Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: May 14, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

Mega-Deals and Strategic Exits

The private equity deal flow saw major movements yesterday, led by a pending logistics sector exit and substantial infrastructure fundraising. PAI Partners and EQT are preparing to divest Global Freight Company, an outsourced air cargo management specialist, to Brookfield Asset Management in a transaction valued at approximately $1.2bn enterprise value. Concurrently, large-scale capital formation continues unabated, as evidenced by Blackstone successfully listing a new data centre real estate investment trust on the New York exchange, raising a record $1.75bn through what is now the largest-ever initial public offering for a blind-pool REIT, signaling strong investor appetite for AI-related real assets. This trend of massive capital deployment is mirrored globally, where BlackRock's GIP, alongside Temasek and Abu Dhabi heavyweights, launched a $30bn infrastructure platform targeting Gulf and Central Asia investments.

Sector-Specific Investments and Acquisitions

Middle-market activity showed a focus on specialized services and technology enablement across various verticals. Sunstone Partners announced backing for Peloton Consulting Group, a firm focused on modernizing operations within retail, CPG, and financial services sectors. In the environmental space, Good Springs took an investment stake in Snyder Environmental Services, which services public and private water and wastewater markets. Meanwhile, portfolio companies were active acquirers: Aquiline-backed Relation Insurance Services expanded its footprint by snapping up Crop Rx Insurance Services, adding to its network of over 90 brokerage locations nationwide, while Ansor-backed Complii moved to acquire The Escalator Company, a specialist in escalator and travelator servicing.

Valuations and Secondaries Market Dynamics

The secondary market is exhibiting tighter pricing discipline, according to the latest analysis from Houlihan Lokey, which noted that rising buyside demand and increased asset selection rigor mean fewer continuation vehicles (CVs) are being priced in the lower quartile. This selectivity contrasts with a potential flood of energy assets coming to market, as Houlihan Lokey's global head of oil and gas flagged approximately $30bn of upstream energy assets potentially hitting the market, influenced partly by the geopolitical backdrop of the Iran War. In corporate activity, Gen Nx360 completed a significant exit, selling Precision Aviation to VSE for $2bn.

Fintech, Automation, and Defense Tech Funding

Venture activity remains concentrated in high-growth areas like defense technology and operational automation. Defense startup Anduril Industries shattered records by hauling in $5bn in new financing, propelling its valuation to $61bn—a doubling from its previous assessment—as defense-tech startups attract substantial venture capital. On the enterprise automation front, Xpanner, which develops robotics and physical AI for construction sites, secured $18 million in Series B funding to scale its ‘Automation As A Service’ offerings. In the fintech space, Verdane successfully completed its takeover of Augmentum Fintech, marking a rare investment trust buyout in the UK after receiving shareholder approval for the delisting from the London Stock Exchange, solidifying Verdane’s focus on European fintech disruptors.

Talent Moves and Regulatory Scrutiny

The movement of senior talent reflects the evolving needs of private capital firms, particularly in infrastructure and business development. Evercore bolstered its secondaries capabilities by hiring senior managing director Clay McCoy from Campbell Lutyens, while simultaneously building out a credit secondaries practice in Europe. Separately, Mosaic Capital appointed Bridget Meller as VP of Business Development to manage strategic relationships with intermediaries across the US. Meanwhile, the broader ecosystem faces internal scrutiny, as reports detail a secretive group actively recruiting whistleblowers in an effort to shake up industry practices within the venture capital community.