Unveiling new opportunities across DACH private credit
Now in its 11th year, the newly rebranded Private Debt Investor DACH Forum returns to Munich on 14–15 October 2025. Taking place in Germany, the third-largest private debt market in Europe, the Forum provides a strategic platform to connect with over 200 leading fund managers, investors, and industry experts from across the DACH region and beyond.
As institutional investors increasingly allocate to private debt as part of their diversification and yield strategies, the PDI DACH Forum offers a timely platform to explore the latest market trends, gain insights into investor allocation preferences, and discover the key solutions shaping the future of European private credit.
Meet with leading DACH investors from the likes of:
2025 Key themes:
- The growth of private credit opportunities in the DACH market
- Investor sentiment and allocation requirements in a period of uncertainty
- Tariff turbulence, market forces and it’s implications for private credit
- Pushback from banks across the DACH region and how they are collaborating with alternative lenders
- Meet the allocator roundtables: Private Credit as a Portfolio Diversification Strategy
2025 Speakers include:
What can you expect at the forum?
Meet institutional investors
Network with active investors with previous attendees including European Investment Fund, HQ Trust, MEAG, RAG-stiftung, Viridium Gruppe.
Event content with value
Learn from leading investors and fund managers, and to better understand investor allocation, gain practical guidance on co-investment strategies, hear about the evolving opportunities in the DACH region and the key trends shaping the market.
Build your private debt network
Connect in-person during roundtable discussions, networking breaks, panel Q&As, invite-only breakfasts and at our evening drinks reception. Build lasting relationships and compare best practices with your peers.
Apply for a complimentary Institutional Investor pass
A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible allocators and institutional investors to join the event.
To qualify for a complimentary pass, you must meet the eligibility criteria in representing a pension fund, insurance company, sovereign wealth fund, private wealth manager, foundation, endowment, family office or corporate investment division.
Apply for a pass and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.
What our attendees say
Bekim Krasniqi
Equita
As already anticipated, in my opinion, for a GP like us this is one of the best events to attend as it gives the opportunity to everyone to speak and connect to…
Thomas Lehner
Viridium Group
Must visit for the German LP community
Priscilla Schnepper
EIF
The conference had many valuable elements, including the discussions, networking opportunities, panels, roundtables and the LP Breakfast
Pre-Event Resources
Raise your profile amongst the private debt community
Private Debt Investor hosts industry-leading events for global private debt and credit professionals. The networking events connect leading investors and fund managers to drive the asset class forward. Sponsorship gives you:
- VIP access
- Thought-leadership opportunities
- High-profile branding
- And much more…
For more information on available sponsorship opportunities, please contact Beth Piercy, Global Business Development Director – Private Debt.
beth.p@pei.group | +44 20 7566 5464
2025 Sponsors:
2025 Agenda
For more information on the event, please contact Hannah Ogun.
hannah.o@pei.group | +44 203 307 2473
View agenda page
Agenda
PDI DACH Forum 2025 - Day One - Tuesday 14th
08:00 - 08:55
Registration
08:00 - 08:55
Women’s breakfast
Plenary
08:55 - 09:00
PDI Welcome Address
09:00 - 09:05
Chairperson’s opening remarks
Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg
Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg, Head of Alternative Markets, Bundesverband Alternative Investments (BAI)
Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg
Head of Alternative Markets, Bundesverband Alternative Investments e.V. (BAI)
Read bio
09:05 - 09:50
Keynote panel: Performing sectors for debt capital in the current cycle
- How are managers overweighting and underweighting different sectors in the current cycle?
- Implications of global market forces e.g. tariffs, policies, interest rates on certain sectors
- Where is borrower appetite strongest?
- Which sectors do LPs consider the most attractive?
- Spreads and leverage levels
- How have regional preferences shifted?
09:50 - 10:15
Keynote
10:15 - 10:20
Short break
Plenary
10:20 - 11:00
Panel: Changing dynamics in direct lending
Amit Agarwal
- What are the biggest opportunities emerging in direct lending?
- What regulatory challenges are direct lenders facing?
- Market structure innovation: new entrants such as insurers and platforms and how this is shifting competitive dynamics?
