Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: April 28, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

Dealmaking & Sector Acquisitions

Private equity firms continued a busy stretch of sector consolidation, with deal activity spanning healthcare, industrial services, and cybersecurity. Astorg eyes scaling the Thermo Fisher microbiology business, acquired for over $1 billion, noting a wealth of opportunities, particularly in the middle-market pharmacy sector. In the digital defense space, Bridgepoint agreed to buy a majority stake in cybersecurity consultant iC Consult from Carlyle, while dealmaking continued around portfolio companies: Aquiline-backed ClearCourse to acquire Kurve, a kiosk provider, and Main Capital Partners’ Mach snapped up SMS Stiewi to bolster its travel management software offerings. Elsewhere, Renovus-backed Superior Health Holdings acquires Chant Healthcare to expand its home health and hospice footprint, and TJC-backed Acron Technologies snaps up Sightline Intelligence, which was previously held by Artemis Capital Partners.

Further transactions illustrated varied industrial and infrastructure plays. Stonepeak and Bernhard Capital to acquire electric utility Cleco from a consortium including Macquarie Asset Management and Manulife Investment Management, signaling continued appetite for regulated assets. In specialized services, Fusion Capital snaps up sustainable water management firm Aqualis from DFW Capital Partners, and Artemis acquires optical engineering firm Optikos, with founder Dr. Stephen D. Fantone remaining as chair emeritus. In the Midwest, O2 invests in Steffl Drilling & Pump, which services municipal, agricultural, and residential water needs across the Upper Midwest, while Fruition Partners-backed Legacy Markets picks up ten convenience and liquor stores as part of its Southeastern US expansion strategy.

Technology & Growth Equity Investments

Venture and growth capital focused heavily on enterprise software and AI applications. Hg invests in elite sports AI platform, Teamworks, with Alliance Bernstein participating, pushing the company’s valuation past $1.5 billion, demonstrating increasing private equity interest in high-growth sports technology. Meanwhile, investment in data infrastructure continued, as Redpine raises €6.8m to give AI agents access to non-public data, even as research suggests AI's contribution to alpha creation is still nascent Side Letter: Overstating AI?. New Enterprise Associates partner Tiffany Luck discussed how founders must build durable moats in vertical AI to compete against platform dominance. In the consumer tech space, European e-bike startup Forest secures £40m Series B funding.

Capital Markets & Regulatory Environment

The private markets are bracing for divergence in asset quality, particularly within the GP-led secondaries market, according to StepStone’s Philippe Ferneini. He anticipates a 'mixed-quality' set of assets coming through the GP-led transactions. On the fundraising front, Kline Hill and Cendana raise $400 million for a second VC secondaries fund, successfully closing at the $300 million hard-cap. In Asia, the Philippines SWF eyes more GP partnerships, with Maharlika Investment Corporation seeking managers who possess specific local operational knowledge. Furthermore, KKR taps Lauren Goodwin as managing director and chief investment strategist for global wealth, tasking her with developing tools for financial advisors to access KKR’s market insights across wirehouses and RIAs. Regulatory shifts are complicating European operations, as updated UK immigration rules create hurdles for PE firms attempting to relocate foreign staff to establish new offices in Britain.