Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: May 5, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

Dealmaking & Exits in Infrastructure & Industrials

The industrial and infrastructure sectors saw several high-profile deal movements, including a major exit in water technology as KKR and XPV Water Partners sold Axius Water to CRH. Axius, which was formed in 2019 to consolidate nutrient management companies, is expected to finalize its sale to the building materials giant in the third quarter of 2026 THL Partners to sell AMI to Lattice Semiconductor for $1.65bn. Separately, in civil engineering, Copley Equity Partners initiated a sales process for LJB, a firm specializing in geospatial and structural services, with sources indicating potential bids could reach 12x-14x EBITDA Copley to sell LJB, sources say; KKR made ‘targeted acquisitions’ to scale Axius Water before sale to CRH. Consolidations continued in adjacent sectors, as Align Capital-backed Armko acquired engineering consulting firm Kuhn & Associates, and Cata Cap-backed Thranekær picked up Ingeniørgruppen, boosting its profile in civil engineering and utilities CataCap-backed Thranekær picks up Ingeniørgruppen.

Mid-Market Acquisitions Across Verticals

Private equity activity remained widespread across diversified sectors, with Platinum Equity announcing its purchase of electric heating manufacturer Infratech from its founders and CEO Platinum Equity acquires electric heating firm Infratech. In waste management, Allied Industrial’s portfolio company Liberty Waste Solutions acquired Randolph County Garbage Services in North Carolina, continuing the build-out of integrated recycling solutions. Meanwhile, O2 made an investment in Atlas Asphalt, currently managed by second-generation owners O2 invests in Atlas Asphalt. The sports facility maintenance space saw PE-backed Vasco complete two bolt-on acquisitions: Howard B. Jones and Court Surfaces, expanding its footprint in tennis and pickleball court contracting PE-backed Vasco acquires Howard B. Jones and Court Surfaces.

Healthcare & Life Sciences Transactions

Activity in healthcare platforms saw significant movement, headlined by Carlyle Group’s acquisition of health tech firms Knack RCM and Equalize RCM, with the founders of Knack reinvesting a portion of their proceeds back into the platform Carlyle acquires health tech firms Knack RCM and EqualizeRCM. Columna Capital agreed to acquire Evidenze Group, a pan-European outsourced pharma services provider, from Buenavista Equity Partners Columna Capital to acquire Evidenze Group from Buenavista Equity Partners. In advisory services, Baird Capital successfully closed a single-asset continuation vehicle for life sciences consulting business Blue Matter, which serves global pharmaceutical and biotech clients Exclusive: Baird Capital closes single-asset CV for life sciences consulting biz Blue Matter.

Growth Equity and Technology Investments

The technology and AI ecosystem attracted substantial capital, exemplified by voice AI firm Eleven Labs ElevenLabs lists BlackRock, Jamie Foxx and Longoria as new investors, which announced it has reached $500M in annualized recurring revenue as it deepens its enterprise presence. Venture funding in April reached $56 billion, marking the third-largest monthly total in a year, largely propelled by these large-scale AI rounds Billion-Dollar AI Rounds Push April To Third-Highest Startup Funding Month In A Year. Intel participated in a $178M Series B round for quantum startup Quantware, aiming to accelerate production to an industrial scale Intel backs quantum startup Quantware in $178m Series B to kick-start production at ‘industrial scale’. Bregal Milestone executed a majority growth investment in Meteoviva, which utilizes AI for autonomous building energy management services Bregal Milestone makes majority growth investment in Meteoviva. Furthermore, Katie Haun announced the closing of $1 billion across new venture funds dedicated to backing crypto and blockchain startups Katie Haun raises $1B for new venture funds.

Secondaries Market Dynamics and Advisory Moves

The secondaries market is evolving, with industry participants noting a convergence toward 'best practice terms' rather than simply prioritizing deal closure speed CV fee terms converge amid a more competitive market – Morgan Lewis. This shift is being analyzed in the context of broader sentiment, which podcasts explored regarding the five stages of grief in the continuation vehicle (CV) market Data Dive: Reading the signals in secondaries sentiment. On the advisory front, William Blair is set to acquire sports and entertainment investment bank Inner Circle Sports, which will continue operating under its existing name for a transitional period. To bolster deal sourcing and operational value creation, Round Table appointed Amardeep Kahlon as an operating partner RoundTable taps Amardeep Kahlon as operating partner, while Amulet Capital hired Adam Grossman as a partner focused on scaling healthcare services platforms Amulet Capital taps Adam Grossman as partner. Separately, event organizers are encouraging dealmakers to secure passes for Tech Crunch Disrupt 2026 by May 8 to take advantage of a 50% discount on a second ticket, ahead of scheduled price increases 4 days left: Get 50% off a second TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass to make more deals faster.