“When you invest beyond the stock exchange, you’re investing in so-called Private Markets. These are investments in companies or projects that are not publicly traded. Think of Private Equity, but also more niche categories such as art or crowdfunding. At ING, we offer categories most relevant to our clients: Private Equity (shares in non-listed companies), Private Credit (loans to private enterprises), and Infrastructure (investments in physical and digital infrastructure projects).”
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"What makes Private Markets attractive?","richBody":{"value":"“Nearly 90% of companies with revenues over 100 million euros are not publicly listed. That means the majority of the economy operates outside the stock exchange. By investing in Private Markets, you gain access to a broader and often less volatile universe. You can diversify across more companies and sectors, and into categories that are less correlated with public market developments, which can help mitigate risks in your portfolio.
In addition, private investments could offer higher return potential. Fund managers have direct influence over the strategy of the companies they invest in, enabling value creation. And because these companies are under less pressure to deliver short-term results, there is more room for sustainable long-term growth.”
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"How does investing in Private Markets work at ING?","richBody":{"value":"“ING provides access to Private Markets through semi-liquid evergreen funds managed by reputable international managers. With these innovative funds, you are immediately invested—there’s no need to wait for a suitable project or company to be found. You can enter on a monthly basis and, under certain conditions, exit quarterly. This offers flexibility within clear boundaries.
A key advantage is that reinvestment of proceeds, such as interest or sales, is automatically managed within the fund. You don’t need to search for new investments yourself. Evergreen funds are continuously available, unlike closed-end funds that are only open temporarily. Thanks to their scale, they can build a broadly diversified portfolio and are suitable for a wider group of investors.”
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"What are the risks?","richBody":{"value":"“Private Markets investments are more complex than publicly listed ones. They are less liquid, less transparent, and involve higher costs, partly due to active management. On the other hand, you gain access to unique opportunities and higher average expected returns. That’s why we advise allocating only a limited portion of your assets to Private Markets, and only if you’ve already built a solid public portfolio.”
ING offers these investments starting from €1 million in investible assets.
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"How does ING Private Banking manage these risks?","richBody":{"value":"“At three levels. First, we conduct extensive due diligence on fund managers. We only select parties with a strong reputation, solid governance, and proven experience. Second, we ensure diversification: we offer multiple funds per category, allowing clients to build a balanced portfolio together with their Relationship Manager. And finally, we carefully assess whether Private Markets align with the client’s profile, experience and objectives.
We also place great importance on informing clients about these risks and provide education on these relatively new and complex fund structures (semi-liquid evergreen funds). We pay particular attention to the limited liquidity.”
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"How transparent are Private Markets?","richBody":{"value":"“Private companies are not required to disclose their financials, so there’s no daily price or annual report like with publicly listed firms. Still, as an investor with ING, you do receive insights. The funds publish a monthly factsheet with returns, top holdings, and commentary. You can view the latest information directly in the ING app. Additionally, we conduct ongoing monitoring: we stay in dialogue with fund managers, analyse reports and watch for anomalies.”
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"Why invest now?","richBody":{"value":"“That’s a good question. Timing the market is nearly impossible and shouldn’t be a starting point, whether you invest privately or publicly. The current Private Equity market is more challenging than a few years ago: higher interest rates, fewer exits, and geopolitical uncertainty. But that makes it all the more interesting. Fund managers now truly need to add value—through operational improvements, strategic acquisitions or international expansion. And for Private Equity secondaries, this also creates opportunities. Private Credit and Infrastructure are less affected by the challenges facing Private Equity. It’s important to remember: Private Markets are not short-term investments—you commit for several years, and temporary uncertainties often smooth out over time.”
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"Who is Private Markets investing suitable for?","richBody":{"value":"“For investors with a long-term vision, experience and a higher risk profile. Entrepreneurs and wealthy individuals are often drawn to this category because they think in terms of opportunity and impact. It’s not a replacement for public investments, but a valuable addition. Investing beyond the stock exchange requires trust, vision, and good guidance. For those willing to look beyond the public markets, a world of opportunity awaits.”
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Are you curious whether investing in Private Markets suits your situation and goals? Then contact your Relationship Manager at ING Private Banking. Together, you’ll explore whether this investment category is right for you, and how to build a well-diversified portfolio within the possibilities of our platform.
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Investing involves risks and costs. You may lose all, or part of your investment.
Private Markets investments are speculative, involve complex instruments, and carry a high level of risk. Additional risks include higher leverage, limited transferability of investments, reduced investor protection, and less available information compared to investments in public markets.
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Listen to"},{"componentType":"cards","cards":[{"componentType":"articleCard","cardType":"article","cardSize":"medium","title":"Podcast: Vol Vermogen Vooruit","body":"The ING Private Banking podcast on investing and wealth management (in Dutch).","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/2af783eb-b617-4cf0-b88a-55ee8e6da4cb/PriBa-Podcast","type":"image","width":1024,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/f42012c7b6f1037/original/PriBa-Podcast.png","extension":"png"},"date":"2025-09-05","link":{"url":"/en/private-banking/knowledge-and-insights/wealth-growth/ing-private-banking-podcast"}}]},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Discover Private Markets"},{"componentType":"cards","cards":[{"componentType":"productCard","cardType":"product","cardSize":"small","title":"Private Markets","intro":"Investing beyond the stock market with attractive return opportunities.","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/2460025e-1e81-4a46-9cd7-0416ee898eda/Young-woman-wearing-headset-in-a-helicopter","type":"image","width":3264,"altTextNL":"\"\"","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/4619b639cddbb0de/original/Young-woman-wearing-headset-in-a-helicopter.jpg","extension":"jpg"},"link":{"url":"/en/private-banking/investing/private-markets"}}]}]},"complementaryZone":{"flexComponents":[{"componentType":"cards","cards":[{"componentType":"productCard","cardType":"product","cardSize":"small","title":"Make an appointment","intro":"Let's start a conversation.","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/3e538078-976f-4b74-b49c-90d7cd895df2/Web-12","type":"image","width":307,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/1d41bac33a10b194/original/Web-12.svg","extension":"svg"},"link":{"url":"/en/private-banking/customer-service"}},{"componentType":"productCard","cardType":"product","cardSize":"small","title":"Log in to My ING","intro":"Quick insights into your financial situation","image":{"transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/33c4e3a2-7e3d-47a1-9c6f-1993eedcdb8c/Web-13","type":"image","width":307,"original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/5aecfb619a645cd6/original/Web-13.svg","extension":"svg"},"link":{"url":"https://mijn.ing.nl/login"}}]}]}}}