- Product innovation – hybrid structures and new risk/return profiles being offered to LPs
- How managers are exploring new channels like tokenization, retail/private wealth platforms
Amit Agarwal, President ＆ Head – Private Credit, EAAA Alternatives
11:00 - 11:30
Networking Break
Plenary
11:30 - 12:10
Panel: Growing scale and the market for mega-deals
Sabine Fischer,
Florian Jacob
- Key areas mega sized GPs are expanding in
- The growing role of club and jumbo deals
- Direct Lending and Leveraged Loan markets – competitive or supplementary?
- The emergence of investment grade private credit in the US
Moderator: Sabine Fischer, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, BB Alternative Partners
Florian Jacob, Director, Deutsche Bank
12:10 - 12:50
Panel: Country Champions in the DACH lower mid-market
Olga Braun-Cangl
- Which geographies across the DACH region are most appealing for lower middle market credit opportunities?
- How are the respective markets becoming competitive- increased banks/pan-European GPs coming down into local markets?
- Risk/reward opportunities
- What global GPs need to know about partnering in the DACH region and being locally on the ground
Moderator: Olga Braun-Cangl, Senior Investment Director, Cambridge Associates
12:50 - 13:50
Networking lunch
Stream A
13:50 - 14:30
Restructuring ＆ Workouts
- Outlook for private credit restructuring activity – impact of recent loosening of credit documentation
- Restructuring framework in the DACH – in court versus out of court solutions
- Required skillset to support turnarounds – how well set up are debt funds
14:30 - 15:10
Growth lending opportunities
- How is the rise in the European tech sector fuelling opportunities in growth lending?
- How should LPs approach growth lending as part of their private debt portfolios?
Stream B
13:50 - 14:30
Panel: The growing appeal of asset backed lending
- Why is ABL lending considered to be Private Credit 2.0?
- Which supply and demand factors are driving the market?
- What are the most attractive strategies for investors?
14:30 - 15:10
Panel: Going niche to gain a competitive edge
Dr. Matthias Unser
- Are sponsorless deals being overlooked?
- Where do LPs consider the most attractive opportunities across niche strategies (bridge financing, aviation, royalties, NAV financing, litigation finance etc.)
Moderator: Dr. Matthias Unser, Managing Director, YIELCO Investments
15:10 - 15:40
Afternoon Networking Break
Plenary
15:40 - 16:20
LP Perspectives: Update on current deployment and investor focuses
Sven Gralla
- How managers can best the fundraising market
- Appetite for private credit and allocations across the DACH market
- Have funds in DACH delivered for LPs?
- How are investors approaching risk amidst political and economic uncertainty? (Hapev, RAG-Stiftung, Zurich Insurance)
Sven Gralla, Fund Manager Private Debt, LBBW Asset Management
16:20 - 16:45
Fireside chat: How banks are expanding their private credit capabilities
- How open are traditional banks to collaborate with the competition by participating in unitranches?
- How do fund managers and banks co-operate in the DACH region?
16:45 - 17:20
Meet the Allocator roundtables (LP hosted roundtables)
Ari Jauho
- Manager selection in a competitive landscape
- Building an effective diversified private debt portfolio
- Emerging growth areas in private debt (e.g. ABL, portfolio finance)
- Selection criteria in private credit
- The energy transition opportunity
- How to include niche strategies in a portfolio
- Special situations – a revamped opportunity? facilitated by Ari Jauho, Partner, Chairman, Certior Capital
- The evolution of infrastructure debt
- Real estate debt opportunities
17:20 - 18:20
Networking drinks
Agenda
PDI DACH Forum 2025 - Day Two - Wednesday 15th
08:00 - 08:55
Registration
08:00 - 08:55
LP think tank breakfast
Plenary
08:55 - 09:00
Chairperson’s Welcome Address
09:00 - 09:40
Panel: Deal sourcing approaches
Michael Ewald
- Differentiation in sourcing strategies
- Own direct sourcing vs participation in deals originated by others
- Collaboration with banks
Michael Ewald, Partner, Global Head of the Private Credit Group, Bain Capital
09:40 - 10:20
Panel: The current environment for opportunistic private credit
- How are current market conditions favouring opportunistic strategies?
- Outlook for real estate debt from an opportunistic/stressed angle
10:20 - 10:25
Short break
10:25 - 11:20
PDI Investment Committee
Dr. Gabriella Kindert,
Matthias Kirchgaessner,
Daniel Heine
Our PDI Investment Committee takes a look at three investment case studies from leading GPs in this unique interactive format.
