Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: July 2, 2026, 2:30 AM ET

Private Equity Dealmaking & Fundraising

The Italian software firm Bending Spoons defied the broader Saa S market slump, surging 40% on its first day of trading, pricing its Nasdaq IPO at $1.68bn above the expected range Bending Spoons prices $1.68bn IPO. The company has built its success by acquiring and revitalizing established but underperforming tech brands. Meanwhile, on the clean energy front, KKR has agreed to acquire the North American renewable energy operations of French utility EDF for approximately $4.2bn, with potential additional payments of up to $390m. This acquisition marks a significant bet on the clean energy sector by the private equity giant. In a similar vein, KKR is taking control of a $1.3bn renewable energy platform in South Korea, partnering with SK to establish the country's largest clean power business, aiming to fuel the nation's AI build-out.

In the financial sector, Ardian is reportedly packaging secondhand fund stakes into a $1bn debt vehicle, capitalizing on a booming collateralized fund obligation market. The firm has also made a minority investment in VSORA, a France-based fabless company designing AI inference accelerators for data centers Ardian Semiconductor takes minority stake. Hamilton Lane announced the final close of its sixth direct equity fund at $3.8bn, making it their largest fund to date. On the other side of capital allocation, the MWRA is seeking proposals for a private equity buyout mandate, with plans to commit up to $20bn for this initiative MWRA issue RFP.

Sector-Specific Investments

The automotive aftermarket saw multiple deals, with WILsquare-backed Automotive Color & acquiring Ohio Paint Supply to expand its regional distribution network across Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio. Separately, Monomoy Capital acquired the quick lube and car service franchise Jiffy Lube for $1.3bn from a subsidiary of Shell USA, Inc. In the industrial services sector, Harvest Partners acquired Integra Testing Services from Keystone Capital Management, while Truelink invested in Horwitz, a firm focused on servicing complex commercial and industrial facilities across the Midwest.

In the realm of consumer brands, IVEST Cloverlay are set to sell the Care Bears brand to Authentic Brands Group for an undisclosed sum, having quadrupled the business in three years. Verlinvest and Five Seasons are backing pet nutrition company Years, which produces ambient-stored dog meals with extended shelf life. The software sector also saw activity, with Volpi Capital taking a majority stake in kgs, a provider of legally compliant document archiving software for SAP environments, and FPE backing BMA, a decision intelligence platform for utility companies.

Venture Capital & Startup Ecosystem

In the venture capital space, Tapestry VC closed its third fund at $80 million, focusing on repeat founders in Europe and anticipating a wave of AI-driven exits. Ashton Kutcher is departing Sound Ventures to launch a new firm with Morgan Beller, with the new fund reportedly focusing on infrastructure supporting AI companies. The UK-EU standoff over a €5bn Scaleup fund saw the EU offer a quota deal to resolve the impasse between the UK and France. In an effort to broaden access to the startup ecosystem, Common Ventures launched a scheme aimed at bringing working-class graduates into the sector. Meanwhile, the fast-paced developments in AI are placing pressure on science startups, as demonstrated by the release of new AI models Anthropic release puts science.

Fundraising and Secondaries

Behrman completed a $250 million continuation fund for Shurco, with Coller Capital leading the investment alongside Northleaf Capital Partners and Siguler Guff. Secondaries investors are increasingly seeking fund financing for their commitments to optimize returns, according to discussions at the European Fund Finance Symposium Secondaries investors grow more. The public pension fund MWRA is also exploring commitments, issuing an RFP for a private equity buyout mandate with plans to allocate up to $20bn MWRA issue RFP.

Strategic Moves and Executive Changes

KKR is set to acquire the U.S. and Canadian operations and assets of EDF power solutions for $4.2bn, a deal that also saw KKR agree to purchase the North American arm of EDF's renewables business. William Blair has acquired investment bank Inner Circle Sports, which serves a range of clients in the sports and entertainment industries. Blue Wolf has appointed Vanessa Generelli as its new Chief Financial Officer, with Eve Mongiardo transitioning to Partner and Chief Compliance Officer. In a significant move for AI infrastructure, Brookfield increased its financing commitment with Bloom Energy to $25bn, a fivefold increase since October 2025, to support rapid power development for AI. The ongoing tech sector adjustments are reflected in continued layoffs, with over 127,000 workers at U.S. tech companies having been laid off in 2025 and into 2026 Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker.