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Private Equity

Private Infrastructure Equity: The Overlooked Middle Market

November 2024 – 37 min watch

Mina Pacheco Nazemi, Head of Diversified Alternative Equity, joins the podcast to explain how she and her team are finding attractive opportunities to “build to core” in assets like battery storage and data centers.

Transcript

WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:02.270
infrastructure investing has seen a


00:00:02.280 --> 00:00:04.590
surge in recent years both on the equity


00:00:04.600 --> 00:00:07.110
and debt sides as investors have come to


00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:08.990
appreciate the many benefits of the


00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:11.350
asset class which include attractive


00:00:11.360 --> 00:00:14.270
yields and inflation protection among


00:00:14.280 --> 00:00:16.430
many others despite this growing


00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:19.230
popularity misconceptions still exist


00:00:19.240 --> 00:00:21.310
and investors may actually be ignoring


00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:23.310
some of the most attractive parts of


00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:25.630
this Market we're seeing the biggest


00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:27.269
opportunity in that small lower end of


00:00:27.279 --> 00:00:29.349
the market if you look at the statistics


00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.190
80% of the capital being raised is in


00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:35.030
funds that are above a billion 70% of


00:00:35.040 --> 00:00:36.549
the capital being raised is just with


00:00:36.559 --> 00:00:39.350
five different platforms so we like


00:00:39.360 --> 00:00:41.830
investing in opportunities that are too


00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:43.709
small for those bigger platforms to


00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:45.549
invest in so think about distributed


00:00:45.559 --> 00:00:48.630
assets like battery storage think about


00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:51.790
small scale um data centers and


00:00:51.800 --> 00:00:54.470
therefore those projects are way too


00:00:54.480 --> 00:00:56.549
small for those larger platforms to


00:00:56.559 --> 00:00:58.670
invest in and this is the opportunity


00:00:58.680 --> 00:01:01.189
that we think is over looked


00:01:01.199 --> 00:01:03.189
underappreciated and where we see the


00:01:03.199 --> 00:01:05.990
best opportunity for our investors today


00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:09.109
that was Mina Pacho nmi and this is


00:01:09.119 --> 00:01:11.870
streaming income a podcast from bearings


00:01:11.880 --> 00:01:14.270
I'm your host Greg Campion coming up on


00:01:14.280 --> 00:01:17.149
the show Private infostructure Equity


00:01:17.159 --> 00:01:19.550
the overlooked Middle Market before we


00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:21.390
get into the conversation if you're not


00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:22.749
already following us and you're


00:01:22.759 --> 00:01:24.350
interested in hearing our latest


00:01:24.360 --> 00:01:26.190
thoughts on asset classes like high


00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:29.149
yield private credit real estate and


00:01:29.159 --> 00:01:32.469
more just search streaming income on


00:01:32.479 --> 00:01:35.230
Apple podcasts Spotify YouTube or


00:01:35.240 --> 00:01:37.550
wherever you get your podcast with that


00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:46.270
here's my conversation with Mina Pacho


00:01:46.280 --> 00:01:48.469
Nai all right Mina welcome to the


00:01:48.479 --> 00:01:50.310
podcast thank you thank you for having


00:01:50.320 --> 00:01:52.389
me excited to have you it's been a


00:01:52.399 --> 00:01:53.870
little while since we've had you on the


00:01:53.880 --> 00:01:56.029
show so yeah we've been working on good


00:01:56.039 --> 00:01:57.789
stuff so we're excited to be here


00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:00.109
awesome cool well uh for our our


00:02:00.119 --> 00:02:02.550
listeners who may uh not be familiar


00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:04.709
with you or have heard prior episodes


00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:06.749
can you talk a little bit about um Your


00:02:06.759 --> 00:02:08.469
Role at bearings and the group you had


00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:11.470
up maybe to start out yeah so um I run


00:02:11.480 --> 00:02:13.869
the Diversified alternative Equity team


00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:16.390
uh we invest in both private equity and


00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:18.670
infrastructure Equity we tend to focus


00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:20.589
on the small lower end of the market to


00:02:20.599 --> 00:02:23.830
help um our clients get access to kind


00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:26.470
of Niche strategies in both private


00:02:26.480 --> 00:02:27.949
equity and infrastructure and I know


00:02:27.959 --> 00:02:28.990
we're here to talk more on the


00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:31.550
infrastructure side today MH awesome


00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:33.750
awesome yeah and your team puts out a


00:02:33.760 --> 00:02:35.550
lot of great work too so anything we


00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:37.150
talk about today chances are there's


00:02:37.160 --> 00:02:39.270
something on bars.com that people can go


00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:40.830
check out so yeah let's dive in so we're


00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:41.790
going to talk about private


00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:44.070
infrastructure Equity today I mentioned


00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:46.309
in the intro that um you know we're


00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:49.470
seeing just a real growing popularity


00:02:49.480 --> 00:02:51.149
investing in infrastructure I think


00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:53.710
broadly speaking both on the uh Equity


00:02:53.720 --> 00:02:55.589
side and on the dead side I think


00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:57.390
there's a number of reasons behind that


00:02:57.400 --> 00:02:59.229
and of course you have all these kind of


00:02:59.239 --> 00:03:01.990
big struct structal trends like the boom


00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:04.750
in AI the the growing focus on climate


00:03:04.760 --> 00:03:07.910
and sustainability um Etc now your team


00:03:07.920 --> 00:03:10.229
is very much involved in investing


00:03:10.239 --> 00:03:13.550
across several different verticals I


00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:16.149
would say so digital infrastructure


00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:18.630
energy transition Transportation


00:03:18.640 --> 00:03:21.789
mobility and circular economy um to name


00:03:21.799 --> 00:03:24.350
a few of them so I'd like to talk about


00:03:24.360 --> 00:03:25.830
some of the Investments and some of the


00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:28.190
opportunities that you all see in those


00:03:28.200 --> 00:03:30.589
areas but maybe just to start as you


00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:33.390
look across all these different areas be


00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:34.550
interesting to hear you talk about what


00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:37.190
are the common elements that you see


00:03:37.200 --> 00:03:39.110
that are appealing from an investment


00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:41.470
standpoint yeah so it's a it's a great


00:03:41.480 --> 00:03:42.869
question especially for investors who


00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:44.309
are new to the asset class and are


00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:45.990
starting to build that allocation


00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:48.190
infrastructure Equity into into their


00:03:48.200 --> 00:03:50.509
portfolio from a top level down from a


00:03:50.519 --> 00:03:53.309
CIO level down view the way we think


00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:55.830
about it and how we think this is a good


00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:58.309
allocation into your portfolio is


00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:00.149
candidly we're starting with it a great


00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:02.149
diversifier it's a great diversifier


00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:05.789
given um you're most likely to have much


00:04:05.799 --> 00:04:08.229
uh corporate exposure corporate credit


00:04:08.239 --> 00:04:10.229
corporate Equity type exposure across


00:04:10.239 --> 00:04:13.069
your portfolio and as you mentioned um


00:04:13.079 --> 00:04:14.589
we're investing in a real asset so you


00:04:14.599 --> 00:04:16.590
have a hard asset it could be digital


00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:19.749
fiber it could be uh Edge Computing uh


