UPDATE 1-French firm Ardian raises $30 billion for its ninth secondaries fund

Add more details and comment from statement in paragraphs 2-7

SINGAPORE, Jan 16 (Reuters) - French private investor Ardian said in a statement on Thursday it has raised $30 billion for its ninth secondaries fund, describing it as the most ever raised in the secondaries market.

The secondaries market allows investors in private equity funds and private companies to sell investments to free up capital. It has become an increasingly popular market in recent years due to a tougher environment to exit investments against a backdrop of global uncertainties and higher interest rates.

"We expect 2025 to be an even stronger year of activity," said Vladimir Colas, Ardian's executive vice president and co-head of secondaries, in the statement.

Ardian's latest fundraising was a 57.9% increase from the $19 billion it raised for its eighth secondaries fund in 2020, and brought its secondaries and primaries assets to $97 billion, according to the statement.

Ardian said the ninth fund was oversubscribed, highlighting the continued and growing appetite for secondaries investments.

Ardian said the fundraising drew more than 465 investors from 44 countries across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia, including private wealth clients that accounted for 22% of the funds raised versus 11% in the previous effort.

Ardian's ninth fund was already 50% deployed, according to the statement.

(Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; Editing by Tom Hogue)

((Yantoultra.Ngui@thomsonreuters.com;))