Vista Equity Partners has opened a new office in Abu Dhabi, expanding its strategic presence in the Middle East and capitalising on the region’s “increasingly central role” in global technology investment and innovation.
The office will be located within Abu Dhabi’s financial centre, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), established in 2013.
VEPM Middle East Limited has received authorisation from ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority, enabling it to advise on investments and arrange deals in investments across the region.
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Vista’s new Abu Dhabi office will be led by Vignesh Vijayakumar, licensed director and senior executive officer of VEPM Middle East.
“With a dedicated team on the ground in Abu Dhabi, we are well positioned to serve as a bridge between Vista’s global platform and the region’s growing appetite for enterprise software investment,” said Vijayakumar.
Vista said that expanding into the Middle East enables it to build on existing relationships with regional investors and sovereign wealth funds, including co-investments alongside Abu Dhabi-based institutions.
The new office also extends Vista’s global footprint, with offices established in the US and Hong Kong.
Vista joins a number of other private credit firms expanding their Middle East presence, despite the ongoing conflict in the region. In April, Barings opened a new office in Abu Dhabi following the success of the launch of its Dubai office in 2024, while Bain Capital chose Abu Dhabi as its “regional hub”.
“As enterprise agentic solutions reshape how businesses operate and compete, the companies that embed intelligence into mission-critical workflows will define the next era of value creation,” said Robert F. Smith, founder, chair and chief executive of Vista Equity Partners. “The Middle East, and Abu Dhabi in particular, has demonstrated extraordinary ambition in building the digital infrastructure to lead in this new landscape. Establishing Vista’s presence here positions us to partner with the region’s investors and institutions as enterprise software enters its most dynamic era.”
Vista offers sponsors and founder-led software and tech-enabled companies a range of credit and capital solutions, including direct lending solutions and non-dilutive credit solutions.
Vista Credit Strategic Lending Corp is a private, perpetual life business development company that provides investors with access to investment opportunities spanning enterprise software, data and technology-enabled credit.
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