00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:22.950
data centers it could be battery storage


00:04:22.960 --> 00:04:24.909
so the fact that you are diversifying


00:04:24.919 --> 00:04:27.590
with a hard asset um and a


00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:29.950
differentiated asset is is I would say


00:04:29.960 --> 00:04:33.230
number one two is uh the fact that we're


00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.390
investing in these assets where there's


00:04:36.400 --> 00:04:38.830
uh contracted revenues um so most of


00:04:38.840 --> 00:04:40.270
these businesses have contracted


00:04:40.280 --> 00:04:42.909
revenues you have the fact that you can


00:04:42.919 --> 00:04:45.550
foresee your cash flows um you have


00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:47.790
inflation escalators so it's really


00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:49.990
great uh as a kind of a downside


00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:52.629
protection for your portfolio uh where


00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:55.230
you're investing in these assets with


00:04:55.240 --> 00:04:58.110
predictable cash flows in assets that


00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:00.469
are frankly necessary you you need to


00:05:00.479 --> 00:05:02.710
have your your internet your your


00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:04.749
infrastructure there for your businesses


00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:07.830
for your home um and then the fact that


00:05:07.840 --> 00:05:09.749
you are also getting some potential


00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:12.749
upside and we can talk more about how


00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:14.430
our investments all have this kind of


00:05:14.440 --> 00:05:16.749
downside scenaria where you're going to


00:05:16.759 --> 00:05:18.350
get a steady cash flow but there's


00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:21.110
upside potential in those business


00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:24.270
models so um so one is like I mentioned


00:05:24.280 --> 00:05:26.029
in the beginning so you have that as a


00:05:26.039 --> 00:05:28.590
diversifier you have great assets


00:05:28.600 --> 00:05:31.629
contracted revenues inflation protection


00:05:31.639 --> 00:05:34.230
and the fact that it has the Tailwinds


00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:36.070
as you reference in your introduction


00:05:36.080 --> 00:05:39.110
right um we have a growing need for


00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:40.590
assets to help us in the energy


00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:43.029
transition we have a growing need given


00:05:43.039 --> 00:05:45.189
um everything going on with AI or even


00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:47.189
without AI just you know more and more


00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:49.749
demands for data um and not having a lot


00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:51.710
of latency in terms of having in your


00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:54.990
service so um information is is easily


00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:57.350
accessible and you can you can do what


00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:58.629
you need to do from a business


00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:00.270
perspective and you can sit at home and


00:06:00.280 --> 00:06:02.469
and watch all those shows on


00:06:02.479 --> 00:06:04.550
Netflix that's what it's all about it's


00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:07.870
all about backbone to support our


00:06:07.880 --> 00:06:11.029
consumption habits absolutely absolutely


00:06:11.039 --> 00:06:14.790
now you mentioned uh this idea that like


00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:17.230
uh there's this kind of inherent


00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:20.029
downside protection I guess with regards


00:06:20.039 --> 00:06:22.550
to investing in these asset classes that


00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:27.670
are backed by hard assets but also with


00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:29.749
you know upside potential for Capital


00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:31.670
appreciation tell me a little bit more


00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:33.390
about that capital appreciation side of


00:06:33.400 --> 00:06:34.990
things because I think that maybe is a


00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:38.309
little bit different than what you or


00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:41.029
some would historically think about from


00:06:41.039 --> 00:06:42.990
infrastructure right it's like seen as


00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:46.749
this like steady quasi boring asset


00:06:46.759 --> 00:06:49.150
class like right is that changing I


00:06:49.160 --> 00:06:51.150
guess is the question maybe the best way


00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:53.550
to think about it is uh within the


00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:56.950
spectrum of infrastructure we are


00:06:56.960 --> 00:06:59.869
tending to be in that value ad an


00:06:59.879 --> 00:07:01.909
opportunistic side so very similar to


00:07:01.919 --> 00:07:03.589
real estate you have your you can have


00:07:03.599 --> 00:07:07.830
an infrastructure core core Plus value


00:07:07.840 --> 00:07:10.830
at and opportunistic so you're right um


00:07:10.840 --> 00:07:12.430
infrastructure the boring what we call


00:07:12.440 --> 00:07:15.270
infrastructure 1.0 so your toll roads


00:07:15.280 --> 00:07:18.550
your airports um your standard Fair your


00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:21.270
large scale utility is really in that


00:07:21.280 --> 00:07:23.670
like what we what we call the core core


00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:26.390
Plus so infrastructure 1.0 Y where we


00:07:26.400 --> 00:07:28.909
see the biggest opportunity is in that


00:07:28.919 --> 00:07:31.270
value ad in that opportunistic so to


00:07:31.280 --> 00:07:35.110
your point you have you have elements of


00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:38.029
um that Baseline cash flow but you have


00:07:38.039 --> 00:07:39.510
the ability to have the capital


00:07:39.520 --> 00:07:41.749
appreciation because there may be


00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:43.270
additional projects that we can bring


00:07:43.280 --> 00:07:45.149
online so I'll just give you a quick


00:07:45.159 --> 00:07:47.550
example um we invested in a battery


00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:50.350
storage project uh about 30 megawatt in


00:07:50.360 --> 00:07:53.469
Texas um three you know um it would say


00:07:53.479 --> 00:07:55.670
small sale battery storage uh projects


00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:57.749
but when we made the investment we could


00:07:57.759 --> 00:07:59.990
see the contracted revenues


00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:01.749
um we saw the opportunity with those


00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:04.510
three assets but we also had a pipeline


00:08:04.520 --> 00:08:07.469
for 12 additional assets and therefore


00:08:07.479 --> 00:08:09.990
uh we were investing in the potential to


00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:12.990
develop those additional 12 assets so


00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:16.309
that is added um added Alpha in terms of


00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:18.629
as you you have your Baseline returns


00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:20.390
from those three initial projects and


00:08:20.400 --> 00:08:21.950
then you get that added Alpha as we


00:08:21.960 --> 00:08:24.629
bring those 12 projects online as we


00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:29.189
underwrite that um there's there is um


00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:32.070
there is that ability to foresee a


00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:35.469
baseline return and um and then we are


00:08:35.479 --> 00:08:37.589
just taking exe we're taking execution


00:08:37.599 --> 00:08:39.949
risk on generating another three four


00:08:39.959 --> 00:08:43.469
five 600 basis points more as we bring


00:08:43.479 --> 00:08:46.030
additional projects online and what


00:08:46.040 --> 00:08:48.230
we're seeing in the market is given all


00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:50.190
the capital that's been raised with the


00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:53.230
larger platforms there's a thirst and a


00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:56.910
demand for great platforms um and


00:08:56.920 --> 00:08:59.110
they're they're really interested in in


00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:00.870
buying up these different projects and


00:09:00.880 --> 00:09:02.910
platforms that we've been building kind


00:09:02.920 --> 00:09:06.310
of from the ground up okay okay so now


00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:08.870
in terms of returns and and obviously


00:09:08.880 --> 00:09:10.509
you know for compliance reasons and


00:09:10.519 --> 00:09:12.069
other reasons we don't really want to


00:09:12.079 --> 00:09:14.350
get super specific on right you know


00:09:14.360 --> 00:09:16.110
return expectations Etc but like it


00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:18.470
would be interesting just to hear so you


