Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: June 17, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

Large-Cap Exits & Fundraises

The private equity market is witnessing a flight to quality as established managers secure massive commitments despite a challenging macro environment. Clearlake Capital closed its eighth flagship fund at $14.8bn, a haul that signals investor preference for proven managers who can leverage AI-focused strategies. In one of the largest exits of the year, Nordic Capital, Astorg, Cinven, and Novo Holdings completed the $8.9bn all-cash sale of Clario Holdings to Thermo Fisher Scientific, a transaction driven by a decade of pharma digitalization.

Credit & Secondaries Market

Liquidity is flowing through the secondaries and credit markets as firms seek exits and new origination channels. Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC is finalizing the sale of up to $2bn in private credit assets to capitalize on the booming secondaries market. In a move to consolidate this space, Flexstone is acquiring the secondaries firm Glouston, a deal that expands its US footprint and brings the combined platform's assets under management to over $15bn. Simultaneously, Blackstone launched Sable Pointe Credit Strategies to deepen its presence in asset-based lending, which has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments of private credit.

Infrastructure & Energy Investments

Institutional capital is aggressively targeting digital and energy infrastructure across Asia and the US. CPP Investments committed up to $715m to scale the Ctrl S data center platform in India, while I Squared Capital and the US International Development Finance Corporation formed a $3bn platform to build critical energy infrastructure across South and Southeast Asia. In the US, New Mountain invested in power engineering firm Commonwealth Associates to meet rising electricity demand and infrastructure investment needs.

Strategic M&A & Sector Consolidation

Industrial and technology carve-outs continue to drive deal flow across various verticals. SpaceX executed the year's largest startup M&A deal by acquiring AI coding tool Cursor for $60bn, signaling a strategic move into the enterprise software development market. In the healthcare space, CVC Catalyst acquired a majority stake in prosthetics maker Willow Wood from Blue Sea. Other notable consolidation includes Arcline taking Astro Nova private for $29 per share, representing an enterprise value of approximately $272m, and Montagu acquiring BMC Helix from BMC Software in a carveout of the agentic AI Service Ops platform.

Portfolio Company Activity

Private equity-backed platforms are utilizing add-on acquisitions to scale operations and expand service offerings. TPG is acquiring Waste Eliminator and Liberty Waste Solutions from Allied Industrial Partners, while Stephens Group-backed Aptus Aero snapped up EMC Aerospace, marking its second acquisition this year. In the tech sector, Clearlake-backed Quest Software acquired cybersecurity firm Anetac, and Trinity Hunt-backed Allvia absorbed management consulting firm Smith Communication Partners. Further industrial expansion was seen as Peak Rock-backed Rochester Midland acquired Clarity Chem and DelCam-backed Space Age Electronics purchased manufacturer Sprink Guard.

Aviation & Specialized Assets

Aviation remains a high-conviction area for major firms. KKR committed an additional $1.4bn to aircraft leasing firm Altavair, bringing its total commitment to the partnership to over $8bn since 2018. In the MENA region, Investcorp took a strategic stake in IT distributor Metra, which serves 6,500 partners across the GCC and wider region. Meanwhile, H.I.G. Capital exited its minority stake in The Bluebird Group as part of a recapitalization led by Bertram Capital.

Venture Capital & Emerging Tech

Early-stage investing is shifting toward agentic AI and specialized software. Three former Palantir engineers raised $60m from Index, Iconiq, and SAP to build an agentic operating system, while Comand AI raised €32m from Blossom Capital and Saab for battlefield software. High valuations persist for top-tier AI firms, with CuspAI reportedly hitting a $2.6bn valuation with backing from Jeff Bezos. However, the venture landscape is evolving, as Black founders are becoming investors to address systemic funding gaps and Series D funding surged 308% in the first half of 2026.

Market Trends & Operational Shifts

Fund managers are facing prolonged fundraising timelines and increased investor scrutiny. To combat this, GPs are focusing on maintaining LP relationships and improving hiring strategies to future-proof European firms. In the AI sector, founders are cautioned that long-term value will reside in solving deep technical challenges at the model and infrastructure level rather than application-layer products. Additionally, firms like Altor, Strawberry, and TDR are exiting Nordic Leisure Travel to Norwegian Air Shuttle, though experts suggest that tax strategies remain underutilized in such dealmaking. Other niche investments include Rubicon's investment in case management provider Case Worthy.