Barings, one of the world’s leading financial services firms, on Tuesday announced that it has formed the Barings Mubadala Enterprise (BME), a platform seeking to provide financing solutions to European middle-market businesses.

The partnership is anchored by UAE-based Mubadala Investment Company and will invest alongside MassMutual and Barings’ capital.

BME and its capital partners aim to provide $3.5 billion in financing over the next 18 months to help meet growing corporate demand for flexible capital solutions in Europe.

Barings’ chairman and CEO, Tom Finke, said: “This partnership will leverage our significant capabilities in origination and alternative credit to help strategic capital partners such as Mubadala invest with scale. We are looking to take advantage of middle-market direct lending opportunities, focusing on senior secured loans as borrowers shift focus from traditional bank financing to institutional capital providers to fund acquisitions and growth projects.”

Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Mubadala’s deputy group CEO and CEO of Alternative Investments & Infrastructure added: “Mubadala has a long history of establishing strong, value-creating partnerships with leading global organisations. The partnership with Barings, through the establishment of BME, is very consistent with this approach. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with Barings over the coming years.”

BME will focus particularly on opportunities in the United Kingdom, France, Benelux and the Nordics.

Barings is a $346 billion global financial services firm which maintains a global presence across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Mubadala Investment Company is a sovereign investor managing a global $229 billion portfolio across five continents with interests in multiple sectors including aerospace, ICT, semiconductors, metals and mining, renewable energy, oil and gas, petrochemicals, utilities, healthcare, real estate, pharmaceuticals and medical technology and agribusiness.