00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:19.949
made this distinction between


00:09:19.959 --> 00:09:22.470
infrastructure 1.0 and infrastructure


00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:26.150
2.0 is there a way or is there a way to


00:09:26.160 --> 00:09:29.670
wrap your arms around like targeted that


00:09:29.680 --> 00:09:31.710
targeted return potential between those


00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:34.269
two might differ or are the asset


00:09:34.279 --> 00:09:36.190
classes or sub asset classes too


00:09:36.200 --> 00:09:39.350
disparate to like generalize that yeah


00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:42.550
no I mean the the data is there in terms


00:09:42.560 --> 00:09:44.590
of where core and core Plus has been uh


00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:48.110
core core Plus has been in that four to


00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:51.870
six maybe seven um percent range um so


00:09:51.880 --> 00:09:54.470
that's like investment grade equivalent


00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:56.069
it's basically investment grade I mean


00:09:56.079 --> 00:09:58.990
and and our view candidly on that is if


00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:01.269
if you're going to be generating let's


00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:03.630
call it a six or let's be generous a six


00:10:03.640 --> 00:10:06.990
or 7% return on the core core Plus and


00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:08.670
um infra Equity you might as well just


00:10:08.680 --> 00:10:11.150
do the infr debt right and you're um and


00:10:11.160 --> 00:10:13.389
you're at the top of the stack as we


00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:15.190
think about infrastructure equity in


00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:18.550
that core Plus value ad and what we we


00:10:18.560 --> 00:10:21.350
call our infrastructure 2.0 you can


00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:23.190
basically be getting private Equity like


00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:26.910
return so you can be getting 14% to an


00:10:26.920 --> 00:10:29.870
18 19% um depending depending on the


00:10:29.880 --> 00:10:32.269
project depending on the


00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:34.389
jurisdiction um and also depending on


00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:36.670
timing right we've had great um Demand


00:10:36.680 --> 00:10:41.269
on um on having kind of dark b um and


00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:44.150
just general data data centers and


00:10:44.160 --> 00:10:46.430
availability um and so there's just been


00:10:46.440 --> 00:10:48.230
a lot of demand AWS has been buying a


00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:50.230
lot of those types of assets so you then


00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:52.230
you can see that um you can get on the


00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:55.269
higher end of that Spectrum so we like


00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:57.910
it we like it especially as um for


00:10:57.920 --> 00:10:59.990
insurance investors who know that they


00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:02.990
have to get an RBC charge um so you can


00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:05.190
basically be getting private Equity like


00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:07.790
returns with the infrastructure profile


00:11:07.800 --> 00:11:09.430
and with having some of that downside


00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:11.910
that I talked about earlier okay and I


00:11:11.920 --> 00:11:13.949
will just make a disclaimer here to say


00:11:13.959 --> 00:11:15.430
that these are targeted returns that


00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:17.790
we're talking about not guaranteeing


00:11:17.800 --> 00:11:19.829
returns yes past performance is no


00:11:19.839 --> 00:11:24.110
guarantee of future etc etc um okay so


00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:26.030
one of the things that you kind of


00:11:26.040 --> 00:11:28.430
alluded to there was uh what's going on


00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:31.110
in terms of the fun raising environment


00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:33.190
here so I mentioned up front you know


00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:35.829
we're seeing increased interest um and


00:11:35.839 --> 00:11:38.629
and a lot of demand obviously for


00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:40.350
infrastructure assets so you're seeing


00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:42.590
all kinds of infrastructure deals all


00:11:42.600 --> 00:11:46.030
kinds of uh mechanisms for financing


00:11:46.040 --> 00:11:48.750
them but what are you broadly seeing as


00:11:48.760 --> 00:11:50.509
you look out there and you know you're


00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:51.910
out there talking to investors what are


00:11:51.920 --> 00:11:53.430
you broadly seeing in terms of the


00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:56.750
fundraising landscape today it's highly


00:11:56.760 --> 00:11:59.350
concentrated so if you look at


00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:01.230
fundraising in the last call it five


00:12:01.240 --> 00:12:03.910
years 80% of the capital going into


00:12:03.920 --> 00:12:06.150
infrastructure has been going to Billion


00:12:06.160 --> 00:12:08.790
Dollar Plus business or funds and


00:12:08.800 --> 00:12:11.870
actually if you look at the last couple


00:12:11.880 --> 00:12:15.269
years about 70% of the capital raise has


00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:19.590
gone to five firms so um as a person


00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:21.629
who's been investing for over 20 years


00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:23.389
I've learned that following the herd is


00:12:23.399 --> 00:12:26.710
not a way to generate returns and so


00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:29.189
where we tend to be is in that um


00:12:29.199 --> 00:12:31.790
smaller segment of the market and what


00:12:31.800 --> 00:12:35.910
we love is we're buying building assets


00:12:35.920 --> 00:12:38.069
and we're basically selling it Upstream


00:12:38.079 --> 00:12:39.710
to some of these platforms where they


00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:41.189
have a lower cost of capital they've


00:12:41.199 --> 00:12:43.750
raised 2030 billion dollar they need to


00:12:43.760 --> 00:12:45.949
put their Capital to work and they need


00:12:45.959 --> 00:12:47.590
to put their Capital to work in these


00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:49.629
strategies around the energy transition


00:12:49.639 --> 00:12:52.069
they need to put their Capital to work


00:12:52.079 --> 00:12:54.629
recognizing um all the demands for power


00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:58.189
and energy so um that's how we see the


00:12:58.199 --> 00:13:00.870
market um we've always seen them we've


00:13:00.880 --> 00:13:02.389
always focused on that small lower end


00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:04.069
of the market as I referenced in our


00:13:04.079 --> 00:13:06.189
introduction on the private Equity side


00:13:06.199 --> 00:13:08.509
and very similarly on the infrastructure


00:13:08.519 --> 00:13:11.069
side and that's where you can be Niche


00:13:11.079 --> 00:13:13.829
and you can be nimble and and candidly


00:13:13.839 --> 00:13:15.910
just take advantage of just the flows of


00:13:15.920 --> 00:13:18.269
capital and take advantage of just all


00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:19.990
that Capital that's sitting out there


00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:22.750
with these bigger platforms um and


00:13:22.760 --> 00:13:24.590
basically provide them and give them


00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:26.990
access to an investment where they can


00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:30.710
deploy uh Capital um on on their end so


00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:33.230
we love that um we love that and seeing


00:13:33.240 --> 00:13:35.310
that imbalance the other thing that we


00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:37.629
do is not only are we directly investing


00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:41.189
in assets uh but we also do invest in


00:13:41.199 --> 00:13:43.509
managers so we spend you know teams that


00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:47.230
have spun out so um it that imbalance


00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:50.749
also enables us to um really be


00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:53.110
meaningful with these smaller newer


00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:55.910
emerging managers uh provide them with


00:13:55.920 --> 00:13:59.269
that Capital to um start out their firms


00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:01.590
and um get some preferred economics


00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:04.829
angry economics um which really accretes


00:14:04.839 --> 00:14:07.069
to the bottom line and um accretes to


00:14:07.079 --> 00:14:08.790
our investors let me just follow up on


00:14:08.800 --> 00:14:10.590
that because some of those stats you


00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:13.870
threw out there are pretty uh astounding


