Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: March 27, 2026, 11:30 PM ET

Private Equity Strategy & Exits

The private equity industry is entering a more selective phase, moving away from the cheap debt and inflated multiples that characterized the past decade, with firms now prioritizing substance over structure, suggesting that the previous standard of a five-year hold period is effectively becoming twelve years. This strategic pivot comes as dealmakers are actively pursuing exits in specific verticals; for instance, Advent is planning to sell its position in the hair care brand Olaplex to Henkel for $1.4 billion, which will result in a full exit for the firm after Olaplex delists from Nasdaq. Concurrently, HIG Capital is looking to divest its Brazilian internet service provider to Claro in a transaction valued at approximately $750 million, signaling varied speeds of asset realization across geographies and sectors.

Sector Focus: Health & Tech M&A

Investment banks are increasingly directing capital toward the healthcare space, particularly pathology assets, where firms like Astorg, Cinven, and Nordic Capital are among five entities reportedly pursuing transactions. This interest is partly fueled by a perceived market opportunity; Kearney’s Paula Bellostas Muguerza noted a "$1 trillion gap" attracting private equity interest to the women’s health sector, alongside tailwinds in preventative products shaping consumer health dealmaking, which saw LDC complete its exit from the occupational health business PAM Healthcare to Optima Healthcare. In technology, corporate acquirers are also active, with SAP moving to purchase New View Capital-backed Reltio, expecting the transaction to finalize in the second or third quarter of 2026, while Advent targets an investment in the engineering and consulting firm Atwell, slated to close in the second quarter of 2026.

Financing Activity & Geographic Hotspots

While large-scale dealmaking saw a mixed pace this week, major financing rounds confirmed sustained investor appetite for high-growth technology, exemplified by OpenAI disclosing a further $10 billion raise alongside other significant rounds in AI and defense sectors. This venture momentum is particularly strong in certain regional hubs, where Austin’s startup ecosystem achieved an all-time high for venture funding based on Crunchbase data, reflecting immense investor confidence in the Lone Star State’s capital. Meanwhile, the search for deep technology remains intense across Europe, with investors actively hunting for the "next DeepMind" in Oxford amid a local deeptech boom, and Spanish investors tracking eleven specific AI startups for potential backing as firms like Brahma vie for attention in the generative AI space.

Credit Markets & Firm Restructuring

In fixed income and credit strategies, Evercore is expanding its Europe-based credit secondaries team, bringing in four new hires, including two from PJT, to manage increasing activity in that segment. Supporting credit infrastructure, Bonaccord made a minority investment in the commercial real estate credit platform Prime Finance to strengthen its balance sheet and expand its credit offerings. Conversely, the broader private equity ecosystem is experiencing internal pressure, as evidenced by Speedinvest cutting 10% of its team following a period of internal churn, reflecting the need for leaner operations in the current selective investment environment. Furthermore, while some sectors face headwinds, the geopolitical situation, including the Iran war, is prompting speculation on whether it could boost Europe’s climate startups as the energy transition focus potentially shifts.