Private equity is an increasingly important part of the financial landscape. The global private equity sector grew from $870 billion in 2004 to over $20 trillion at the beginning of 2025. Their enthusiasm of investors -- even in hard times of pandemic -- for this asset class is understandable: pension funds, government funds, and university endowments are in many cases facing financial shortfalls and are desperate for high returns. Then there is the global dimension. Private equity originated in the U.S. and for much of its history, the industry was concentrated in that nation and the United Kingdom. Over the past fifteen years, however, private equity has become much more global. Not only has the capital disbursed in continental Europe and Asia increased sharply, but also emerging markets (especially China and India) have become far more important in the private equity landscape. All these elements pose several questions and opens many avenues for this course, which focuses on the understanding of private equity & venture capital business overall, starting from the perspective of investors, and moving to managers & advisors and to entrepreneurs. The approach is hands-on and it is very comprehensive of all the elements needed to understand the entire process of equity investment and provides a deep knowledge of the market and of major players. The presentation of real-word case studies and speeches coming from high-reputable managers belonging to private equity world will further enhance the link with the best practices emerging in the market.

Faculty: Professor Stefano Caselli

Course Date & Time

SNOC students will be allowed to choose between class 31 or 32. The course schedule for classes 31 and 32 is available at this link: https://didattica.unibocconi.eu/lezioni/orario_ins.php?IdPag=110&esame=…