00:14:13.880 --> 00:14:17.230
in some ways I would say so so basically


00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:18.470
uh my understanding of what you're


00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:20.350
saying is heavily concentrated you


00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:22.870
seeing these kind of you know large or


00:14:22.880 --> 00:14:26.350
Mega funds uh raising almost all of the


00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:28.790
capital Did you say in the last is in


00:14:28.800 --> 00:14:32.150
the last last few years the top five


00:14:32.160 --> 00:14:34.910
managers have been like 70% of okay wow


00:14:34.920 --> 00:14:36.550
so that's super concentrated super


00:14:36.560 --> 00:14:38.350
concentrated and of course these these


00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:41.590
names have multiple products but I mean


00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:43.710
the fact that you know you have that con


00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:46.590
you know that manager concentration of


00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:51.389
five different managers being 70% of the


00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:54.230
allocations is it's really astounding


00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:57.749
right and look we saw that Dynamic 20 25


00:14:57.759 --> 00:15:00.110
years ago in the private Equity side and


00:15:00.120 --> 00:15:02.310
we've um in my career we've taken


00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:04.749
advantage of those opportunity sets and


00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:06.790
there are teams that are spinning out of


00:15:06.800 --> 00:15:08.910
these platforms so there there are these


00:15:08.920 --> 00:15:11.189
teams who have the experience who are


00:15:11.199 --> 00:15:13.910
spining out of these platforms and we


00:15:13.920 --> 00:15:16.310
are backing them and we are backing them


00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:19.189
and we're helping them um providing them


00:15:19.199 --> 00:15:21.590
with the capital um so that they can


00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:23.150
continue to do what they've done and


00:15:23.160 --> 00:15:24.910
what they've done for many years in


00:15:24.920 --> 00:15:27.629
their in their career and as I describe


00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:29.509
have them help them get back to Basics


00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:31.749
so these platforms that I referenc


00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:34.069
started out not raising $20 billion


00:15:34.079 --> 00:15:35.710
funds they started out by raising


00:15:35.720 --> 00:15:37.550
smaller funds and they had a lot of


00:15:37.560 --> 00:15:40.430
successes and through those successes


00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:42.990
they've gotten much bigger so when we're


00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:45.189
identifying individuals and teams to


00:15:45.199 --> 00:15:48.389
spend out those are teams who are saying


00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:50.629
look I don't want to deploy multiple


00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.990
billion dollars in a specific project I


00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:55.110
want to go back to basics in what I was


00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:57.670
doing 10 years ago and doing smaller


00:15:57.680 --> 00:16:00.150
smaller scale projects doesn't require


00:16:00.160 --> 00:16:02.389
all that capital and they're they're


00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:04.030
betting on their careers and that's what


00:16:04.040 --> 00:16:06.189
we that's what we do we like to bet on


00:16:06.199 --> 00:16:09.150
people um and having that alignment with


00:16:09.160 --> 00:16:14.309
them um where their success um is is is


00:16:14.319 --> 00:16:16.670
critical um for their careers there's


00:16:16.680 --> 00:16:20.829
not there's no fall back for them and um


00:16:20.839 --> 00:16:24.470
and we're and that's the type of um you


00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:26.389
know partnership that we look for um


00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:28.230
with our managers yeah yeah that that's


00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:31.150
really interesting how the the the sort


00:16:31.160 --> 00:16:32.829
of two parts of your business are kind


00:16:32.839 --> 00:16:34.870
of complimenting each other there where


00:16:34.880 --> 00:16:36.910
you have like the the direct Investments


00:16:36.920 --> 00:16:39.949
and some of these assets and then um the


00:16:39.959 --> 00:16:41.350
dynamic you just described you and I


00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:42.870
have talked about emerging managers on


00:16:42.880 --> 00:16:45.509
this podcast before and I think you and


00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:47.550
your team have all sorts of data that


00:16:47.560 --> 00:16:50.470
shows that you know historically what


00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.309
you've seen is like the performance of


00:16:52.319 --> 00:16:55.309
fund one two three tends to be on


00:16:55.319 --> 00:16:58.230
average much stronger than later funds


00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:01.910
as funds get bigger etc etc so um yeah


00:17:01.920 --> 00:17:04.270
sorry yeah no and I and I think it's


00:17:04.280 --> 00:17:07.829
even um in we have one of our white


00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:10.270
papers that also shows that data as well


00:17:10.280 --> 00:17:12.789
we've we've done that for infrastructure


00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:15.309
as well and it's even more a sounding


00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:18.110
and that kind of fund four plus to your


00:17:18.120 --> 00:17:21.029
point you see most of the performance


00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:23.590
really in the middle right like just


00:17:23.600 --> 00:17:26.630
hovering in that median return versus if


00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:30.070
you look at earlier um in the cycle for


00:17:30.080 --> 00:17:31.789
the fund One Fund twos fund threes you


00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:34.310
tend to see more first and second


00:17:34.320 --> 00:17:37.510
quartile maybe I should also add um just


00:17:37.520 --> 00:17:39.669
part of our toolkit right we're we're


00:17:39.679 --> 00:17:42.510
directly investing in assets um we're


00:17:42.520 --> 00:17:45.270
investing in managers but we also have


00:17:45.280 --> 00:17:48.310
more of a JB type structure um approach


00:17:48.320 --> 00:17:50.669
with some of our operating Partners in


00:17:50.679 --> 00:17:52.870
the strategy which is very Aken to and I


00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:55.270
would describe it to real estate where


00:17:55.280 --> 00:17:58.909
we may find you know great operating


00:17:58.919 --> 00:18:01.830
Partners who have experience who've been


00:18:01.840 --> 00:18:04.350
let's say in the power space for 15 20


00:18:04.360 --> 00:18:07.870
years um may have been successful with


00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:09.750
getting backed by a private Equity


00:18:09.760 --> 00:18:11.830
infrastructure fund and we're very


00:18:11.840 --> 00:18:13.430
comfortable working directly with those


00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:15.350
operating Partners in a JV type


00:18:15.360 --> 00:18:18.950
structure model um and and backing them


00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:21.830
in in you know a certain you know as


00:18:21.840 --> 00:18:23.549
they've identified a platform or project


00:18:23.559 --> 00:18:25.310
that they want to pursue within within


00:18:25.320 --> 00:18:28.870
their sector expertise Okay cool so um


00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:30.070
let's let's talk about a couple of


00:18:30.080 --> 00:18:32.510
specific examples because uh I want to


00:18:32.520 --> 00:18:33.750
understand this Dynamic a little more


00:18:33.760 --> 00:18:36.470
just so so my understanding based on at


00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:38.870
least part of um what you're saying


00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:41.470
around the fundraising environment is


00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:44.430
that you've got these Mega funds out


00:18:44.440 --> 00:18:46.110
there who have raised the vast majority


00:18:46.120 --> 00:18:49.470
of capital in this asset class they


00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:51.630
therefore have a massive amount of


00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:54.630
capital to deploy in the asset class


00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:56.149
therefore and we've seen this in some


