The Carlyle Group raised $1.1 billion for U.S. middle-market buyout investments. Carlyle Equity Opportunity Fund (CEOF) targets control investments in middle-market companies requiring equity capital of $25 million to $150 million per transaction. The fundraising effort exceeded Carlyle’s goal of $1 billion.

“We are gratified by the strong investor demand for this fund, particularly given the challenging fundraising market. We see incredible opportunities in this large and under-served market and have a great team to pursue them,” said Rodney Cohen, managing director and co-head of the U.S. middle-market investment team.

CEOF builds on Carlyle’s 25 years of investing more than $3.4 billion in 64 transactions.

The Carlyle Group is a global alternative asset manager.