Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: April 9, 2026, 5:30 PM ET

Fundraising & Capital Deployment Signals

The private equity fundraising environment showed tentative signs of thawing in the first quarter, with nearly half of the funds that successfully closed meeting their targets, marking the highest proportion seen in at least five years Bright spots emerge. This positive shift mirrors a trend where fundraising timelines averaged approximately 14 months during Q1, the shortest duration recorded since 2022, suggesting improving capital deployment windows for general partners Green shoots emerge. Concurrently, specialized fundraising continued, as Court Square Capital Partners successfully closed its fifth flagship fund at $3.8 billion, significantly surpassing its target in a record raise for the firm. In a related move emphasizing strategic capital allocation, Onex Partners finalized a substantial $1.6 billion multi-asset continuation fund, anchored by lead investors including Neuberger, GIC, Apollo S3, and Step Stone, covering stakes in Fidelity Building Services Group, Power School, and Sedgwick Onex Partners completes.

Mega-Deal Activity and Exits

Major transaction activity saw CVC Capital Partners actively seeking co-investors to back its proposed $12.7 billion takeover of Italian pharmaceutical firm Recordati, signaling a continued appetite for large-scale European buyouts. In the healthcare sector, TPG is evaluating strategic exit options for its Asia One Healthcare division, which carries an estimated valuation of $7.5 billion, considering either a full sale or an initial public offering, appointing UBS and Malayan Banking to assess the path forward. Meanwhile, GTCR formally concluded its acquisition of Zentiva, a European generics pharmaceutical company, from its previous owner, Advent. Shifting focus to infrastructure, EQT reached an agreement to divest its stake in Nordic Ferry Infrastructure to a consortium comprising Interogo Infrastructure, Rederiaktiebolaget Gotland, and Lægernes Pension.

Sector-Specific Acquisitions and Platform Building

Private equity firms continued to target niche vertical specialists, exemplified by Avista’s acquisition of medical technology provider Bentech Medical from sellers Greyrock and Hermitage Equity Partners. In the technology space, Gryphon’s portfolio company, Caylent, an Amazon Web Services partner, expanded its footprint through the purchase of tech firm Pronetx. The industrial sector saw significant investment as Ara Partners committed up to $500 million to waste management firm Sedron to accelerate its project development and manufacturing expansion across North America. Further industrial platform development is underway at Mutares, which agreed to dual carve-out transactions from Magna to build out its automotive platform, valued at $320 million Mutares to buy, strengthening its existing entities Amaneos and HiLo Group.

Real Estate, Defense, and Specialized Investments

On the real estate front, Ares Management entered into an agreement to take Whitestone REIT private in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.7 billion Ares to acquire. In defense technology, Madison Dearborn Partners is preparing to list its portfolio company, drone provider AEVEX, via a US IPO, pricing terms suggesting a valuation target of $2.35 billion for the $336 million offering AEVEX targets. Separately, Blackstone is launching a major push into aircraft leasing, partnering with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise on a program targeting an annual deployment of $1.6 billion. In the realm of energy transition, Energy Capital Partners (ECP) reacquired nuclear waste management company Energy Solutions, marking the second time the firm has taken ownership of the asset, while CMEP reportedly prepared to sell Graco Roberts.

Venture, Secondaries, and Firm Strategy

The venture capital ecosystem saw activity in specialized funds, with Collide Capital closing its Fund II at $95 million, focused on backing fintech and future-of-work startups Collide Capital raises. Meanwhile, AI-driven technological shifts are creating complexities in the venture secondaries market, prompting questions regarding the long-term sustainability of recent pricing recoveries An AI-sized bump. In infrastructure secondaries, buyers are actively seeking scarce assets that are difficult to access in primary markets, according to discussions at the PEI Group’s Infrastructure Investor Global Summit. Fund strategy also saw a major new entrant, as 154 Partners, founded by a Blackstone alum, successfully closed its debut private equity fund at $400 million, dedicated to sports investments Blackstone alum leads.