Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: April 9, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Dealmaking & Portfolio Activity

Private equity firms continued an active M&A cycle across various sectors, with aerospace and defense seeing multiple transactions. Juniper Capital sold manufacturer Precision Aerospace to the Centerbridge-backed Precinmac platform, while ATL Partners-backed Aero Accessories acquired component repair specialists NGA and Tri-County Aerospace. Further consolidation in aerospace came as AEI Industrial-backed ATC Group purchased MRO firm PAS MRO. In the industrial space, Triton Fund 6 agreed to acquire Integris Composites from Agilitas Private Equity, a move expected to bolster its portfolio strength.

European activity included significant platform building, as Mutares signed dual carve-outs from Magna to construct a new automotive platform valued at $320 million, intending to scale its Amaneos and HiLo Group entities. Elsewhere in Europe, Aurelius took over Landis+Gyr’s EMEA metering business, encompassing its full portfolio of residential electricity, gas, and thermal solutions. Meanwhile, in the ingredients segment, Astorg continues to hunt for add-on acquisitions for Solabia, having already grown its revenue from approximately €180 million to €240 million through three recent bolt-ons.

Transactions spanned consumer, healthcare, and specialized services, reflecting diverse investment theses. Francisco Partners moved to take Blackline Safety Corp private in an $850 million deal expected to close in the second quarter of 2026. In retail and consumer brands, Baymark Partners acquired the fashion and lifestyle brand Katydid, with founder Katy Messersmith retaining the CEO role. Healthcare saw Havencrest inject capital into Offor Health via a recapitalization, while in pediatric services, Great Hill-backed Sidekick Therapy Partners bought Word of Mouth Clinical Associates, a Tennessee-based speech therapy provider.

Exits, Recapitalizations, and Platform Sales

Firms are actively managing portfolios through sales and structured financing. Littlejohn Capital finalized the sale of Maysteel Industries, which operates six North American facilities, to the Revelar-backed Steele Solutions. In continuation vehicle activity, Neuberger Berman led a structure for Tailwind Capital's Axis Portable Air, providing liquidity for the asset. Separately, CM Equity Partners is preparing the sale of specialty chemicals manufacturer Graco Roberts, which it has owned since 2015.

Fundraising, Personnel, and Strategy

The private equity industry is seeing targeted capital deployment and talent expansion across various strategies. Blackstone alum Blitzer successfully closed the debut fund for 154 Partners at $400 million, signaling a major push into sports investments. Personnel movements included Transom appointing Luke Dauch as principal to drive business development, focusing on sourcing and cultivating new investment opportunities, and Frazier Healthcare Partners tapping Randy Hyun to focus on pharmacy services investments as an executive in residence.

In scaling operations, Sagard completed its partnership with Unigestion Private Equity, formally integrating the business to scale its overall private equity platform to $23 billion. Strategic shifts are also evident in credit markets, where Chicago Atlantic is expanding into emerging markets private credit to capture opportunities resulting from a pullback by some U.S. investors.

Sector Trends: Infrastructure & Technology

Specialized asset classes are drawing strategic attention, especially as primary markets tighten. Panellists at the Infrastructure Investor Global Summit noted that infrastructure secondaries buyers are targeting scarce opportunities that are difficult to access through traditional primary funds. Concurrently, the technology sector is being reshaped by artificial intelligence, with reports suggesting AI is rewriting the rules of European entrepreneurship, even as firms like Revolut roll out AI assistants as part of product expansion pushes.

Investor appetite for European media assets appears strong, as major firms including Apollo, CVC, Ares, and Sixth Street are reportedly circling stakes in Serie A media rights. Furthermore, in the U.S., Arcline Investment Management is preparing to take aerospace parts maker Arxis public in a $1.06 billion U.S. IPO, targeting an $11.2 billion valuation. LP groups, such as ILPA, are urging caution regarding tiered carry structures, even as those variable profit-sharing models aim to boost alignment between sponsors and secondaries buyers.