Buyout firms, such as Blackstone, Apollo, KKR & Co Inc KKR.N and Ares Management Inc ARES.N, have diversified their business in the last few years beyond the acquisition of companies into becoming corporate lenders. By Krystal Hu, Chibuike Oguh and Anirban Sen Banks and junk bond investors have grown jittery about surging inflation and geopolitical tensions since Russia invaded Ukraine. This has allowed private equity firms to step in to finance deals involving tech companies whose businesses have grown with the rise of remote work and online commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic.