Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: April 17, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

Private Equity Dealmaking & Exits

Carlyle Group finalized the acquisition of KFC Korea from Orchestra Private Equity, concluding a three-year turnaround strategy for the quick-service restaurant operator, while in the U.S., Madison Dearborn-backed Aevex is set for its public debut today, with Goldman Sachs, Bof A Securities, and Jefferies leading the underwriting syndicate. Elsewhere in Europe, PAI Partners continued its platform build, with its portfolio company Pasubio acquiring Luilor, an Italian textile manufacturer for luxury goods; this add-on activity occurs as the potential relaxation of EU antitrust rules is viewed by EY-Parthenon as a potential catalyst for boosting private equity exits across the continent.

Asia Pacific & Sovereign Funds

The battery sector saw movement as GIC-backed Envision AESC reportedly explored an initial public offering in Hong Kong that could generate proceeds of up to $2 billion, reflecting continued appetite for energy transition assets among sovereign wealth funds. In a separate Asia-Pacific transaction, General Atlantic brought in Abu Dhabi capital through a minority investment in Joe & the Juice, valuing the global juice bar chain at $1.8 billion. Meanwhile, Canadian pension managers KingSett Capital and Choice Properties are jointly pursuing a massive C$8.5 billion (approximately $6.85 takeover of First Capital REIT, signaling sustained private capital interest in stabilized retail property portfolios.

Secondaries Market Strength

The private equity secondaries market demonstrated sustained momentum, with Partners Group successfully closing its latest flagship secondaries program after securing over $9 billion in commitments. This institutional commitment mirrors broader industry trends, as data from Secondaries Investor indicates that funds dedicated to secondary investments collectively raised nearly $39 billion in the first quarter of 2026 raising nearly $39bn. Despite this capital influx, industry alignment remains a point of divergence, with Secondaries Investor preparing to launch its Global Market Survey next week to gauge differing views on the market’s future growth trajectory diverging views on alignment.

Sector Focus: Health Care & Tech

Private equity firms are actively targeting the behavioral health space, driven by a persistent supply-and-demand imbalance in autism care services, leading to significant investment by players including Goldman Sachs Alternatives, General Atlantic, and Aquitaine Capital. This focus on platform scaling within autism care is evident across multiple recent deals PE eyes platform scaling. Separately, in healthcare services, WindRose-backed Stellus Rx announced the bolt-on acquisition of Tria Health, a technology-enabled pharmacy care management platform based in Plano, Texas.

Venture Capital & AI Dominance

Investment in autonomous vehicle technology surged dramatically in the first quarter, with total funding more than tripling compared to the prior year, indicating investors are placing substantial bets on commercial deployment rather than just early-stage research funding more than triples. This capital inflow into deep tech is mirrored in Europe, where artificial intelligence startups consumed roughly half of all funding allocated to the European technology sector AI startups swallow half, although the overall impact of AI disruption on traditional software-focused private equity funds remains nuanced SaaSpocalypse now? It’s nuanced. Furthermore, Sequoia Capital completed its first major capital raise under new co-stewards Alfred Lin and Pat Grady, securing $7 billion specifically to expand its bets on AI infrastructure, while AI infrastructure firm Upscale AI is reportedly negotiating a funding round that would value the seven-month-old company at $2 billion.