Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: May 15, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

Deals & Take-Privates

Private equity dealmaking continued to pick up pace across sectors, with medical device consolidation accelerating as Charlesbank-backed Tecomet completed its merger with Nordic Capital's Orchid Orthopedic Solutions, operating under the Tecomet name. In healthcare services, Kinderhook closed its take-private acquisition of Enhabit Home Health & Hospice with Barb Jacobsmeyer installed as president and CEO. Across the industrial spectrum, HIG Capital acquired International Aerospace Coatings, a supplier serving major airlines and MRO providers, while Fusion Capital-backed Relevant expanded its flow control platform by acquiring Houston-based systems integrator Automation Werx. The most eye-catching potential transaction is Blackstone and CD&R evaluating take-private bids for Magnum Ice Cream, which has traded below its 2019 IPO price, signaling renewed appetite for undervalued consumer brands. Meanwhile, a group led by Blackstone and KKR restructured Affordable Care through a debt overhaul that wiped out roughly 70% of the company's obligations, while CPP Investments committed €400m to co-invest alongside Blackstone in French last-mile logistics platform Proudreed.

Healthcare & Life Sciences Roll-Up Plays

Life sciences and pharmaceutical services remain a hot vertical for PE consolidation, with Blackstone, Audax, Five Arrows and Bridgepoint all targeting pharmaceutical and life sciences consulting firms as add-on platforms. Eir Partners' investment in QuartzBio, a life sciences data analytics company, exemplifies the sector's appeal as drug R&D complexity drives demand for specialized analytics tools. The appetite extends to testing and inspection, where Ardian, Blackstone, Bridgepoint and EQT are tapping into the TICC industry drawn by revenue predictability. General Atlantic also invested in PowerGEM, whose existing backer TA Associates has held the company since 2024, further confirming the capital flowing into adjacent tech-enabled services.

Fundraising & Venture Capital

On the venture side, Meridian Ventures closed a $35 million second fund to back pre-seed and seed-stage companies founded by MBA-deferred entrepreneurs, a niche play that reflects growing interest in underexplored founder pipelines. Euan Blair's Multiverse raised $70 million to boost its valuation, while tech founders and investors again dominate the Sunday Times Rich List 2026, underscoring the wealth concentration in the sector. Dutch dronemaker Destinus is in €200 million funding talks as Europe's deep-tech startup ecosystem attracts larger checks. An eleven-person London startup is pursuing a mission to make AI 100 times cheaper annually, a bet that tracks with broader investor enthusiasm for compute-efficient AI. On the exit front, Benchmark's early backing of Cerebras paid off handsomely at IPO, though venture partner Eric Vishria nearly passed on the hardware pitch a decade ago.

Industry Trends & LP Dynamics

The private equity industry is also grappling with structural shifts in fund strategy. Private equity is entering its "private wealth moment" as companies stay private longer and retail allocations to alternative assets grow, though LPs are being urged to exercise patience. Revenue predictability is pulling PE into testing and inspection firms, while TICC's adoption of AI is helping attract new PE capital, according to Houlihan Lokey. In startup land, five deals caught attention including a law firm operating system and defense tech near the battlefield, while Crunchbase data shows more than 127,000 U.S. tech workers laid off in 2025 alone with cuts continuing into 2026, pressuring valuations across the sector. On the governance front, a jury dismissed racial discrimination claims against Mercury Capital brought by co-founder Michael Ricciardi, a rare courtroom victory for a placement agency battling internal disputes. Conference season is also heating up, with Italy's largest PE event returning to Milan next May, France's heading to Paris next March, the Nordics gathering in Stockholm this November, and Iberia's conference set for Madrid this October.