The Infrastructure Investor Podcast

AI, geopolitics and other takeaways from the Global Summit

Infrastructure Investor editor-in-chief Bruno Alves sits down with Americas editor Zak Bentley to discuss their main takeaways from the Infrastructure Investor Network’s Global Summit, recently held in Berlin, that featured more than 3,000 members, including 800-plus LPs.

The discussion covers artificial intelligence, investors’ craving for certainty in the midst of geopolitical upheaval, the double-edged sword of regulation, LP appetite for mid-market products, direct investing and much more.

Infrastructure Investor Network members feeling the need to connect further should keep our upcoming Investor Forum in mind. Taking place in London 9-10 September, it will gather 300-plus industry leaders, including more than 150 LPs. Find out more here.

Infrastructure’s digital age

This episode is sponsored by Edmond de Rothschild and Palistar Capital

Digital infrastructure is developing rapidly, turbocharged first by the coronavirus pandemic and now by advances in artificial intelligence, which have turned data centres into arguably the hottest investment in infrastructure at the moment. The sector also includes fibre and towers, both of which are also attracting strong investor interest.

This episode of The Infrastructure Investor Podcast focuses on the growth of – and opportunities within – digital infrastructure’s three key subsectors. Jean-Francis Dusch, global head of infrastructure and structured finance at EdR, and Josh Oboler, investment partner at Palistar Capital, explore how AI is transforming the data centre landscape, where to find the best opportunities in fibre, and why towers continue to make such a good investment.

The three pillars of a ‘classic Blackstone infra deal’

In this episode, editor-in-chief Bruno Alves sits down with Blackstone global head of infrastructure Sean Klimczak.

Infrastructure was Blackstone’s best-performing asset class in 2024, generating a gross return of 21 percent, according to the firm’s Q4 results. Blackstone is also one of the few industry titans fully committed to investing in the asset class through an open-ended strategy.

Unsurprisingly, a big part of our conversation focuses on what’s underpinning that strong performance – including the three pillars that make a “classic Blackstone infrastructure deal”, as Klimczak put it – as well as Blackstone’s blockbuster acquisition of pan-Asian data centre business AirTrunk, why Klimczak continues to be bullish on the AI infrastructure opportunity, the enduring appeal of transportation, and the advantages of building a portfolio within an open-ended framework.

Is infra climbing up the risk curve?

As infrastructure changes and evolves as an asset class, we often discuss whether it’s become riskier. But what does "risker" actually mean?

In this episode, editor-in-chief Bruno Alves, Americas editor Zak Bentley and Anne-Louise Stranne Petersen, senior reporter – energy transition, debate what asset class characteristics are falling by the wayside, which new risks investors need to be aware of these days – particularly in the burgeoning energy transition arena – and whether a riskier asset class is still something most people would call infrastructure.

NYC BAM: ‘Infra has the best inflation passthrough in private markets’

Editor-in-chief Bruno Alves sits down with Petya Nikolova, deputy CIO and head of infrastructure at the Office of the New York City Comptroller’s Bureau of Asset Management. The Bureau oversees the investments of the five New York City retirement systems, which have a collective $280 billion of assets under management, with $8.4 billion invested in infrastructure as of December 2024.

Nikolova has led the infrastructure programme since inception and has now had the opportunity to see it perform in an inflationary environment. That performance has confirmed the asset class’s peerless inflation passthrough capabilities. In a wide-ranging discussion, Nikolova tackles infrastructure’s role as a diversifier in the systems’ portfolios, how to thoughtfully manage exposure to the mega-trends of digital infrastructure and the energy transition, and whether infrastructure as an asset class is climbing up the risk curve.

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On the cusp of an infra ‘supercycle’

This episode is sponsored by Ridgewood Infrastructure and I Squared Capital  

The need for new infrastructure in markets like the United States is immense, and private capital has a big role to play in making it happen. The mid-market may be especially well-positioned to offer that institutional capital a share in the growth potential of the mega-trends shaping the future of global infrastructure. So in this episode, attention turns to this segment of the market.

Gautam Bhandari, co-founder and managing partner of I Squared Capital, and Ross Posner, managing partner of Ridgewood Infrastructure, share their insights on how the mid-market has evolved to date, how well it’s stood up in difficult macroeconomic conditions, where to look for those growth opportunities, and why the sector is primed to benefit from a predicted infra supercycle.

Addressing the global energy ‘trilemma’

This episode is sponsored by Eurazeo and Actis

Renewable energy is being deployed rapidly around the world, and various green industries are cropping up to take advantage of cleaner and cheaper power. The rollout of renewables is shaping new economic realities, as industries increasingly look to tap into greener sources of power. Many parts of Asia, the Middle East and Africa are poised to benefit. Europe, meanwhile, faces a challenge in sustaining its remaining industrial strength as it battles with high power prices.

In this episode, Laurent Chatelin, a partner in the infrastructure investment team at Eurazeo, and James Mittell, director for energy infrastructure at Actis, talk with Ben Payton about the global challenge of providing energy security and affordability. While they both see opportunities and challenges ahead, one thing is clear: for the energy transition, there is no turning back.

Please note that the views and opinions stated on this podcast represent those of the individuals making such remarks and are not necessarily representative of the views and opinions held by their firms.

What’s next for infrastructure fundraising?

In this episode, Infrastructure Investor senior editor Bruno Alves, deputy editor Kalliope Gourntis and Americas editor Zak Bentley take a deep dive into the infrastructure fundraising market.

After two years of contracting totals, fundraising for unlisted, closed-end vehicles hit a low point in 2024. With circa $92 billion raised, last year’s tally was the lowest since 2015 – and the first time in nearly a decade that fundraising totals have dipped below $100 billion.

We discuss when the market can expect a recovery in fundraising, the ever-larger amounts of time spent on the road by managers to raise funds, and what a sustainable return to health could look like.

Read more: Full year fundraising fully disappoints