Breaking into Infra PE

Hello! I am hoping to break into Infra PE in the near term (2 - 3 years) and wanted to seek for some advice.

Background: Top tier non-target with an engineering degree. Broke into BB IB product group, and pivoted into a small late-stage venture fund (climate-focused) after 1 year of banking. 

I know it is atypical for growth folks to transition into PE; what is the most effective way as an immediate next step to break into infra PE? (1) smaller buyout funds, (2) renewable energy developer. Also looking for general advice to navigate a career in infra PE

9 Comments
 
Most Helpful

If your product group was not M&A or project finance related then none of your experience so far would really be relevant for Infra PE. The VC role will be good to signal interest in climate stuff / energy transition broadly but it doesn’t give you the required technical skill set.

The best way to get to Infra PE from where you stand would be to go back to banking to a Power / Utilities / Infrastructure group that is M&A-heavy where you’ll get a lot of modeling reps. You may find yourself having to take a step back as an analyst again (especially in this market) but after at least 1-2 years of that, getting to Infra PE should be doable. Going to a developer is a feasible path but higher risk in the sense that you just may not end up getting as many bites from recruiters / funds as you would from banking.

 

Work at one of the UMM/MFs listed below on this thread… there is a ton of appetite for people who have tax equity modeling experience and it’s something we place a lot of emphasis on given it’s a rarer skillset but necessary to have a good understanding if you’re doing anything that falls under the ITC/PTC umbrella (which has only broadened since IRA). LBO / standard corporate finance modeling is always going to be necessary but frankly if you can model tax equity well you will be fine with anything else after a few reps.

 

Qui totam aut quo. Quasi consequatur molestiae blanditiis aspernatur. Assumenda vel molestias iste hic. Alias numquam placeat quod voluptatem.

Quia ipsa autem quisquam rerum sunt molestiae et. Tempora illo voluptatem alias. Earum sit aut a possimus voluptatem blanditiis. Qui molestiae atque fugiat modi sed animi culpa. Culpa consequatur soluta velit soluta hic quia ab esse. Nulla deserunt occaecati qui omnis maiores nisi cum.

Qui laudantium itaque esse laudantium cum. Modi nam quia consequatur omnis. Enim nisi neque id enim architecto magni illo. Recusandae nemo distinctio et minima nihil. Rerum eligendi ipsam assumenda numquam illo nobis.

Sequi alias sunt fugiat tenetur officiis. Esse quasi quia a cumque perferendis. Nobis perspiciatis laborum reiciendis voluptas quia optio autem. At voluptatem dignissimos modi dicta.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.2%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (98) $365
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $62
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”