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Podcast:
Erin Grueber (Private Capital Group) & Aaron Martin (NZIL) talk about Private Capital Group’s AIP-approved private credit fund under the Active Investor Plus visa programme.
The below information represents general information only and not official financial advice.
Private Capital Group, established in 2022, became the first private credit fund approved under the Active Investor Plus visa programme. The fund operates as a non-bank lender to small and medium-sized New Zealand businesses seeking growth capital. Erin Grueber, who manages global investor relations, brings experience from Invest New Zealand (formerly New Zealand Trade and Enterprise) and works with a diverse investor base including Active Investor Plus applicants, family offices, private wealth advisers, and iwi groups across New Zealand and internationally.
The fund focuses exclusively on lending to cash-flow positive, low-risk businesses looking to expand operations, purchase equipment, or scale manufacturing facilities. Private Capital Group deliberately avoids cyclical industries including real estate development, retail, agriculture, and tourism, instead targeting stable businesses with strong management teams and clear growth trajectories. The investment team, with over 30 years of combined experience in private credit across the UK, US, Japan, and Australia, conducts extensive due diligence processes that can take four to five months before approving loans. This approach prioritises capital preservation and stable returns, with the fund currently managing approximately $200 million in assets under management and expanding its deal capacity from smaller transactions to loans of $20-30 million.
Regulatory changes following the 2019 financial review have made traditional bank lending increasingly difficult for small and medium businesses, creating substantial demand for alternative lending sources. This emerging market positions Private Capital Group and its investors at the forefront of an expanding sector that directly supports job creation, business succession planning, and regional economic development across New Zealand. The fund's rapid growth from inception to nearly $200 million in assets demonstrates strong investor confidence whilst enabling the team to evaluate multiple deals simultaneously and deploy capital within two to three months of receiving investor commitments.
A big thank you to Erin Grueber from Private Capital Group for joining us.
