Apax Partners is considering asking investors in its latest multi-billion dollar fund to pay for deals on an annual basis – a tactic that can be being used by private equity firms as a way of boosting returns.

Nico Hansen, chief investment officer at Apax Partners, told FN that the firm was mulling whether to ask investors for their contributions once a year. Instead, Apax would use money provided by a bank overdraft facility as and when it needed to.