Key Takeaways
- • Aurelius has established its tenth global office in Tokyo, Japan, hiring Eiji Shibata as managing director to lead the operation. Shibata brings experience from Permira, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, and Japan Post Investment.
- • Aurelius Growth (AURELIUS Wachstumskapital) opened three new offices in Amsterdam, Milan, and Zurich in March 2026, representing a strategic shift from a centralized model toward local presence in key European SME markets.
- • The Tokyo office expansion adds to Aurelius's existing global footprint, which includes Munich, London, Stockholm, Luxembourg, Malta, New York, and Chicago, signaling the firm's intent to pursue deal sourcing and portfolio support across Asia-Pacific and Europe.
- • Partners Capital has opened an office in Zürich, with the decision driven by existing client relationships representing approximately 10% of the firm's global assets under management.
Summary
European private equity firm Aurelius has expanded its geographic footprint with multiple office openings in 2026, including the establishment of its tenth global office in Tokyo. The firm hired Eiji Shibata, a veteran of major financial institutions including Permira, Barclays, and Goldman Sachs, as managing director to lead the Tokyo office and drive business development in Japan. Shibata joined Aurelius from Japan Post Investment, bringing substantial regional expertise and relationships to the newly established Japanese operation.
Earlier in 2026, Aurelius Growth (the private equity growth segment of AURELIUS) inaugurated three new offices in Amsterdam, Milan, and Zurich in March, marking a deliberate transition away from a centralized operational model toward a localized presence strategy. These offices target substantial growth opportunities within the local SME sector across continental Europe, allowing the firm to source and support mid-market investments with on-the-ground teams. This expansion reflects a broader strategic repositioning to strengthen regional deal flow and post-acquisition operational support capabilities.
The Tokyo office represents a significant step in Aurelius's Asian expansion, complementing its earlier establishment of a New York office in early 2024 to better support portfolio companies with transatlantic operations. Partners Capital has similarly pursued geographic diversification, opening a Zürich office based directly on existing client relationships that constitute approximately 10% of the firm's global assets, indicating client-driven rather than purely opportunistic expansion.
These office openings underscore a broader trend among mid-market and growth-focused private equity firms to decentralize operations and establish closer proximity to both deal sources and portfolio company operations. The moves position both Aurelius and Partners Capital to capitalize on regional investment opportunities while providing enhanced operational support to portfolio holdings across multiple geographies.
Earlier in 2026, Aurelius Growth (the private equity growth segment of AURELIUS) inaugurated three new offices in Amsterdam, Milan, and Zurich in March, marking a deliberate transition away from a centralized operational model toward a localized presence strategy. These offices target substantial growth opportunities within the local SME sector across continental Europe, allowing the firm to source and support mid-market investments with on-the-ground teams. This expansion reflects a broader strategic repositioning to strengthen regional deal flow and post-acquisition operational support capabilities.
The Tokyo office represents a significant step in Aurelius's Asian expansion, complementing its earlier establishment of a New York office in early 2024 to better support portfolio companies with transatlantic operations. Partners Capital has similarly pursued geographic diversification, opening a Zürich office based directly on existing client relationships that constitute approximately 10% of the firm's global assets, indicating client-driven rather than purely opportunistic expansion.
These office openings underscore a broader trend among mid-market and growth-focused private equity firms to decentralize operations and establish closer proximity to both deal sources and portfolio company operations. The moves position both Aurelius and Partners Capital to capitalize on regional investment opportunities while providing enhanced operational support to portfolio holdings across multiple geographies.
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