UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 13F

                               FORM 13F COVER PAGE

Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended: September 30, 2008

Check here if Amendment [ ]; Amendment Number: ____

This Amendment (Check only one.): [ ] is a restatement.
                                  [ ] adds new holdings entries.

Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report:

Name:    Advent International Corporation
Address: 75 State Street
         Boston, MA 02109

13F File Number: 28-6054

The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom
it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized
to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and
complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements,
schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form.

Person signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager:

Name:  Jarlyth H. Gibson
Title: Assistant Compliance Officer
Phone: (617) 951-9493

Signature, Place, and Date of Signing:


     /s/ Jarlyth H. Gibson             Boston, MA            October 27, 2008
- ------------------------------   ----------------------   ----------------------
          [Signature]                 [City, State]               [Date]

Report Type (Check only one.):

[X]  13F HOLDINGS REPORT. (Check here if all holdings of this reporting manager
     are reported in this report.)

[ ]  13F NOTICE. (Check here if no holdings reported are in this report, and all
     holdings are reported by other reporting manager(s).)

[ ]  13F COMBINATION REPORT. (Check here if a portion of the holdings for this
     reporting manager are reported in this report and a portion are reported by
     other reporting manager(s).)



                              FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE

Report Summary:

Number of Other Included Managers:            None

Form 13F Information Table Entry Total:          6

Form 13F Information Table Value Total:   $480,276
                                        (thousands)



                           FORM 13F INFORMATION TABLE



            COLUMN 1            COLUMN 2   COLUMN 3  COLUMN 4       COLUMN 5       COLUMN 6  COLUMN 7        COLUMN 8
- ------------------------------- -------- ----------- -------- ------------------- ---------- -------- ----------------------
                                                                                                         VOTING AUTHORITY
                                TITLE OF               VALUE    SHRS OR   SH/ PUT INVESTMENT  OTHER   ----------------------
         NAME OF ISSUER           CLASS     CUSIP    (x$1000)   PRN AMT  PRN CALL DISCRETION MANAGERS    SOLE    SHARED NONE
- ------------------------------- -------- ----------- -------- ---------- -------- ---------- -------- ---------- ------ ----
                                                                                          
ACHILLION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.  COMMON  00448Q-20-1    1,451  1,116,432             SOLE              1,116,432
ANESIVA INC.                     COMMON  03460L-10-0    1,624  1,112,286             SOLE              1,112,286
ASPEN TECHNOLGY, INC.            COMMON  045327-10-3  374,807 29,512,336             SOLE             29,512,336
LULULEMON ATHLETICA, INC.        COMMON  550021-10-9  101,765  4,418,790             SOLE              4,418,790
MTI TECHNOLOGY, CORP.            COMMON  553903-10-5        8 17,192,037             SOLE             17,192,037
TORREYPINES THERAPEUTICS, INC.   COMMON  89235K-10-5      621  1,320,317             SOLE              1,320,317
                                                      -------
                                                      480,276