00:18:56.159 --> 00:18:58.350
other asset classes as well um like


00:18:58.360 --> 00:19:01.669
Direct lending they they are obviously


00:19:01.679 --> 00:19:03.950
much more incentivized to go after the


00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:05.909
much bigger projects right much bigger


00:19:05.919 --> 00:19:08.230
Deals they need to just put dollars to


00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:10.789
work and it just it's inefficient for


00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:13.190
them to do smaller Investments because


00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:14.750
they they they they can't have a


00:19:14.760 --> 00:19:16.789
portfolio of a hundred Investments if


00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:18.669
they have a$ 20 billion fund right and


00:19:18.679 --> 00:19:20.430
you would just need a massive team to do


00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:22.270
like the proper due diligence on all


00:19:22.280 --> 00:19:25.710
those deals so therefore and this is me


00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:27.870
kind of jumping to the conclusion but I


00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:29.230
think this is what the conclusion is


00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:31.710
therefore the lower and middle uh end of


00:19:31.720 --> 00:19:34.630
the market is uh a more kind of


00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:37.070
inefficient market and maybe there's


00:19:37.080 --> 00:19:38.549
more value there so talk a little bit


00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:40.630
more about that concept and then maybe


00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:42.070
if there's an example or two you can


00:19:42.080 --> 00:19:43.870
provide that kind of helps illustrate


00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:45.990
this that would be interesting what we


00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:47.710
do at the end of the day as I kind of


00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:49.630
even described with this kind of battery


00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:53.430
storage project is um I describe it as


00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:56.470
we're building to core so we're building


00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:59.909
assets we're you we're pursuing these


00:19:59.919 --> 00:20:04.470
projects such that we're creating um a


00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:07.630
combined cash flow that can be sold


00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:10.430
Upstream to these bigger platforms as a


00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:13.190
core infrastructure because you have


00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:16.110
these contracted revenues so this is the


00:20:16.120 --> 00:20:18.110
one in Texas one Texas that we're


00:20:18.120 --> 00:20:20.430
talking about do this just support the


00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:22.590
overall kind of power grid or yeah it's


00:20:22.600 --> 00:20:24.270
support yeah exactly supporting the


00:20:24.280 --> 00:20:27.390
power grid but the the theme is the same


00:20:27.400 --> 00:20:30.350
across everything that we do we've done


00:20:30.360 --> 00:20:31.990
we've done Investments within the


00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.190
geothermal space we've done investments


00:20:34.200 --> 00:20:36.390
in digital fiber we have District


00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:39.909
Heating in the UK but the theme is still


00:20:39.919 --> 00:20:42.630
the same where we're building to core


00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:46.510
we're taking um um we're we're basically


00:20:46.520 --> 00:20:48.669
building assets that are small and


00:20:48.679 --> 00:20:51.190
modulized not as complex it's not like


00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:53.470
we're building large scale utility right


00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:56.190
the fact that we're doing small small


00:20:56.200 --> 00:20:57.750
modalized where you're not taking


00:20:57.760 --> 00:20:59.549
technology risk you're really just


00:20:59.559 --> 00:21:01.990
taking construction risk but it's not as


00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:05.149
complex right putting together um one of


00:21:05.159 --> 00:21:07.230
these you know the permitting is not as


00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:09.909
complex as a large scale toll road right


00:21:09.919 --> 00:21:12.350
it's not as demanding right and not as


00:21:12.360 --> 00:21:14.870
uh there's a lot of conversations about


00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:17.070
permitting and the the politics around


00:21:17.080 --> 00:21:20.230
getting these projects getting done so


00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:25.830
um we absolutely um love that dynamic


00:21:25.840 --> 00:21:28.590
because um what you see on the large


00:21:28.600 --> 00:21:31.950
larger scale projects is you are taking


00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:34.430
a lot of more regulatory risk you're


00:21:34.440 --> 00:21:38.430
taking on the impacts of weather really


00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:41.590
um can be um if you have a hurricane


00:21:41.600 --> 00:21:44.149
that hits in your large scale utility


00:21:44.159 --> 00:21:48.190
that impacts it but if you have um your


00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:51.310
your power being kind of stored in


00:21:51.320 --> 00:21:55.549
smaller modulized distributed in an MSA


00:21:55.559 --> 00:21:57.710
it's not you know if a hurricane hits


00:21:57.720 --> 00:21:59.789
it's not going to hit all of your assets


00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:03.390
at the same time so it Dr risks the


00:22:03.400 --> 00:22:06.710
investment just by the nature of how


00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:09.710
it's um it's distributed so we


00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:14.630
absolutely love that Dynamic there um so


00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:17.590
other maybe other kind of examples um


00:22:17.600 --> 00:22:20.190
can I just ask you what's what is MSA oh


00:22:20.200 --> 00:22:22.390
just a metropolitan you know the Metro


00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:25.590
are yeah yeah yeah so within an MSA you


00:22:25.600 --> 00:22:27.230
know so the Charlotte you know Los


00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:29.390
Angeles or


00:22:29.400 --> 00:22:31.549
I like how you were describing some of


00:22:31.559 --> 00:22:33.830
these assets as being like smaller


00:22:33.840 --> 00:22:36.549
modular distributed and therefore


00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:39.190
they're almost like uh less exposed to


00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:41.029
some of these big risks whether it be


00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:43.149
climate or even flying under the radar


00:22:43.159 --> 00:22:45.350
to some degree with regards to you know


00:22:45.360 --> 00:22:48.029
regulatory risks and um even some of the


00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:49.909
red tape around permitting and stuff


00:22:49.919 --> 00:22:52.630
like that um that that's super


00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:55.350
interesting is that I I know you um so


00:22:55.360 --> 00:22:57.510
so I mean that's the case I think that


00:22:57.520 --> 00:22:59.990
you described on the bad storage side is


00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:02.630
that um kind of a broad-based trend and


00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:04.830
I know I'm I'm curious I think your team


00:23:04.840 --> 00:23:07.950
did a a data center a deal in


00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:10.110
Pennsylvania it' be interesting to hear


00:23:10.120 --> 00:23:12.269
about that one as well yeah it was a


00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:15.950
hyperscaler and um and look we made this


00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:19.669
investment um years before the AI a


00:23:19.679 --> 00:23:21.870
conversation was happening in terms of


00:23:21.880 --> 00:23:24.190
the demand for energy so we had a


00:23:24.200 --> 00:23:25.789
hyperscaler and then our source of


00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:29.630
energy was um a lowcost energy clean um


00:23:29.640 --> 00:23:32.510
provider and we saw that opportunity so


00:23:32.520 --> 00:23:34.269
we saw the opportunity with the fact


00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:37.029
that you had that um the hyperscaler and


00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:40.710
then you had your your energy source and


00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:42.750
we thought there was value um so going


00:23:42.760 --> 00:23:44.870
back to the comment I made earlier right


00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:48.590
there is value in those two hard assets


00:23:48.600 --> 00:23:50.549
um we um understood the kind of the


00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:52.110
contracts um related to those


00:23:52.120 --> 00:23:54.909
hyperscalers but we saw the upside with


00:23:54.919 --> 00:23:57.909
them um because we we're I'm not going


00:23:57.919 --> 00:24:00.710
to say we we foresaw this you know


00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:03.710
Euphoria around AI but we knew that


