Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: June 24, 2026, 5:30 AM ET

Dealmaking & Portfolio Activity

Private equity firms continued a brisk pace of acquisitions and exits, with Ara Partners agreeing to sell advanced magnetics company Vacuumschmelze to Energy Fuels for $1.9 billion. In a move underscoring the burgeoning AI infrastructure boom, Blackstone is preparing to deploy $30 billion into Japan's data centers over the next three to five years. The firm is also reportedly weighing a €6 billion exit from Cooper Consumer Health, with Cap Vest-owned Stada circling as a potential buyer. Meanwhile, Acorn Capital is selling Berry Aviation for $105 million to Bristow Group, and Teleo Capital has acquired the pharma manufacturing intelligence platform Modersys from Applied Materials, Inc. Platinum Equity is also acquiring manufacturer Tangent Technologies, a deal expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, and has emerged as the sole bidder for Nestlé's water business after CD&R exited the auction according to people familiar with the matter.

The live events sector is drawing significant private equity interest, with Apollo, Hellman & Friedman, and Platinum Equity investing in the space, which is projected to exceed $1.2 trillion globally by 2032 according to PE Hub. In other platform building, Incline Equity is investing in medical and health physics testing provider West Physics, and Mangrove Equity rolled out its new platform Peak Pavement Group, which immediately added two businesses: HD Sealcoating & Paving Solutions and Maintain It All. Brightstar Capital snapped up healthcare architecture firm Erdman to add to its portfolio company KZF Design, while HIG-backed Axis CLC acquired Fieldway Group, a specialist in fire safety and compliance services. Apheon is set to acquire Belgian managed IT services provider Easi, which serves over 1,500 clients across Belgium and Luxembourg.

In add-on acquisitions, Inflexion-backed Ranger Fire and Security made two strategic purchases: Scion Communications and Emerald Fire Technology. PE-backed Life Science Connect bolstered its biopharma outsourcing platform by acquiring Pharma Source and CDMO Live, integrating these brands with its existing operations. Elsewhere, PE-backed Hyve acquired C-suite community platform Virtuosi League. In the consumer space, L Catterton is taking a significant minority stake in clean haircare brand RŌZ, and Great Hill is investing in pet grooming franchise Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming, with Garnett Station Partners to remain a substantial investor.

Fundraising & Investor Activity

Venture capital firms are continuing to raise substantial funds, particularly those focused on artificial intelligence. Menlo Ventures has raised $3 billion across two new funds, its largest capital raise in 50 years, to invest in AI startups from seed to growth stages. This follows a period where the firm built a strong reputation as an AI investor, notably with a $750 million bet on Anthropic in 2024 as reported by Tech Crunch Venture. On the secondaries front, KB Securities is open to both LP and GP-led deals, with potential transactions in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the U.S. ADIC, Mubadala's indirect investment arm, hired for its senior secondaries team to oversee its portfolio, having deployed $19 billion in 2025. Pantheon's infrastructure secondaries funds surpassed their targets, with both Pantheon's and Ardian's latest flagship funds ranking among the largest in the sector ahead of their final closes according to Secondaries Investor. Allianz Global Investors (Allianz GI) held the first close of its Allianz Asia Pacific Secured Lending Fund III, securing $744 million in commitments.

Venture Capital & Technology

The venture capital landscape is grappling with AI valuations and revenue metrics, with discussions at Tech Crunch's Strictly VC event in Los Angeles exploring concerns about potential bubbles and ARR inflation as reported by Tech Crunch Venture. Despite these concerns, investment continues to flow into promising AI and robotics startups. DeepMind handpicked a startup for its robotics accelerator that has since raised an $11.7 million seed round. European startups are also attracting significant capital, with drones startup Stark confirming a €500 million raise backed by Sequoia and Founders Fund according to Sifted. While European tech is undergoing a rebuilding phase as noted by Sifted, the region is seeing substantial funding rounds, with eight European startups raising over $1 billion in 2026 according to Sifted data.

In other venture news, Thoma Bravo is backing occupational health software firm Padoa, which serves clients across France and Europe. Ambienta has invested in Italian natural flavor developer GFF, and Reverence Capital is investing in CPA firm Eide Bailly to support its strategic growth. German car subscription company Finn has achieved unicorn status, while Berkshire Partners is investing in Harbourfront Wealth Group in a deal valued at C$1.775 billion. Juniper Capital has backed AV systems design firm Bug ID, with founder Matt Lavine retaining a significant equity stake and continuing to lead the business.

Sector Focus & Strategic Moves

The sports industry is a growing area of focus for private equity, with KKR-owned Arctos backing a $288 million stadium district development in Tennessee as part of a broader college sports investment strategy. In the financial advisory sector, TPG has appointed Axel André as Partner and Chief Financial Officer, with current CFO Jonathan Weingart moving to lead the firm's expanding private wealth division. Japanese tax reforms scheduled for 2027 could impact succession opportunities within private equity, potentially leading to a short-term boost in M&A transactions this year as noted by PE International.

In Europe, discussions around performance culture and global hiring strategies are prominent. Revolut People is promoting Silicon Valley's performance-driven approach, while European businesses are increasingly utilizing global hiring as a growth strategy according to Sifted. The UK startup scene continues to evolve, with analyses examining the impacts of Brexit on the sector as explored by Sifted. Meanwhile, the increasing use of bespoke Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) by limited partners (LPs) is creating back-office challenges for general partners (GPs), with the proportion of GPs utilizing such mechanisms doubling according to PE International's Side Letter. Concerns about volatility have led the Virginia pension fund to cut its private equity target allocation for the first time in over 15 years as reported by PE International.