Since its inception in 1984, Advent has invested $56 billion in private equity capital[2] and, through its buyout programs, has completed more than 375 transactions in 42 countries.

Advent continued its expansion in the 1990s, opening offices in Frankfurt and Milan and merging with UK-based Trinity Capital Partners.

Advent's founder, Peter Brooke, stepped down as the firm's CEO in 1996, but remained active as the company's chairman.

[11] In March 2016, Advent raised its eighth global private equity fund with $13 billion of investor commitments.

[13] It acquired the British variety store chain Poundland in 2002, and has investments in the Fat Face clothing brand and extended warranty firm Domestic & General.

In November 2009, it announced a public tender offer to acquire 100% of Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne S.A. (WSiP), the largest Polish educational publisher.

[27] In August 2011, it acquired Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits, a regional chain of quick-service restaurants based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

[31] Advent International also acquired a significant minority ownership of Noosa Yoghurt, a Bellevue-based company, for an undisclosed amount.

[35] On May 31, 2017, Advent and Bpifrance completed the acquisition of Safran Identity & Security (Morpho, now renamed IDEMIA), after receiving clearance from antitrust and regulatory authorities.

This acquisition raised a series of concerns: In October 2018, Advent acquired the pharmaceutical company Zentiva, previously owned by Sanofi.

[51][52] These oppositions for the takeover triggered an investigation by the Competition & Markets Authority, on the national security implications of the transaction, which led to the delay in the regulatory approval of the deal.

It announced that it has established global leadership worth about 1.2755 trillion won through efficient production lines and expansion of development scale.

[56] On December 16, 2022, the geospatial intelligence company Maxar Technologies announced it had been acquired by Advent International for $6.4 billion.