Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: July 6, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

Fundraising & Investor Intentions

Eurazeo has successfully closed its fifth private equity secondaries program at €2.3 billion, exceeding its €2 billion target and more than doubling the size of its predecessor fund. This significant capital raise for a secondaries vehicle signals continued investor appetite for liquidity solutions in the private markets. In parallel, CVC Capital Partners announced the €3 billion final close of its CVC Catalyst III fund, a mid-market vehicle focused on Europe that nearly doubled its fundraising target. These successful closes for specialized funds suggest that while fundraising conditions remain challenging, well-defined strategies can still attract substantial LP commitments. Meanwhile, Singaporean family office JRT Partners is signaling an increased exposure to secondaries, indicating a broader trend of sophisticated investors seeking diversified avenues within private equity, with a focus on opportunities in the US, Australia, and Western Europe. Similarly, CNPADC is actively searching for experienced investment consultants with robust due diligence track records across various asset classes, underscoring the importance of rigorous selection in the current market.

Energy Transition & Infrastructure Deals

Blackstone has made its first investment from its new energy transition fund, agreeing to acquire Dresser Utility Solutions from First Reserve. The Houston-based company supplies equipment for natural gas and water measurement, control, and infrastructure. This move by Blackstone Energy Transition Partners marks a significant deployment of capital into a sector aligned with global decarbonization efforts. In a similar vein, Permira is backing the Iberian engineering group Quadrante, marking its second deal under its Energy Transition strategy. Quadrante, a consulting firm specializing in engineering, architecture, environment, and sustainability, fits squarely within the growing focus on sustainable infrastructure development. Avance has also made an infrastructure play, backing Lexxel, with the company's founders and management reinvesting significant equity. Further demonstrating activity in the sector, HIG is acquiring a majority stake in Germany’s Terras Group, an infrastructure engineering and construction services provider across mobility, energy, digital, water, and urban development. The cleantech sector overall saw $15 billion invested in seed-through-growth rounds in the first half of the year, indicating continued investor interest despite broader market volatility Crunchbase News.

Buyouts & Exits

CVC has agreed to sell its premium marina operator D-Marin to Infra Via Capital Partners. D-Marin operates 28 marinas across nine countries in the EMEA region, serving over 50,000 customers annually. This divestment by CVC Capital Partners VII fund highlights the ongoing portfolio management and exit activities within large private equity firms. In another significant transaction, Lone Star Funds is set to acquire Conti Tech, the industrial materials arm of Continental, for €4 billion. Conti Tech, a manufacturer of rubber and thermoplastics, serves diverse industrial sectors. Concurrently, Advent-backed Cobham Ultra is divesting its undersea warfare solutions provider, Ultra Maritime, for $3.45 billion. This strategic sale by the defense and aerospace company underscores the active restructuring and value realization occurring within portfolio companies. In a notable exit, Warburg Pincus has agreed to sell its stake in Singular Bank, a private banking and wealth advisory specialist, to a consortium led by ING.

Mid-Market & Strategic Investments

Bridgepoint has provided a €200 million minority investment to Skello, a provider of AI-powered HR management software for frontline workers. Skello serves 25,000 businesses across France, Spain, the Benelux, and Italy, indicating a growing trend of growth equity supporting software-as-a-service businesses with strong recurring revenue models. EQT is expanding its Asia Pacific mid-market presence by acquiring Orikan, a Melbourne-based provider of parking, enforcement, and compliance technology. This acquisition signifies EQT's strategic push into the region's growing technology infrastructure. In a potential take-private situation, Castlelake has secured board support from easy Jet for a proposed deal that could value the UK budget carrier at approximately $7.3 billion. This move, if completed, would represent a substantial private equity transaction in the travel sector. Meanwhile, Capmont is set to carve out Dyneon, a fluoropolymer manufacturer, from 3M Deutschland, with Dyneon's products serving critical sectors like semiconductors, medical technology, and electric vehicles.

Market Dynamics & Investor Sentiment

The private equity model remains fundamentally sound, though the era of uniform success fueled by easy money is giving way to a more discerning market, according to Scott Hart, partner and chief executive at Step Stone Group Step Stone Group. The emphasis is shifting from fund size to the trust and transparency between managers and investors, a sentiment echoed in analyses of contemporary fundraising dynamics Asante Capital. Public pension funds continue to navigate the private markets; Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) reported a 26% increase in its private equity portfolio, which