A group of private credit firms led by Goldman Sachs' alternative investment arm is providing $3.5 billion to support the acquisition of Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. (CWAN.US), marking the latest instance of direct lenders financing software buyouts. According to informed sources, Ares Management Corp., Blue Owl Capital Inc., Antares Capital, and Apollo Global Management Inc. will join as lenders, with the debt offering an interest rate premium of 4.5 percentage points above the U.S. benchmark rate. Before securing additional lenders, Goldman's private credit business arranged committed debt financing for the acquisition led by private equity firms Permira Holdings and Warburg Pincus. Announced on December 21, the deal values Clearwater at approximately $8.4 billion and is expected to close by mid-2026. This financing coincides with reports on Thursday that software firm OneStream Inc. secured a $1.4 billion loan to support its upcoming acquisition by private equity investor Hg. Clearwater, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, provides a cloud-based software platform for institutional investors in public and private markets. Recent weeks have seen market focus on the potential for artificial intelligence to displace software services, causing debt prices for some companies to plummet and casting a shadow over private equity investments in the software sector. Many asset managers offering direct loans have also faced scrutiny due to their exposure to software firms. However, the acquisition financing for OneStream and Clearwater indicates that private credit providers remain receptive to the industry.