Warburg Pincus: Private Equity Leader

Warburg Pincus has been in the business as a global private equity firm since 1939 when Eric Warburg established E.M. Warburg & Co. with less than 20 employees. In 1966, E.M. Warburg & Co. and Lionel I. Pincus & Co. merged to become E.M. Warburg, Pincus & Co., which would later on become the current version.

The American firm has offices in various locations in the United States as well as in Brazil, China, India and Europe. Its status as a leader in the private equity investment firm started in 1966 with the merging of the two companies, a status reinforced by its multibillion assets under management.

Warburg Pincus’ investments are in diverse areas including industrial services, financial services, consumer products and services, healthcare, media and telecommunications, technology, and real estate. As a growth investor, its portfolio of over 125 companies is classified according to stage, sector, and geography while its 13 private equity funds have invested in more than 675 companies in over 35 countries for a whopping total of $45 billion – and counting.

In the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, the company has made investments in many of the world’s largest enterprises including Telcordia, Avaya, Harbour Networks, PayScale, NeuStar, and Bharti Tele-Ventures.

Warburg Pincus is also a leader in the global private equity industry through another achievement – it is the firm with the highest number of initial public offerings completed with its companies. Over 120 of its companies have been listed on 12 stock exchanges, which have raised approximately $15 billion, with Warburg Pincus being the principal financial investor. Over 20 initial public offerings have been made outside of the United States.

The firm’s history of investments in venture capital includes several historic investments, such as the founding of BEA systems; the partnerships with Bridgepoint Education, Kosmos Energy, and Lepu Medical; and the founding as founding member of several venture capital associations in the United States and China, among others.