PE fund managers evaluating technology and infrastructure exposure.
Private credit emerges as a market entering maturity, with Preqin forecasting the sector will reach $4.5 trillion by 2030. The maturation reflects structural shifts including bank disintermediation and expanded borrower supply, which are expected to sustain demand for direct lending and alternative credit strategies. New, more-liquid fund structures in private credit are projected to support fundraising velocity and provide institutional investors with enhanced access to alternative sources of capital alongside traditional bank lending.
A key inflection point identified in the report centers on exit activity recovery. Following a marked slowdown in exit volumes since 2022, Preqin forecasts recovery by 2030 that will catalyze a new cycle in private equity and broader private markets. This recovery has strategic significance for fund managers holding mature portfolio companies and for limited partners planning follow-on commitments and liquidity planning over the forecast horizon.
The report identifies artificial intelligence as a transformational driver reshaping private capital markets. AI adoption is expected to lower barriers for startup formation while fundamentally altering capital requirements across portfolio companies. Preqin anticipates that private equity-backed companies will capture disproportionate value creation from AI-driven innovation, while concurrent infrastructure investments will support the digital backbone required for widespread AI implementation. This positioning creates strategic implications for PE fund managers evaluating technology and infrastructure exposure.
Private credit emerges as a market entering maturity, with Preqin forecasting the sector will reach $4.5 trillion by 2030. The maturation reflects structural shifts including bank disintermediation and expanded borrower supply, which are expected to sustain demand for direct lending and alternative credit strategies. New, more-liquid fund structures in private credit are projected to support fundraising velocity and provide institutional investors with enhanced access to alternative sources of capital alongside traditional bank lending.
A key inflection point identified in the report centers on exit activity recovery. Following a marked slowdown in exit volumes since 2022, Preqin forecasts recovery by 2030 that will catalyze a new cycle in private equity and broader private markets. This recovery has strategic significance for fund managers holding mature portfolio companies and for limited partners planning follow-on commitments and liquidity planning over the forecast horizon.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.