Private Equity 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: May 13, 2026, 11:30 AM ET
Private Equity Deal Flow & Exits
The deal environment saw varied activity across sectors, with large exits and strategic bolt-on acquisitions marking the day. American Securities pehub.com finalized the sale of industrial processing equipment provider CPM to Rosebank for $2.1bn pehub.com, marking the conclusion of an investment cycle that began in 2018. In the aerospace sector, Argosy exited InTech Aerospace pehub.com following its acquisition by CCE Group, while industrial consolidation continued as E2p-backed Roskam Foods pehub.com acquired Michigan-based Kitchen Partners, a manufacturer specializing in frozen breakfast foods and custom ingredients. Elsewhere, Mutares sold Polish public transport operator Relobus pehub.com to Infracapital, continuing a trend of divestitures in European infrastructure assets.
Mid-market activity centered on specialized B2B services and technology platforms. Stone-Goff invested in real estate tech firm 5Q Partners pehub.com, concurrently bolstering 5Q’s capabilities with the acquisition of professional services firm One11 Advisors. In the legal space, Axcel-backed AGRD Partners pehub.com expanded its Nordic footprint by acquiring Icelandic law firm BBA Fjeldco, consolidating its position across the region. Meanwhile, European firms continued their M&A pursuits, as Main Capital invested in insurtech firm Agenium pehub.com, which offers a cloud-based, no-code platform for health and annuity carriers.
Fundraising & Capital Markets
Firms are actively raising funds across different strategies, with some targeting significant increases over prior mandates. Verdane is seeking €1.6bn for its Edda IV fund, aiming to more than double the size of its preceding lower mid-market vehicle focused on Europe. Blackstone has commenced preparations for the third vintage of its long-dated private equity strategy, signaling confidence in multi-decade hold periods for select assets. In the credit space, Cambridge Associates secondariesinvestor.com is focusing on credit secondaries and specialty lending, anticipating rapid growth among its Asian wealthy client base and increased LP allocations to private credit.
Public market debuts remained challenging, as seen with KKR-backed Global Medical Response, which executed a scaled-back initial public offering, raising $479M in New York after pricing its shares well below the initial suggested range. However, high-growth tech funding remains concentrated, with Anthropic reportedly entering talks to secure at least $30bn in new capital at a valuation potentially exceeding $900bn, despite the company warning investors against unauthorized secondary sales platforms offering access to its shares techcrunch.com.
Strategic Bets & Sector Focus
Private equity firms are deepening their focus on specialized software, AI integration, and strategic infrastructure. EQT, supported by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA, and Porsche Automobil Holding, is competing aggressively to acquire Volkswagen's marine engine business, Everllence, valued near €8bn. In the technology sector, Accel and Thiel’s Founders Fund sifted.eu jointly backed Fractile in a substantial $220M raise, while DeepMind spinout Isomorphic Labs raised $2.1bn sifted.eu for drug discovery efforts. Furthermore, Apollo is planning to merge B2B events businesses Emerald Holding and Questex following separate acquisitions valued at $1.5bn.
Firms are also making targeted investments in healthcare and specialized services. HIG Capital-backed Avanta Salud pehub.com intends to acquire Iberian occupational health provider Vitaly Group, while Eir Partners backed life science tech firm QuartzBio pehub.com, which specializes in biomarker intelligence for biopharma. In parallel, the advisory sector is seeing consolidation, evidenced by Lazard’s agreed $10bn acquisition of Campbell Lutyens, with future co-CEOs anticipating an immediate step up on long-term growth plans. The sports advisory segment saw William Blair acquire Inner Circle Sports pehub.com, adding "real expertise in valuations around sports franchises," while Blackstone pehub.com hosted its Nonprofit Leadership Forum alongside peers like TPG, Advent, and Bain Capital pehub.com discussing broader market themes.
Venture Capital & Regulatory Headwinds
While large-scale private equity moves forward, venture funding shows signs of cooling in certain areas, particularly Agtech, where venture funding in 2026 is tracking near prior years news.crunchbase.com but deal counts are falling. New VC vehicles are emerging, such as Kevin Hartz’s Aclosing its third fund at $450M techcrunch.com, planning average check sizes around $3M across sectors including AI and fintech. However, regulatory and ethical scrutiny remains high for AI developers; ElevenLabs faces a fresh lawsuit sifted.eu alleging unauthorized use of voices belonging to Pulitzer and Emmy-winning journalists. Meanwhile, investment consultants are preparing for a busy conference schedule, with major regional events slated for Munich, Amsterdam, Zurich, and Warsaw this autumn in DACH, Benelux, Switzerland, and CEE, , ,.