Private Equity 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: March 16, 2026, 9:30 AM ET
Private Equity Dealmaking & Exits
Private equity firms continued to secure major exits and announce significant acquisitions across global markets, though smaller deal volumes remain constrained compared to the 2021 peak Small And Mid-Sized Startup Purchases. Blackstone, Carlyle, and Hellman & Friedman claimed the PE Hub’s Overall Deal of the Year Award for their work on Medline’s $7.2bn IPO, an exit that involved tapping U.S. debt markets, including leveraged loans and high-yield offerings, for the first time. Further recognition for successful divestitures included Kinderhook Industries claiming the Mid-Cap North America Deal of the Year for the sale of VAI to Real Truck Kinderhook Industries wins PE Hub’s Mid-Cap, while JC Flowers earned the Small-Cap Europe award for divesting HRK Lunis to Seven2 JC Flowers wins PE Hub’s Small-Cap Europe Deal of the Year Award.
Fundraising and Strategy Shifts
Fundraising momentum showed strength for mid-market specialists, even as large pension funds began reviewing substantial portfolio sales in Asia. Triton Partners successfully closed its sixth flagship fund at €5.5 billion, indicating continued investor confidence in its mid-market focus Triton Partners raises €5.5bn flagship fund. Conversely, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is reportedly exploring the divestment of approximately $1.5 billion worth of its Asia-focused private equity fund stakes CPPIB explores $1.5bn sale of Asia private equity fund stakes. In strategic moves, Bain Capital announced its agreement to purchase the wealth management division of Australia's Perpetual for $350 million Bain Capital to acquire Perpetual wealth management unit, signaling continued sector consolidation.
Sector Focus: Consumer, Tech & Business Development
Activity remains brisk in specialized sectors, particularly consumer retail and technology enablement. L Catterton, backed by LVMH, is ramping up its Japan strategy with a planned $313 million investment across five local consumer businesses LVMH-backed L Catterton ramps up Japan strategy. Meanwhile, platform consolidation occurred in the protective gear market, where Gryphon-backed Mechanix Wear acquired PPE manufacturer Otex Gryphon-backed Mechanix Wear acquires PPE manufacturer Otex. In terms of internal growth roles, Quad-C tapped Dillard Watt as its new business development director to focus on sourcing new platform investments and add-on acquisitions Quad-C taps Dillard Watt as business development director.
European Award Winners and Defense Transactions
European dealmakers were celebrated for their strategic exits across various market caps. Oakley Capital was recognized for its Mid-Cap Europe Deal of the Year following the sale of legal database vLex to Clio Oakley Capital wins PE Hub’s Mid-Cap Europe Deal of the Year Award, while Accel-KKR secured the Large-Cap Europe award for selling Smart Communications to Cinven Accel-KKR wins PE Hub’s Large-Cap Europe Deal of the Year Award. In public-to-private activity, Norvestor launched a definitive bid valuing Oslo-listed payroll provider Zalaris at approximately NKr2.2 billion (roughly $225 Norvestor launches $226m bid for Zalaris. Furthermore, legal experts suggest that lower offers in defense sector deals are becoming more palatable to sellers if they substantially reduce execution risk Lower offers in defense deals ‘more acceptable’.
Credit Secondaries and Emerging Investment Themes
Investor focus is increasingly turning toward the secondary market as a source of stable returns amidst broader capital deployment uncertainty Is credit secondaries having its ‘moment’?. In the venture space, while numerous accelerators are focusing on the next wave of innovation, the Google and Accel India accelerator reviewed over 4,000 applications, noting that approximately 70% of pitches centered on India were deemed mere "AI wrappers" Google, Accel India accelerator chooses 5 startups. Separately, the music industry saw a joint investment where TA Associates and Gold State Music backed the distribution platform Too Lost, with Pinnacle Financial Partners providing the necessary credit facility GoldState Music and TA Associates invest in music distribution platform Too Lost.