BlackRock’s $3.2 billion acquisition of Preqin represents one of the most significant moves in private markets history. The private market is one of the fastest-growing investment segments, with alternative assets projected to reach $30 trillion by the end of the decade. Here’s how BlackRock’s strategic acquisition is going to transform the private market segment.

The Challenge

The private market has historically been limited for investors and fund managers because of a lack of data transparency. Unlike the public market, where financial data and stock prices are easily accessible, private companies do not share much information with the public. This opacity has created barriers for all types of investors, limiting the overall growth and accessibility of these markets.

Preqin, a private market data company based in London, provides financial data and insight on alternative assets (investments beyond traditional stocks and bonds like private equity, venture capital, and private real estate) and many tools to support investments in alternatives. By the company’s own definition, its data encompasses private capital and hedge funds, including fund, fund manager, investor, performance and deal information. Preqin is the leading independent data solutions company because it has pioneered rigorous methods of collecting private data for over 20 years, enabling more than 200,000 users globally to streamline how they raise capital, source deals and investments, understand performance, and stay informed.

The Solution

Among Preqin and other private market data companies like PitchBook and Refinitiv, the private market data industry is experiencing exponential growth. The industry is estimated to be an $8 billion total addressable market currently and growing 12 percent per year, reaching $18 billion by 2030.

In March 2025, BlackRock, one of the world’s leading asset managers, completed their strategic acquisition into the private market data industry by acquiring Preqin on March 3, 2025. The deal, first announced in July 2024, follows BlackRock’s pattern of major acquisitions to expand their capabilities. This acquisition has addressed one of the largest challenges in the private market segment, which is the lack of transparency that has artificially limited institutional allocations to these rapidly growing asset classes. By combining BlackRock’s scale with Preqin’s comprehensive market data, there is an opportunity to fundamentally transform how private markets operate and how investors access them.

“For decades, investors in private markets have lacked the robust data they need to make fully informed decisions and incorporate private assets into their portfolios at scale. By marrying Preqin with BlackRock’s technology offering, we are even better placed to tackle this challenge and help clients build more diverse, resilient portfolios by delivering the transparency and insights they seek” – Mark O’Hare, Founder of Preqin (now Vice Chair at BlackRock).

BlackRock’s vision has always been to bring together investments, technology, and data to offer solutions that meet clients’ needs across their whole portfolio. As clients increasingly evolve their focus from choosing products to constructing portfolios, this shift requires technology, data, and analytics that create a “common language” for investing across both public and private markets – Rob Goldstein, BlackRock Chief Operating Officer. This allows investors who don’t have access to large endowments or resources that institutional investors have to make informed decisions on the types of assets they are investing in.

What It Means

Looking forward, we should expect to see a shift in asset allocation among many fund managers and institutional investors toward the private market segment and enhanced ability for retail investors to gain insights into the private market. BlackRock’s goal is to boost its presence domestically and globally by providing resources that were once held primarily by large funds, institutions and endowments to democratize these alternative investments.

This acquisition positions BlackRock ahead of competitors and signals a broader industry transformation toward greater transparency and accessibility in private markets.

Key Takeaway: For most people, this acquisition represents a step toward making sophisticated investment strategies more accessible and transparent. While the immediate impact might be subtle, over time you will likely see:

1. More investment options in your 401(k) and brokerage accounts
2. Better information about investment performance and risks
3. Potentially higher returns as private market strategies become more widely available
4. Lower barriers to accessing investments that were previously exclusive to the wealthy

The BlackRock-Preqin deal marks a pivotal moment in the democratization of private markets, potentially reshaping how millions of investors build wealth for decades to come.

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Sources:

1. BlackRock Official Press Release – BlackRock Establishes Preeminent Private Markets
   
2. Alternative Credit Investor – BlackRock completes Preqin acquisition
   
3. Business Wire – BlackRock to Acquire Preqin, Leading Private Markets Data Solutions Provider
   
4. Preqin – Wikipedia
   
5. Zacks Investment Research – BlackRock Acquires Preqin, Boosts Private Markets Offerings