Achieve Partners announced the close of Achieve Partners Workforce II, a $450 million fund aimed at addressing labor market disruption driven by artificial intelligence and persistent talent shortages across high-growth industries. The fund, which is more than double the size of its predecessor, is backed by major institutional investors including Cambridge Associates, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Prudential Financial, Ingka Investments, and ZOMA Capital.
The new fund is designed to expand Achieve Partners’ strategy of embedding apprenticeship programs within portfolio companies to develop talent pipelines in sectors facing acute labor shortages. These sectors include behavioral health, biotechnology, cloud migration, data centers, and energy.
The launch comes amid rapid changes in the global workforce as artificial intelligence reshapes job requirements, displacing some roles while creating demand for workers with new, AI-aligned skill sets. Achieve Partners’ model focuses on transforming its portfolio companies into training grounds for such talent, combining private equity investment with workforce development.
The firm’s prior fund, Achieve Partners Workforce I, has delivered strong performance. As of September 30, 2025, it ranked in the top quartile of the Cambridge Associates U.S. Buyouts benchmark across key metrics including net DPI, TVPI, and IRR, and in the top 5 percent for DPI. The fund has completed three exits, including an agreement to sell Optimum Healthcare IT to Infosys for $465 million.
Central to Achieve’s approach is the apprenticeship model, often described as “earn and learn,” which the U.S. Department of Labor estimates can deliver a 144 percent return on investment for employers. The firm plans to scale these programs across its portfolio to create pathways into high-demand careers while supporting business growth.
Achieve Partners positions its strategy as a response to a shifting paradigm in private equity, emphasizing talent creation rather than labor replacement as the key to unlocking value in an AI-driven economy.
KEY QUOTES:
“Achieve is proving that private capital—paired with an innovative approach to talent—can drive meaningful economic mobility for American workers while delivering strong returns for investors. That combination is rare and increasingly valuable in an AI-enabled workplace.”
Tyler Jayroe, Portfolio Manager, Private Equity Group, J.P. Morgan Asset Management
“Throughout history, every technological revolution has created more jobs. While AI will cause immense disruption, it will also reward companies that can effectively deploy talent to succeed in a technology-enabled environment. This is about helping companies develop AI-enabled workforces at scale — and in the process, putting thousands of Americans on new pathways to economic mobility.”
Daniel Pianko, Co-Founder, Achieve Partners
“Private equity has spent the last decade asking how technology can replace workers. Our approach is rooted in a different question: how do you build the talent that makes technology actually work? AI will always fail without the people to deploy it, manage it, and build on top of it. Building that talent is good for the companies who commit to it and good for the country.”
Ryan Craig, Co-Founder, Achieve Partners
“At Ingka Investments, we support innovative projects that create a better everyday life for many people. Achieve Partners’ focus on apprenticeships offers a smart way to develop talent, providing valuable career paths and building strong businesses, especially as AI reshapes our world. It’s a testament to how practical learning can lead to both great opportunities and impressive growth.”
Samuel Rundle, Head of Financial Markets Investments, Ingka Investments
