Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: July 16, 2026, 5:30 AM ET

Recordati Board Approves CVC and GBL Offer; Ares Completes REIT Take-Private

The board of Italian drugmaker Recordati has deemed the €51.29 per share takeover offer from CVC Capital Partners and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert to be financially fair, with independent directors breaking ranks to support the bid Recordati board backs. Meanwhile, Ares Management has finalized its acquisition of Whitestone REIT, taking the U.S. retail property owner private in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.7 billion Ares completes $1.7bn.

Private Equity Continues Dealmaking Across Sectors

Arlington Capital Partners is set to acquire Gooch & Housego, an optical designing, testing, and manufacturing business, in a £345.6 million deal. Montagu is acquiring GBA Group, a laboratory testing business based in Hamburg, Germany. Arrow Global has added Milanese real estate developer Borio Mangiarotti to its portfolio. In a move from the technology sector, Verdane has purchased a portfolio of technology stakes from bp Verdane buys portfolio.

Major Financing and AI Investments Underway

The New York Yankees are reportedly in advanced talks to secure nearly $3 billion in financing from Apollo Global Management Apollo in advanced talks. In the artificial intelligence space, Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Anthropic have launched a new AI services provider named Ode with Anthropic, with backing from Apollo Global Management, General Atlantic, GIC, Goldman Sachs, Leonard Green, and Sequoia Capital. BlackRock's GIP is also acquiring commercial solar power firm Summit Ridge, which constructs, owns, and operates solar and energy storage systems.

Tech and Services Acquisitions and Exits

Gemspring-backed Amplix has acquired tech sourcing and procurement firm One Connect. Caltius has invested in tech services firm SaaS Consulting Group. VSS has exited its investment in tech services company Centroid Systems. Godspeed-backed ICE USA has acquired easement acquisition and project management firm SLC. RFE-backed Launch Pad has acquired home inspection firm Key Inspection Services. Veritas is set to acquire facilities management services firm BGIS. Phoenix Equity Partners has invested in specialist supply chain consultancy Squarcle.

Record Activity in Secondaries and Fund Launches

Louisiana Teachers is exploring a secondaries sale of its private equity assets to reduce its buyout allocation and increase liquidity. Credit manager Serone has launched a buyout secondaries strategy, making key hires from Ardian and UBS to lead the initiative. High Vista has appointed Ramit Malhotra as principal for its GP-led secondaries team, having launched the strategy earlier this year. Carlyle Alp Invest has closed its second single asset-focused fund on $1.7 billion, surpassing its target and predecessor fund. Growing institutional investor interest is fueling dealflow in real estate secondaries.

Other Notable Transactions and Market Trends

Mutares has sold its Finnish remediation firm Redo to Invex Group. Audax and Linden are selling Stat Lab Medical Products to Leica Biosystems. Cutting Edge has acquired the music rights and royalties of TV/film composer Brian Tyler’s catalog. Francisco Partners is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire a controlling stake in construction software maker Command Alkon for up to $1.3 billion Francisco Partners closes. EQT has sweetened its bid for Australian fund manager Perpetual to A$22.07 per share after its initial offer was rejected EQT sweetens Perpetual. KKR is marketing Europe's first debt deal backed by PayPal's buy now, pay later loans KKR markets Europe's.

Venture Capital and Fintech Funding Trends

Venture funding into fintech startups increased by nearly 23% year-over-year in the first half of 2026, despite a more than 25% drop in deal count, indicating fewer but larger investments. Corporate venture capital is showing a split, with wind-downs at companies like PayPal and Fidelity International suggesting a concentration of power at the top of the market. Greylock has capped its new fund at $1.5 billion, aiming to remain a highly focused partner to its portfolio companies. EQT-backed Syntetica raised $30 million, with backing from Lululemon. Robotics startup Monumental has raised $32 million, backed by Khosla Ventures.

European Tech and Investment Landscape

European rounds are seeing larger deal sizes, though the overall number of closed deals is decreasing. Discussions around the most valuable board members for European companies, according to founders, and leading tech hubs by deal activity in the first half of 2026 are ongoing. The European market is highlighted as the "best market in the world" by one cofounder of a company building humanoids. CalPERS has reported a preliminary net investment return of 14.8% for the year ended June 30, 2026, with private equity being a significant contributor Private equity lifts CalPERS.

AI Specialists and PE Firm Collaborations

Private equity firms are increasingly teaming up with AI specialists. Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Anthropic have launched Ode with Anthropic, an AI services provider. Aramco is reportedly in talks to back Humanoid at a unicorn valuation. The broader GP-to-GP market remains subdued compared to the exceptional levels seen in 2021, according to Montagu's Christoph Leitner-Dietmaier, who views deal complexity as a source of opportunity.