00:24:03.720 --> 00:24:05.310
there was just going to continue to be


00:24:05.320 --> 00:24:07.029
more and more demand for energy right


00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:08.590
and if you think about what happened


00:24:08.600 --> 00:24:11.710
with um Bitcoin over these years right


00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:14.909
you you need to have the energy um the


00:24:14.919 --> 00:24:17.230
power to to run all the computers and do


00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:21.470
and do your um and do what you do as as


00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:26.350
a minor so that is um an example of


00:24:26.360 --> 00:24:28.789
where we sold that Upstream we sold that


00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:32.230
to pick pick one of your five fangs um


00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:35.510
um and they they really like the asset


00:24:35.520 --> 00:24:38.350
and um and they and they were able to


00:24:38.360 --> 00:24:40.870
pay more and because they needed that


00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:43.389
and they wanted to secure their their


00:24:43.399 --> 00:24:45.549
power um and we're seeing that


00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:46.950
thematically we're seeing that


00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:50.990
thematically we we have um um a dark


00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:53.510
fiber deal um in another large


00:24:53.520 --> 00:24:56.110
metropolitan area and I was just there


00:24:56.120 --> 00:24:59.269
earlier this week and um in that


00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:01.350
platform again one of I'll just describe


00:25:01.360 --> 00:25:03.230
it one of the fangs just said outright


00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:05.070
I'm going to buy 10% of your of your


00:25:05.080 --> 00:25:06.950
capacity of your fiber um in this


00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:09.430
Metropolitan because they are just


00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:12.149
trying to lock in um think about it


00:25:12.159 --> 00:25:14.350
locking in their capacity locking in so


00:25:14.360 --> 00:25:17.549
that they can have um their their


00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:20.190
ability to do what they need to do as


00:25:20.200 --> 00:25:22.110
their business continues to grow as they


00:25:22.120 --> 00:25:24.870
become continue to double down and they


00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:27.750
also foresee the just continued need for


00:25:27.760 --> 00:25:31.230
power to to fuel all that data um that's


00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:33.830
flowing through their their system yeah


00:25:33.840 --> 00:25:35.389
it it almost like comes back to this


00:25:35.399 --> 00:25:38.350
idea of um the the lower and middle part


00:25:38.360 --> 00:25:39.470
of the market being like this


00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:41.149
inefficient part of the market that may


00:25:41.159 --> 00:25:44.389
not make sense for either the big Mega


00:25:44.399 --> 00:25:46.789
infrastructure funds to go down into and


00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:49.630
spend a lot of time on or like I think


00:25:49.640 --> 00:25:51.269
you're referencing here with some of the


00:25:51.279 --> 00:25:53.430
fangs and others like these more


00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:56.510
strategic buyers y they may not have the


00:25:56.520 --> 00:25:59.230
time or resources to be going asset by


00:25:59.240 --> 00:26:01.029
asset and creating these types of things


00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:03.269
so I think one and it's necessary for


00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:05.590
their business right what happens if


00:26:05.600 --> 00:26:08.149
Amazon doesn't have access to power


00:26:08.159 --> 00:26:10.909
right what happens if Amazon doesn't or


00:26:10.919 --> 00:26:14.430
you know it it meta right so it's


00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:18.230
becoming so important and powerful and


00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:21.470
we've had this thesis um for over the


00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:23.470
last five seven years here on that's


00:26:23.480 --> 00:26:26.710
just where the trajectory is um and so


00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:28.549
as you think about infrastructure being


00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:32.230
a critical um critical item right


00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:34.110
historically it's been okay do you have


00:26:34.120 --> 00:26:36.110
water do you know do you have a you know


00:26:36.120 --> 00:26:38.029
an electricity but electricity and power


00:26:38.039 --> 00:26:39.870
is just even becoming more important and


00:26:39.880 --> 00:26:42.029
digital is just an important component


00:26:42.039 --> 00:26:44.830
of that now thinking about the economics


00:26:44.840 --> 00:26:46.230
of some of these deals I know I've heard


00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:48.590
you and the team talk uh in the past


00:26:48.600 --> 00:26:50.870
about kind of a valuation multiple


00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:53.070
Arbitrage so tell me a little bit more


00:26:53.080 --> 00:26:54.950
about that idea and what's going on


00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:58.230
there so the the buy versus build m


00:26:58.240 --> 00:27:01.029
multiple is how we think about it do you


00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:04.549
buy it um and we could see the multiples


00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:07.470
that are getting um for what these


00:27:07.480 --> 00:27:09.389
assets are trading at okay I'm going to


00:27:09.399 --> 00:27:11.269
just pick a data center if picking data


00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:12.870
centers is where you're buying you could


00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:16.149
buy it at 20 times multiple or do you


00:27:16.159 --> 00:27:19.269
build it at the smaller scale at


00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:22.310
significantly lower than that um and


00:27:22.320 --> 00:27:24.630
aggregate multiple projects multiple


00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:27.590
entities to basically as you aggregate


00:27:27.600 --> 00:27:30.389
it you can can get the dynamic of having


00:27:30.399 --> 00:27:32.909
a better buy you know you could get that


00:27:32.919 --> 00:27:36.190
multiple Arbitrage as um you sell it up


00:27:36.200 --> 00:27:39.669
Market okay so it's cheaper uh to build


00:27:39.679 --> 00:27:42.630
the assets at a small scale so that that


00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:45.669
that build multiple is lower but then as


00:27:45.679 --> 00:27:47.509
you build more of these assets and you


00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:50.750
end up with something that is of scale


00:27:50.760 --> 00:27:52.310
and something that these bigger players


00:27:52.320 --> 00:27:53.590
are willing to pay up for that's where


00:27:53.600 --> 00:27:55.310
you see that Arbitrage absolutely and we


00:27:55.320 --> 00:27:57.149
don't underwrite for that Arbitrage to


00:27:57.159 --> 00:27:59.509
be clear in terms of how conservative we


00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:02.110
are but that that goes back to PO you


00:28:02.120 --> 00:28:06.029
know one of the components of the um the


00:28:06.039 --> 00:28:09.669
thetion that you can have um investing


00:28:09.679 --> 00:28:12.149
in this segment of of the market so it's


00:28:12.159 --> 00:28:13.870
not underwritten for it we'll we'll


00:28:13.880 --> 00:28:16.430
we'll take it when someone wants to pay


00:28:16.440 --> 00:28:19.950
2x the multiple that we built a specific


00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:22.750
format sure sure um okay I just want to


00:28:22.760 --> 00:28:26.110
ask you just in terms of sourcing deals


00:28:26.120 --> 00:28:28.909
um you know you mentioned


00:28:28.919 --> 00:28:31.310
relationships with various operating


00:28:31.320 --> 00:28:36.110
Partners um uh in other Partnerships


00:28:36.120 --> 00:28:37.590
just uh let's talk a little bit about


00:28:37.600 --> 00:28:38.710
that because I'd be interested


00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:40.830
everything from like Texas battery


00:28:40.840 --> 00:28:42.990
storage to this hypers scale or data


00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:44.590
center like be interesting to hear like


