Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: June 29, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

Private Equity Dealmaking & Strategy

Private equity firms are actively deploying capital across diverse sectors, from industrial automation to data centers. CVC Capital Partners agreed to acquire Italian industrial automation group Clevertech, with the founding Reggiani family reinvesting as a minority shareholder. In a similar vein, CVC is set to purchase Irca, an Italian B2B food-ingredients manufacturer, from Advent. Separately, Ardian plans to invest over €3 billion in Nordic data centers through its portfolio company Verne, signaling a significant push into digital infrastructure. Meanwhile, HIG Capital completed its acquisition of Premier Forge Group, a U.S. manufacturer supplying critical forged components to the aerospace, defense, and specialty industrial sectors. Bridgepoint is entering the U.S. real estate market with a $1.39 billion acquisition of Kayne Anderson Real Estate, a move that also signals a growing interest in mental health and neurodiversity M&A through Investcorp's new software engineering platform. On the fundraising front, insights from the PEI 300 ranking suggest a comeback in private equity fundraising volumes PEI 300 analysis.

Mid-Market Opportunities & Sector Focus

The lower mid-market continues to present attractive opportunities for private equity, particularly amidst geopolitical tensions and fluctuating interest rates, according to Fengate's Jennifer Pereira lower mid-market resilience. Operational improvement is seen as a key driver of value creation in this segment, rewarding firms with strong cash discipline, pricing power, and leadership maturity operational improvement focus. In a move targeting the workplace safety sector, Carr's Hill-backed Smart Gulf acquired AMC Safety and Safe Construction Consulting. The trend of billion-dollar startup exits is also gaining momentum, reaching levels not seen since the 2021 market peak billion-dollar exits.

Fundraising and Investment Vehicles

Efforts to bolster European scaleups are underway, with France seeking to prevent the UK from playing a role in a €5 billion EU Scaleup Fund EU Scaleup Fund dispute. In parallel, the British Business Bank plans to support UK scaleups with £400 million annually UK scaleup funding. These initiatives come as European deeptech investment has already hit an annual record within the first six months of the year European deeptech investment. Investors are also navigating political complexities in defense sector strategies, with some large European firms looking to co-invest with general partners defense sector politics.

Debt and Restructuring

In the debt markets, lenders to Godiva Japan have agreed to extend the maturity of approximately ¥75 billion ($463 in loans by nine months, indicating a restructuring of the confectioner's debt obligations. In the energy sector, San Mateo Midstream is set to acquire EnCap-backed Cardinal Midstream for $752 million, a deal that underscores ongoing consolidation within the midstream energy infrastructure space.

Investment Firm Movements

Strategic Value Partners has bolstered its European investment team with the appointment of Jean Baptiste de Boissieu as managing director. Meanwhile, Index Ventures is reportedly leading an investment into Berlin-based Nomos Energy, highlighting continued venture capital interest in the European tech scene. JC Flowers is leading an investor group, including Nowlake Technology, to acquire Republic Finance, signaling activity in the financial services sector.