Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: June 19, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

Mega-Deals and Sovereign Capital

EQT’s £10.9bn take-private of the testing group Intertek has secured backing from Abu Dhabi’s major sovereign wealth funds, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala. This transaction represents a high-profile consolidation in the testing and certification sector, which also saw EQT move into the aerospace space by acquiring German satellite mission management specialist Exolaunch. The firm’s expansion into satellite deployment reflects a broader trend of private equity funds targeting specialized industrial infrastructure. Meanwhile, roughly 10 bidders are currently evaluating a potential entry into Germany’s state-owned utility Uniper, with KKR, Brookfield, and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec among the private equity firms circling the asset.

Private Debt and Corporate Carve-outs

Apollo is negotiating a $574m private debt package to refinance Eolo, an Italian fiber and fixed wireless operator currently controlled by Partners Group. This move underscores the growing appetite for private credit providers to step in as traditional bank financing remains constrained. In the industrial segment, Mutares has initiated a carve-out of Synthomer, a supplier of acrylic acids and esters, as the firm continues to execute its strategy of acquiring and optimizing non-core corporate assets. Separately, Rosser Capital has invested in a Re-Bath franchisee to fund growth across the Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Columbus, and Indianapolis markets, signaling continued interest in fragmented consumer services roll-ups.

Sports, Tech, and Venture Capital

MSP Sports Capital has acquired a majority stake in the New Zealand Sail GP Team, marking the firm’s first formal entry into the global sailing league. The deal follows a week of slower large-scale funding rounds, where the total capital deployed remained modest despite significant interest in sectors like AI and quantum computing. Among the standout startups at YC’s Demo Day, investors noted that certain companies are still commanding valuations exceeding $175 million, suggesting that quality assets remain expensive even in a cooling venture market. These investments occur as industry observers debate how AI asset scarcity will drive long-term inflation in private capital portfolios, shifting the focus away from dot-com style speculation toward tangible infrastructure ownership.

Operational Challenges and Industry Governance

Institutional investors are reassessing their approach to portfolio performance, with an increasing focus on benchmarking methodologies that accurately reflect risk-adjusted returns in the current macro environment. These concerns are mirrored by operational scrutiny at startups, where employees have raised allegations of toxic culture, and warnings against unapproved share trades within the secondary market. As firms navigate these internal pressures, leadership teams are contending with rapid growth, balancing the demands of scaling operations with the logistical strains of global expansion. Meanwhile, the European venture ecosystem is revising its startup rulebook to foster better integration, a theme that dominated discussions at the recent Viva Tech conference, where industry leaders emphasized the need for cross-border solidarity.