Ares Management has launched its first European Long-Term Investment Fund (ELTIF), opening up access to its €73bn direct lending strategy to individual investors across the European Economic Area.

The Ares European Strategic Income ELTIF Fund (AESIF ELTIF) is a semi-liquid, perpetual vehicle that will invest primarily in directly originated, senior secured floating rate loans to mid-market businesses in Western Europe. The new strategy is designed to provide a stable income stream with downside protection, while offering lower minimums compared to traditional private credit vehicles.

AESIF ELTIF is Ares’ first fund launched under the updated ELTIF regulatory framework and part of the firm’s broader wealth channel platform, which now includes 150 professionals across the US, Europe, and Asia.

Since the inception of its European Direct Lending strategy in 2007, Ares has completed over 390 transactions totalling more than €73bn. The strategy is supported by a pan-European team of 95 investment professionals operating from seven offices.

“The updated ELTIF framework aligns well with our efforts to expand private markets access for individual investors,” said Mark Serocold, Partner and EMEA Head of Wealth Management Solutions at Ares. “We see strong appetite for income-generating strategies like private credit across Europe.”

With $546bn in assets under management as of March 2025, Ares continues to scale its wealth platform to meet demand for institutional-quality alternatives among financial advisors and retail clients.