Ex-BlueBay partner launches debt investment firm

Former BlueBay Asset Management partner Klaus Petersen has launched a UK-based private debt investment firm.

Apera Capital was established last month by Petersen and two other colleagues, Robert Milton Frost and Robert Shaw, according to Companies House documents. The firm is headquartered in London and was advised by law firm Debevoise & Plimpton.

According to Alt Credit Intelligence, the entity is targeting credit investments in small and medium-sized enterprises across Europe and is expected to launch its strategy in the first quarter of 2017. PDI contacted Petersen for further details of the fund’s strategy, but he was unavailable to comment before press time.

Petersen led BlueBay’s German direct lending strategy until his departure from the firm in July. BlueBay’s head of direct lending Anthony Fobel confirmed he left for personal reasons at the time. Prior to joining BlueBay, he was a partner at Park Square Capital for almost eight years and served as an investment manager at Allianz Capital Partners at the beginning of the century.

Following Petersen’s departure, BlueBay appointed Marcus Maier-Krug as a senior credit analyst from European Capital. His role is to source opportunities across the DACH region.