Co-Moderators: Dr. Gabriella Kindert, Independent Board Member, Neptune Leasing, a.o. and Matthias Kirchgaessner, Managing Director, Plexus Research
Daniel Heine, Managing Director Private Debt, Patrimonium Asset Management
11:20 - 11:50
Morning Networking Break
Plenary
11:50 - 12:25
Panel: The future of fund structuring
Nedelina Lazarova
- Innovations occurring amidst the rise of more complex fund structures
- LP demand for open end and semi-liquid fund structures
- The case for private credit evergreen structures
- Which fund vehicles are used to attract wealth management clients
Nedelina Lazarova, Head of Private Debt and Investment Manager, HQ Trust
12:25 - 13:00
Panel: The expanding role of family offices in private credit
- How family offices are opening up to alternatives- it is now a typical part of the portfolio of a family office
- What approaches family offices typically have to build a global portfolio
- Why have they started to look at private credit considering the previous focus was on private equity (incl. VC)
- Top strategies and regions of preference for family capital
13:00 - 13:20
Closing LP keynote interview
Martin Gratzfeld
Martin Gratzfeld, Portfolio Manager, Barmenia Goether
13:20 - 13:25
Closing Remarks
13:25 - 14:25
Networking Lunch ＆ End of Conference
For more information on the event, please contact Hannah Ogun.
hannah.o@pei.group | +44 203 307 2473
2025 Speakers include:
Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg
Head of Alternative Markets, Bundesverband Alternative Investments e.V. (BAI)
Apply for a complimentary Institutional Investor pass
The PDI DACH Forum provides an unrivalled platform for institutional investors and allocators investing in private debt to gather.
Complimentary investor passes are limited to foundations, endowments, trusts, insurance companies, single family offices, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds who are actively making fund commitments and do not engage in third-party fundraising activities or collect fees for advisory/consulting services.
Apply for a pass and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.
What to expect?
Network with your peers
Enrich your network, build lasting relationships, and exchange valuable perspectives with your investor peers through investor-only breakfasts, networking breaks, lunches and much more.
Gain expert insights
Hear from our industry-leading speaker line-up, discover the latest trends and stay aligned with future innovations in the market.
Meet with the best and brightest funds
Connect and arrange one-to-one meetings with the biggest private debt managers in the market.
Apply for a complimentary Institutional Investor pass
A limited number of complimentary passes are available for eligible allocators and institutional investors to join the event.
Complimentary investor passes are limited to foundations, endowments, trusts, insurance companies, single family offices, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds who are actively making fund commitments and do not engage in third-party fundraising activities or collect fees for advisory/consulting services.
Apply for a pass and a member of our team will be in touch to confirm your eligibility.
Our leading advisory board in 2025
Interested in speaking at PDI Germany Forum? Please contact Hannah Ogun today.
Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg
Head of Alternative Markets, Bundesverband Alternative Investments e.V. (BAI)
Unmatched networking only at Germany Forum
2 days of unrivalled networking
Connect with familiar faces and meet with investors who are actively looking to expand their debt allocations. A series of networking programme including coffee breaks, lunch, and receptions will allow you to build meaningful connections.
6 Investor-led sessions
Understand investors’ sentiment towards different debt strategies and how their priorities have shifted during the changing market environment. An investor-only breakfast meeting will provide an intimate setting for knowledge and insight-sharing.
Interactive & Insightful
Join Meet the Allocator roundtables with like-minded leaders from across the DACH region to discover new opportunities and solutions to your pressing questions.
Year-on-year attending investors include:
Our networking at a glance
15/10/24
Networking receptions & breaks
Navigating a choppier fundraising market, the impact of amend-and extend, privagte debt secondaries market, and much more facilitied by a group of thought-leading private debt allocators and ivnestors.
16/10/24
PDI Investment Committees
Deep dive into three investment case studies from leading GPs in this unique interactive format.
Our attendee breakdown
View key insights from the conference
Day 1: Chairman’s opening remarks presentation
By Dr. Philipp Bunnenberg
Head of Alternative Markets,
Bundesverband Alternative Investments e.V. (BAI)
Day 1: Panel: Has the secondaries market finally come of age?
By Marcel Schindler
Head StepStone Private Debt, Partner,
StepStone Group
Join us again
26-27 March, 2025
Sands Expo and Convention Centre
APAC’s leading private debt conference