00:28:44.600 --> 00:28:47.750
where some of these deals come from so


00:28:47.760 --> 00:28:50.190
as as um we've talked about in different


00:28:50.200 --> 00:28:52.669
podcasts before right we're we've


00:28:52.679 --> 00:28:54.950
exclusively been focused on always


00:28:54.960 --> 00:28:56.389
investing on the small lower end of the


00:28:56.399 --> 00:28:58.350
market right I mean we have a reputation


00:28:58.360 --> 00:29:01.070
as a firm as a team to really know how


00:29:01.080 --> 00:29:03.470
to invest um with smaller managers in


00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:05.830
the smaller segment of of the market


00:29:05.840 --> 00:29:08.830
because we've backed um some of these


00:29:08.840 --> 00:29:10.509
platforms that are now om megas we've


00:29:10.519 --> 00:29:13.269
know a lot of the individuals the teams


00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:15.310
from over the years so there's that


00:29:15.320 --> 00:29:18.110
natural connectivity there but there's


00:29:18.120 --> 00:29:20.110
just uh there's just so much talent


00:29:20.120 --> 00:29:21.549
there's so much talent that's come out


00:29:21.559 --> 00:29:24.630
of even um you know your your


00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:26.470
traditional um they could have been


00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:28.669
someone who came out of the energy space


00:29:28.679 --> 00:29:30.669
right had worked at an energy company


00:29:30.679 --> 00:29:33.070
they know what they're doing um with one


00:29:33.080 --> 00:29:35.029
of our operating Partners was a you know


00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:38.509
three-time CEO um in the Telecom space


00:29:38.519 --> 00:29:42.190
and so we're exploring opportunities um


00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:44.830
with him um because he sees the market


00:29:44.840 --> 00:29:47.190
and obviously is a proven track record


00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:49.990
of um running businesses in in the


00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:52.310
Telecom space so it's it's all of the


00:29:52.320 --> 00:29:54.750
above um look I always say my job is to


00:29:54.760 --> 00:29:57.350
look under every Rock um and look at


00:29:57.360 --> 00:29:58.789
every opportunity


00:29:58.799 --> 00:30:03.190
and and ensure that we have the broadest


00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:05.870
funnel to see that we're making the best


00:30:05.880 --> 00:30:08.230
investments um within a given vintage


00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:10.149
year or a given you know couple vintage


00:30:10.159 --> 00:30:13.110
years and so having having that openness


00:30:13.120 --> 00:30:15.909
to look at everything uh really informs


00:30:15.919 --> 00:30:17.950
us I mean the other thing I'll just talk


00:30:17.960 --> 00:30:20.070
about I think is a big differentiator in


00:30:20.080 --> 00:30:23.310
what we do especially for investors um


00:30:23.320 --> 00:30:25.029
who are newer to the asset class they


00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:27.590
really are drawn to the fact that um we


00:30:27.600 --> 00:30:28.509
have our


00:30:28.519 --> 00:30:30.789
we have our own set of what I call our


00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:33.110
library of our kpis so what does that


00:30:33.120 --> 00:30:37.269
mean so um if you are um for all the


00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:40.070
different sectors we have our own data


00:30:40.080 --> 00:30:42.470
points and statistics on what are the


00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:44.549
specific Milestones or what are some of


00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:47.590
the kpis of a business in the digital


00:30:47.600 --> 00:30:50.870
space or what it should be in um what


00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:52.830
you know whatever in you know District


00:30:52.840 --> 00:30:56.310
heating so it's those that data point


00:30:56.320 --> 00:30:59.190
that helps us not only determine as new


00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:01.509
opportunities come in is this a good


00:31:01.519 --> 00:31:03.389
business model is this a business that's


00:31:03.399 --> 00:31:05.470
going to be successful are they doing


00:31:05.480 --> 00:31:06.870
something different that's going to set


00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:09.789
them up for success and so we aggregate


00:31:09.799 --> 00:31:11.950
all of that we leverage our operating


00:31:11.960 --> 00:31:15.310
Partners we leverage our just managers


00:31:15.320 --> 00:31:19.310
that we've given Capital to to um really


00:31:19.320 --> 00:31:21.310
kind of help us determine as we're


00:31:21.320 --> 00:31:23.230
making those direct Investments if we're


00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:24.909
making those direct investments in


00:31:24.919 --> 00:31:27.430
assets um we've seen a ton of deals like


00:31:27.440 --> 00:31:31.789
fiber the home um we've seen a lot of um


00:31:31.799 --> 00:31:35.190
uh transactions in the um School busing


00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:37.590
which uh you know is a quasi


00:31:37.600 --> 00:31:39.629
infrastructure type deal so we even have


00:31:39.639 --> 00:31:41.629
statistics on what's been the driver


00:31:41.639 --> 00:31:45.470
turnover what's been um you know how


00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:47.430
much is the capex and how quick how


00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:49.629
often do you have to um change out your


00:31:49.639 --> 00:31:51.870
bus fleet so it's having those data


00:31:51.880 --> 00:31:54.990
points that when we see New Deals come


00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:57.110
in we can evaluate and say well the last


00:31:57.120 --> 00:32:00.909
five deals this range of data um data


00:32:00.919 --> 00:32:02.950
points in terms of those kpis where does


00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:05.750
this fit in and it just makes us better


00:32:05.760 --> 00:32:09.230
investors um and then for our partners


00:32:09.240 --> 00:32:11.629
um we provide them that feedback it's


00:32:11.639 --> 00:32:14.590
like we we like you we like your deal


00:32:14.600 --> 00:32:18.070
but um the kpis for your business or


00:32:18.080 --> 00:32:21.070
your your expectations or your margins


00:32:21.080 --> 00:32:22.549
in our you know we'll give them that


00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:24.549
feedback that are not up to our standard


00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:25.909
and therefore that's why we're passing


00:32:25.919 --> 00:32:27.950
and it just makes us a better business


00:32:27.960 --> 00:32:30.549
partner with with um with our managers


00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:33.509
as well awesome that's cool all right so


00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:35.629
um just to finish it up here I wanted to


00:32:35.639 --> 00:32:37.950
kind of like zoom out a little bit and


00:32:37.960 --> 00:32:41.070
take it back to the investor or LP seat


00:32:41.080 --> 00:32:43.110
and just think about two things really


00:32:43.120 --> 00:32:45.230
that I'm curious about one is you know


00:32:45.240 --> 00:32:47.310
you had mentioned insurance companies as


00:32:47.320 --> 00:32:49.110
investors in this asset class upfront so


00:32:49.120 --> 00:32:51.430
it' be interesting to hear about just


00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:52.870
broadly like where you're seeing


00:32:52.880 --> 00:32:55.149
interests from a client perspective and


00:32:55.159 --> 00:32:57.470
then secondly if you think there's any


00:32:57.480 --> 00:33:00.149
Miss conceptions that remain out there


00:33:00.159 --> 00:33:01.389
around this asset class it'd be


00:33:01.399 --> 00:33:03.509
interesting to hear about those we're


00:33:03.519 --> 00:33:05.110
seeing interest from all types of


00:33:05.120 --> 00:33:08.070
investors so it could be state pension


00:33:08.080 --> 00:33:09.669
plans it could be corporate pension


00:33:09.679 --> 00:33:12.870
plans um insurance companies I think


00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:14.470
there a lot of these investors are


