KKR’s next buyout fund will be a 2010 event, sources told us and peHUB – unless the market collapses again… While KKR hasn’t committed to a timeline or even started raising the fund (no documents are out), there had been an expectation it would start raising in 2009. (Private equity research group Preqin published this table in June (flip to page 13) of the funds they’re following as “on the road”. )   

However, KKR still has a sizeable chunk of its existing funds to spend (known as dry powder) – it finished raising a $17.6 billion to spend on buyouts in 2008.

Fundraising is a tough place to be right now. Blackstone is continuing to chip away raising for BCP VI, its sixth buyout fund, which according to Preqin has a $15 billion target.

Other research Preqin has done shows the average time taken to close a fund is 18.3 months. That’s not surprising, as LPs (the investors in private equity funds) are far more concerned that private equity funds don’t make capital calls on existing funds.

But some are managing to raise even first funds  – Huntsman Gay finished raising its first fund, totaling $1.1 billion this week.