White Oak UK (WOUK), an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors, plans to launch a new private credit strategy designed to support UK reindustrialization by providing financing for manufacturing modernization, industrial capacity, capital equipment, infrastructure and supply chain resilience.
The strategy is targeting up to £1.5 billion in capital and will focus on providing flexible financing solutions to businesses operating across key sectors of the UK economy, including manufacturing, engineering, healthcare, life sciences, aerospace and defense. The strategy will focus on four central themes: asset acquisition and modernization, growth and expansion, operational resilience and working capital, and infrastructure and footprint.
White Oak’s origination platform, including those of its affiliates, will utilize over 20 bank relationships for referrals of loan opportunities that do not fit UK banks’ risk appetites; cross-border financing between UK and US-based banking partnerships; and broker dealer and investment bank capital advisory channels where exclusive origination partnerships have been developed. White Oak’s lending is predominantly senior-secured, asset-backed and originated directly, not through competitive sponsor auctions.
“Supporting small and mid-size businesses has been central to White Oak’s approach for decades,” Andre Hakkak, co-founder and CEO at White Oak, said. “We believe there’s a real opportunity here for private capital to address the long-term shift away from manufacturing towards services. By leveraging our extensive origination platform and deep experience serving SMEs, we are well-positioned to address a critical need across the UK economy.”
White Oak estimates that 75% of SMEs expect to require external financing in the near term, while the Bank of England has estimated a nationwide SME funding gap of £22 billion. At the same time, traditional lenders have continued to reduce support for working capital and asset-based lending, creating growing demand for flexible sources of private capital.
“UK businesses continue to face growth and working capital shortages at a time when many are looking to expand and strengthen their operations,” Jeremy Harrison, managing director at White Oak UK, said. “White Oak’s broad lending capabilities allow us to structure flexible solutions for businesses underserved by traditional lenders, and this strategy will support companies investing in long-term growth across the UK.”
