Private-Market Capital Commitments and Performance

Private-market terms for capital commitments, net IRR, DPI, distribution waterfalls, and carried economics.

Private-Market Capital Commitments and Performance terms explain investments in non-public companies, private funds, early-stage financing, sponsor-led deals, capital commitments, exits, and private-market access rules.

Use this branch when investor eligibility, capital calls, lockups, valuation method, sponsor economics, exit path, or private-transaction structure changes the investment decision.

Key Terms in This Branch

TermUse it for
Capital CommitmentContractual funding limits, paid-in capital, unfunded exposure, recallable distributions, and liquidity planning.
Carried InterestPerformance-linked participation in private-fund profits after the applicable capital-return and waterfall conditions.
Net Internal Rate of ReturnAnnualized LP-level performance after the stated fees, expenses, carried interest, and cash-flow timing effects.
Profits InterestPartnership incentive rights in future profits or appreciation above a stated liquidation threshold.
Distributed to Paid-In Capital (DPI)Cumulative fund distributions relative to the capital investors have contributed.
Distribution WaterfallHow private-fund proceeds move through capital-return, preferred-return, catch-up, carry, and reconciliation tiers.

What to Check

Check the offering documents, investor eligibility, capital commitment, lockup, liquidity limits, fees, carried interest, valuation method, tax treatment, governance rights, and expected exit path.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating private-market returns as directly comparable to daily priced public securities.
  • Ignoring capital-call obligations, lockups, valuation lag, and limited liquidity.
  • Reading IRR or multiples without checking cash-flow timing and fees.
  • Assuming eligibility or access means the investment is suitable.

Private investments can be illiquid, restricted, and complex; this page is educational and is not investment, legal, or tax advice.

In this section

Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.

Capital Commitment

A capital commitment is the maximum amount an investor agrees to contribute to a private fund under its governing documents.

Carried Interest

Carried interest is a contractual share of private-fund profits allocated to a manager after the applicable capital-return and waterfall conditions are met.

DPI

Distributed to paid-in capital measures cumulative private-fund distributions relative to the capital investors have contributed.

Distribution Waterfall

A distribution waterfall sets the order for returning capital, paying a preferred return, and allocating carried interest in a private fund.

Net IRR

Net internal rate of return measures an investor's annualized private-fund return after specified fees, expenses, and carried interest.

Profits Interest

A profits interest is a partnership interest designed to share in future profits or appreciation without receiving existing liquidation value at grant.

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