00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:17.389
seeing the value um they're concerned


00:33:17.399 --> 00:33:19.350
about inflation and they like the fact


00:33:19.360 --> 00:33:21.509
that you have a hard asset you have the


00:33:21.519 --> 00:33:23.789
inflation protections of contracted


00:33:23.799 --> 00:33:26.470
revenues um so they really like that


00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:29.269
profile um there's really two big


00:33:29.279 --> 00:33:32.269
misconceptions um one is that investors


00:33:32.279 --> 00:33:33.830
think infrastructure they think this


00:33:33.840 --> 00:33:37.710
lower return and lower you know yielding


00:33:37.720 --> 00:33:40.350
lower returns so think generally kind of


00:33:40.360 --> 00:33:42.870
from a return perspective in that like 6


00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:45.669
to 8% on a best case scenario which


00:33:45.679 --> 00:33:48.269
really correlates to core core Plus and


00:33:48.279 --> 00:33:50.870
what we described as an infrastructure


00:33:50.880 --> 00:33:53.590
1.0 um but as we've talked about


00:33:53.600 --> 00:33:55.430
throughout this whole podcast there are


00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:57.389
opportunities to generate more private


00:33:57.399 --> 00:33:58.389
equity


00:33:58.399 --> 00:34:00.269
uh returns and do you think about


00:34:00.279 --> 00:34:03.310
investing in that value ad and that


00:34:03.320 --> 00:34:06.310
opportunistic um the second I would say


00:34:06.320 --> 00:34:08.310
big myth out there is that


00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:10.190
infrastructure requires billions and


00:34:10.200 --> 00:34:11.950
billions of dollars and therefore that's


00:34:11.960 --> 00:34:13.950
why you need to have these Mega funds to


00:34:13.960 --> 00:34:15.510
go after these opportunities and


00:34:15.520 --> 00:34:17.550
hopefully throughout this um whole


00:34:17.560 --> 00:34:20.069
conversation we've been able to um help


00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:23.510
you understand that it is um the


00:34:23.520 --> 00:34:25.510
opportunity is not on the larger end of


00:34:25.520 --> 00:34:27.389
the market it's in that smaller end so


00:34:27.399 --> 00:34:29.669
therefore for being a smaller manager


00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:31.869
with less than a billion dollars still


00:34:31.879 --> 00:34:34.190
is um is the place to be because you are


00:34:34.200 --> 00:34:36.990
able to take advantage of um these


00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:39.349
smaller scale projects again aggregating


00:34:39.359 --> 00:34:41.550
them to be to potentially being larger


00:34:41.560 --> 00:34:43.190
that can be bought by the bigger


00:34:43.200 --> 00:34:46.230
platforms and so you don't need to be


00:34:46.240 --> 00:34:48.950
large to invest in the asset class which


00:34:48.960 --> 00:34:51.470
is really also great for those smaller


00:34:51.480 --> 00:34:54.389
institutional investors um who don't


00:34:54.399 --> 00:34:56.909
have you know they may have a 105


00:34:56.919 --> 00:34:59.589
billion total portfolio so you don't


00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:01.950
need to have a lot of capital to be a


00:35:01.960 --> 00:35:05.390
player um in the infrastructure space so


00:35:05.400 --> 00:35:07.230
um those are I would say are the biggest


00:35:07.240 --> 00:35:09.790
myths um or misconceptions that I see in


00:35:09.800 --> 00:35:12.550
the market and um and hopefully we're


00:35:12.560 --> 00:35:14.270
you know we'll have an opportunity to


00:35:14.280 --> 00:35:15.710
connect with you all who are listening


00:35:15.720 --> 00:35:17.950
who um to to see that there is this


00:35:17.960 --> 00:35:19.790
opportunity to generate these great


00:35:19.800 --> 00:35:22.950
great returns and invest in in areas of


00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:25.550
the market that are growing um and


00:35:25.560 --> 00:35:28.310
frankly inaccessible by in the public


00:35:28.320 --> 00:35:30.589
markets and and probably inaccessible


00:35:30.599 --> 00:35:32.470
with your exposure to the larger end of


00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:34.710
the market awesome well thank you I


00:35:34.720 --> 00:35:38.030
think we have hopefully uh done a good


00:35:38.040 --> 00:35:39.470
job kind of shedding some new light on


00:35:39.480 --> 00:35:40.990
this asset class today I certainly feel


00:35:41.000 --> 00:35:42.550
smarter about it hopefully our listeners


00:35:42.560 --> 00:35:45.030
do too um and and hopefully we cleared


00:35:45.040 --> 00:35:47.390
up some of these misconceptions about um


00:35:47.400 --> 00:35:49.030
the private infrastructure Equity space


00:35:49.040 --> 00:35:51.230
especially in that smaller to um kind of


00:35:51.240 --> 00:35:53.510
mid part of the market so Mina thank you


00:35:53.520 --> 00:35:55.230
very much I really appreciate this thank


00:35:55.240 --> 00:35:57.750
you for your time thanks for listening


00:35:57.760 --> 00:35:59.670
to or watching this episode of streaming


00:35:59.680 --> 00:36:02.150
income if you'd like to stay up todate


00:36:02.160 --> 00:36:04.390
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00:36:04.400 --> 00:36:06.390
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00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:09.150
credit to real estate debt and Equity


00:36:09.160 --> 00:36:11.069
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00:36:11.079 --> 00:36:13.710
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00:36:13.720 --> 00:36:16.910
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00:36:16.920 --> 00:36:18.910
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00:36:18.920 --> 00:36:21.150
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00:36:21.160 --> 00:36:25.150
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00:36:25.160 --> 00:36:27.710
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00:36:27.720 --> 00:36:31.280
see you next time
Headshot of Mina Nazemi smiling at the camera.

Mina Pacheco Nazemi

Head of Infrastructure Solutions

Forecasts in this document reflect Barings’ market views as of the preparation date and may change without notice. Projections are not guarantees of future performance. Investments involve risk, including potential loss of principal. The value of investments and any income may fluctuate and are not guaranteed by Barings or any other party. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. Examples, portfolio compositions, and investment results shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not predict future outcomes. Actual investments may differ significantly in size, composition, and risk. No assurance is given that any investment will be profitable or avoid losses. Currency exchange rate fluctuations may impact investment value. Prospective investors should consult the offering documents for detailed information and specific risk factors related to any Fund/Strategy mentioned.

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NO OFFER: The document is for informational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument or service in any jurisdiction. The material herein was prepared without any consideration of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of anyone who may receive it. This document is not, and must not be treated as, investment advice, an investment recommendation, investment research, or a recommendation about the suitability or appropriateness of any security, commodity, investment, or particular investment strategy, and must not be construed as a projection or prediction.

Unless otherwise mentioned, the views contained in this document are those of Barings. These views are made in good faith in relation to the facts known at the time of preparation and are subject to change without notice. Individual portfolio management teams may hold different views than the views expressed herein and may make different investment decisions for different clients. Parts of this document may be based on information received from sources we believe to be reliable. Although every effort is taken to ensure that the information contained in this document is accurate, Barings makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information.

Any service, security, investment or product outlined in this document may not be suitable for a prospective investor or available in their jurisdiction.

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