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Private Equity 8 Hours

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8 articles summarized · Last updated: LATEST

Last updated: September 9, 2026, 6:27 AM ET

Private Equity Deals

UK mid-market firm ECI Partners has agreed an investment in Shaw Gibbs, a top-35 accountancy and tax advisory practice serving around 25,000 clients, as Apiary Capital exits its stake. The deal marks continued consolidation in the UK professional services sector, where private equity buyers are targeting recurring-revenue businesses with fragmented client bases.

Main Capital has taken a majority stake in VWE Automotive, a Dutch provider of software, data and workflow solutions serving more than 10,000 automotive customers including dealers, leasing companies, insurers and fleet operators. The investment underscores ongoing PE appetite for vertical-specific SaaS platforms in the Netherlands.

In a global push, Keensight-backed ACTICO has merged with Axe Finance, which supplies credit and risk management software to over 45 financial institutions across more than 29 countries. The combination creates a broader cross-border platform for regulatory and lending technology.

Startup Funding

Mistral's former robotics chief is seeking €200m for a new AI startup, according to an exclusive report. The fundraising effort, one of the largest early-stage rounds in Europe this year, signals continued investor conviction in founder-led AI ventures despite broader market caution.

UK manufacturing software firm Cloud NC has raised a $20M B extension round, bringing lifetime funding to $128M, to automate CNC bottlenecks. The capital will accelerate deployment of its autonomous machining platform across industrial clients.

Lime Tax, which acquired four companies in its first eight months, has raised €36m to fund further acquisitions of tax advisory firms, as reported by Sifted. The roll-up strategy targets fragmented European tax compliance markets.

Regional Rankings

Prague-based SME lender Flowpay has topped the latest Sifted ranking of the fastest-growing startups in the DACH and CEE region. The broader list, detailed in Sifted's data-driven analysis, highlights fintech and B2B software dominance across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Central Europe.