Ardian is a premium private investment company that was born out of AXA Private Equity. The company is managed by the team who founded the company and is majority-owned by their employees. Founded in 1996, Ardian is an independent private investment company with assets of US $36 billion managed or advised in Europe, North America, and Asia. In 2013, Ardian became an independent private equity investment company, following an employee buyout of AXA Private Equity.

Ardian maintains a global network, with more than 300 employees working through ten offices in Beijing, Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Milan, New York, Paris, Singapore, and Zurich. The company works with about 255 investors and with a diversified choice of funds covering the full range of asset classes, including Funds of Funds (primary, early secondary, and secondary), Direct Funds including Infrastructure, Small and Mid Market Enterprise Capital, Innovation & Growth, Co-Investment, and Private Debt.