Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: March 27, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

Private Equity Strategy & Exits

The private equity model is undergoing a structural recalibration, moving away from the sustained period of low-cost leverage toward a more selective, substance-focused approach where the tenure of ownership is lengthening, evidenced by the common observation that "12 is the new 5". This shift is concurrent with several high-profile portfolio sales, including Advent's planned divestiture of the hair care brand Olaplex to Henkel for $1.4 billion, which will result in a full exit for the firm once the transaction closes and the brand delists from Nasdaq. Elsewhere in exits, HIG Capital is preparing to sell its Brazilian internet service provider stake to Claro for approximately $750 million, while LDC, the PE arm of Lloyds Banking Group, finalized its exit from occupational health provider PAM Healthcare to Optima Healthcare.

Sector Focus: Healthcare & Industrials

Dealmaking activity in the healthcare space remains intense, particularly within diagnostics, as firms perceive a significant market opportunity, with Kearney estimating a "$1 trillion gap" in women's health investment that attracts PE interest. Specifically, firms including Astorg, Cinven, and Nordic Capital are actively pursuing pathology assets, joining a list of five firms targeting this specific segment. In a separate deal reflecting industrial services consolidation, Advent announced its intention to invest in the engineering and consulting firm Atwell, with the transaction anticipated to finalize in the second quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, in enterprise software, SAP is set to acquire Reltio, a company backed by New View Capital, with closing expected in the second or third quarter of 2026.

Venture Capital & Geographic Hotspots

While large-cap PE navigates ownership terms, the venture capital world saw significant capital deployment into technology, with the largest deals of the week led by massive AI funding rounds, including OpenAI’s disclosure of raising an additional $10 billion. Geographically, areas outside traditional hubs are demonstrating surprising strength, with Austin's startup ecosystem reaching an all-time high for venture funding within the city's headquartered companies. European venture activity is also focused heavily on artificial intelligence, with Spanish investors tracking eleven local AI startups to watch, and UK investors specifically hunting for "the next Deep Mind" amidst a deeptech boom centered around Oxford. Furthermore, investors are examining the impact of geopolitical events, questioning whether the conflict in Iran might provide an unexpected tailwind for Europe’s climate startups.

Credit Markets & Firm Restructuring

In the supporting credit and advisory space, investment banks are actively building out specialized teams to handle complex credit transactions, as Evercore expanded its Europe-based credit secondaries team by hiring four professionals, including two departing from PJT. Separately, Bonaccord executed a minority investment into the commercial real estate credit platform Prime Finance, intended to bolster its balance sheet and institutional infrastructure. On the operational side, European venture firm Speedinvest announced workforce reductions, cutting 10% of its team following a period of internal turnover. For technology companies, the path to scaling increasingly involves integrating sophisticated AI tools, moving beyond initial hype toward tangible impact that drives revenue growth. For instance, the generative AI firm Brahma, a rival to Synthesia, is forecasting substantial revenue generation, projecting $100 million in sales.