Private Equity 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: March 18, 2026, 7:30 AM ET
Private Equity Dealmaking & Exits
The exit environment remains challenging as private equity firms struggle to monetize assets, with even portfolio companies acquired during less frothy market periods proving difficult to divest. This friction in the sale pipeline contrasts with active deal origination, exemplified by Advent and Cinven exploring a massive €25 billion exit of TK Elevator amid takeover talks with Kone. Elsewhere in Europe, Ares Management spearheaded a €300 million continuation fund for the food producer Europastry, a move supporting MCH Private Equity's desire to maintain ownership following a stalled initial public offering. In award news, Oakley Capital secured PE Hub’s Mid-Cap Europe Deal of the Year, while in North America, Kinderhook Industries won the corresponding Mid-Cap award.
Sectoral Acquisitions & Platform Building
Platform build-ups continued across specialized industrial and services sectors. TPG launched a new Singaporean and Malaysian elderly healthcare venture named One Aged Care to capitalize on demographic shifts in the region. In defense technology, ETNA agreed to acquire Brolis Defence Group, a manufacturer of high-precision electro-optical systems favored by NATO ministries, reflecting heightened European security concerns. Further diversification occurred in infrastructure services, where Fort Point-backed VisuSewer purchased United Survey, a provider of sewer inspection and cleaning services in Wisconsin. The automation space saw activity as well, with LFM adding manufacturer Power Built to its American Automation Group platform, integrating it alongside Southern Tooling and Tuttle AAG.
Credit, Capital Raising, and Investor Relations
Major asset managers are aggressively staffing up private credit teams, signaling continued appetite for the asset class despite broader market volatility. Apollo Global Management hired a senior executive from Warburg Pincus to anchor its new $1 billion private credit fund based in Singapore. Meanwhile, institutional investors continue to scrutinize fund exposures; the $74.9 billion Nevada Public Employees’ Retirement System is moving to exit its Clearlake Capital exposure due to perceived conflicts of interest arising from Clearlake’s recent agreement to purchase Pathway Capital Management. Compounding personnel challenges, Australia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund, lost senior leaders with the departures of its joint managing directors for private equity and real assets, David Bluff and Tammi Fisher.
Geographic Expansion and Regional Focus
Private equity firms are planting new international flags while geopolitical events redirect capital flows. A Singaporean buyout shop established its first overseas office in Hong Kong specifically to bolster investment activities and investor relations capabilities. In the Middle East, Gulf capital that was previously allocated to US or European markets may now shift toward domestic opportunities as regional economies adjust to new realities, according to Middle East private equity experts. Separately, European businesses are finding success leveraging the UK as an investment and customer hub, while defense startups servicing European air defense requirements are receiving increased attention given the urgency highlighted by conflicts overseas.
Venture Dynamics and Governance ScrutinyWhile traditional PE sees deal flows, the venture ecosystem is grappling with issues of hype and internal culture. Venture capitalists are reportedly engaging in** deceptive practices involving fabricated successes and misleading pitches. Separately, the CEO of Alma, Louis Chatriot, addressed the startup environment, dismissing hype as "bullshit" while discussing the difficult choices required for survival. Concerns persist regarding the widening wealth gap, as AI investor Rana el Kaliouby warned that if women are excluded from AI funding and leadership roles, the economic consequences will be severe. In the UK market, the wellbeing marketplace Healf topped Sifted's leaderboard for the third time, while Candex secured over $40 million in Series C funding to help enterprises streamline onboarding of global, irregular vendors.*