Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: September 1, 2026, 6:13 AM ET

Here is the corrected and fully linked briefing:

Deal Flow

Private equity dealmaking remained brisk across sectors, with Keensight-backed DimoMaint striking a deal for French computerized maintenance management providers Qb7, Asset Plus and Cimaint, which serve hospitals and healthcare institutions. In the consumer space, Accrual Equity Partners and Dansons Capital Group acquired Shasta Pools, the Phoenix Metro builder that has constructed or renovated more than 150,000 pools across Maricopa County since 1966. Meanwhile, Sentinel Capital Partners sold Revenew International, a Houston-based specialty cost recovery firm that has generated over $2 billion in hard-dollar savings for clients, to Bernhard Capital Partners.

In energy infrastructure, Old Ironsides and EnCap Flatrock agreed to sell Brazos Midstream to ONEOK for $4.4bn. Brazos, the largest privately held midstream platform in the Midland Basin, is expanding processing capacity to 1.2 Bcf/d by 2027 through the Cassidy II plant. On the venture side, Andreessen Horowitz brought its growth fund to $8.5B just days after launching a new $1.1B fund aimed at machine-age startups.

Secondaries Market

The secondaries market continues to evolve rapidly, with LP-led transactions hitting a record $125B in volume as LPs shift from using the market as a problem-solving backstop to a strategic tool for navigating liquidity constraints and portfolio complexity. Small endowments and foundations using outsourced CIOs are increasingly turning to GP-led secondaries to deploy capital more quickly into private markets, prioritizing performance opportunities over traditional pacing models.

Law firms are keeping pace with the surge. Troutman Pepper Locke partners P Thao Le and Stephanie Pindyck-Costantino attribute consistently high transaction volumes to enduring macro difficulties and opportunistic investment practices. At Latham & Watkins, John Kelley and Rob Emerson point to the rapid growth of structured solutions as evidence of an industry that continues to innovate, while UBS Asset Management sees structural changes and artificial intelligence creating a more intricate framework, according to head of PE secondaries Thomas Roche Toussaint.

Scale and specialism are emerging as key differentiators. Pantheon argues that offering scale and cross-asset class relationships is vital in the fast-growing market, while Schroders Capital says secondaries specialists are vying to capture continuation investment opportunities in the lower mid-market. The September 2026 issue of Private Equity International asks just how big secondaries can get by 2030, profiling the market's biggest fundraisers and next-gen leaders.

Regional Insights

Asia-Pacific private markets have entered an exciting new phase defined by regional differences and more sophisticated investors, writes HarbourVest's Hemal Mirani, managing director and head of APAC. In Europe, defence startups are leveraging the Danish model to support Ukraine's war efforts, with founders describing the approach as a win-win. Meanwhile, proponents argue that an EU-wide incorporation vehicle — Europe's answer to Delaware — could help the continent rearm more quickly.

German bureaucracy is drawing renewed criticism from prominent founders. Patrick Collison and Elon Musk have sparked an online debate about the country's startup scene, with critics saying things need to change. On a more positive note, Neko Health, the Daniel Ek-founded health tech company, tops the latest Sifted ranking of Nordic startups.

Fundraising and Strategy

In venture fundraising, a pro-AI group funded by Andreessen, Horowitz and Brockman plans to spend millions on ads to sway voters in select states about the virtues of data centers ahead of the midterms. The group, Build American AI, aims to lobby voters directly on the economic benefits of AI infrastructure.

On the analytics front, StepStone Group says deal-level benchmarks are transforming private market analysis, unlocking significant benefits for LPs, GPs and service providers, according to partner and CTO Tyler Johnson. For AI implementation, KPMG advocates a hands-on approach as the best way for GPs to unlock value from the technology, say James Gardner, Paul Pan and Andrew Vogel.

Sector Spotlight

Biotech startup investment has remained a rare steady sector even as AI funding surged, with global funding to biotech startups hovering at consistent levels over the past few years. In agribusiness, Granite Creek's Pete Pacelli says the sector is underserved by institutional capital, especially in the lower middle market. Pacelli, who leads the firm's agribusiness strategy, is featured in PE Hub's Dealmakers to Watch series, alongside Authentic Brands Group's acquisition of OVO, backed by CVC Capital Partners and General Atlantic.

Culture and Operations

Long hours and stress don't necessarily mean a startup is toxic, argues a Sifted analysis that distinguishes between intense but healthy work cultures and genuinely harmful environments. The piece examines the real costs of toxicity versus the benefits of committed teams, offering a nuanced take on a topic that often generates binary responses.