Capital Solutions Market Intelligence 2026

What 32 senior capital solutions investors reveal about the future of the strategy, talent, and compensation.

Capital solutions is emerging as an important growth area within private credit. But as investment opportunities expand, firms face a different challenge: finding, developing, and retaining talent .

We interviewed 32 investors at the Partner - Principal levels from 24 unique fund managers  to understand the forces shaping the market, from hiring and succession to compensation and investment opportunities.

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32

Senior investors interviewed

24

Firms represented

H1 2026

Research period

Behind the Research

"We wanted to produce more than a compensation survey. We wanted to create a practical resource that leaders could use to evaluate their own strategies, talent needs, and opportunities within capital solutions."

Sean Locke, Founder & Managing Partner

What the Research Reveals

The findings point to a market with significant opportunity, growing demand for specialized talent, and important questions around leadership, compensation, and long-term growth.

01

Hiring is accelerating.

91% plan to hire in the next 12 months.

01

Succession is a vulnerability few firms have resolved.

63% lack a clear internal successor.

01

The strongest investors think beyond debt or equity.

Hiring managers prefer cross-capital structure experience. 

01

Origination ability commands premium pay.

66% rank origination among the top two drivers of above-market pay.

01

One market. Seven different strategy labels.

Only 41% call their strategy “capital solutions.”

Inside the Full Report

The full 26-page report provides deeper analysis, compensation benchmarks, and firsthand perspectives from senior capital solutions investors.

Compensation Benchmarks

Base salary and total cash compensation data for Managing Directors and Principals/Directors, including reported ranges and averages.

Cash, Carry & Retention

How firms structure incentives, what professionals value, and why compensation alone may not be enough to retain senior talent.

Market Outlook & Investment Opportunities

Perspectives on origination activity, fundraising conditions, and emerging opportunities across the capital solutions landscape.

Talent & Succession

Hiring priorities, the backgrounds associated with strong performers, and the leadership gaps facing investment teams.

Takeaways for Hiring Managers

Practical recommendations for identifying, attracting, developing, and retaining specialized capital solutions talent.
"Capital solutions is everything now. Pre-2025 it was hybrid capital. Now people use it to mean any junior capital that isn't common equity."

Managing Director, ~$10B strategy

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Explore the complete research, including detailed compensation benchmarks, market analysis, participant perspectives, and actionable insights for investment leaders.

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What Do These Findings
Mean for Your Team?

Whether you're expanding a strategy, building your team, or navigating a competitive talent market, let's discuss what these findings could mean for your organization.

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