Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: July 16, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Private Equity Dealmaking and Fundraising Activity

Private equity firms were active across various sectors, announcing numerous acquisitions and investments. Oridian-backed ACR reusable bags provider RediBagUSA, while senior relocation services firm Caring Transitions. CD&R-backed White concrete distributor Gierke Robinson, and agricultural testing platform Rock River Laboratory. In the UK Gooch & Housego private for £345.6 million. Bridgepoint continued its acquisition spree, agreeing to acquire a majority stake in Germany's GBA Group from Ardian Bridgepoint buys majority stake, and specialist supply chain consultancy Squarcle. Montagu was also active, with Christoph Leitner-Dietmaier highlighting carve-out complexity as a source of opportunity.

Further expanding its portfolio, Verdane acquired minority stakes in several bp technology businesses, a move also reported as Verdane buying a portfolio of technology stakes from bp Verdane buys portfolio. Gemspring-backed Amplix tech sourcing and procurement firm One Connect, and Caltius invested in tech services firm Saa S Consulting Group. Arrow Global added Milan real estate developer Borio Mangiarotti to its portfolio. In the music rights sector, Cutting Edge acquired the catalog of TV/film composer Brian Tyler. Mutares divested its Finnish remediation firm Redo to Invex Group.

Large Transactions and Strategic Maneuvers

Several significant transactions and strategic moves were highlighted. KKR and Energy Capital Partners elevated their takeover bid for DCC to £5.81 billion. CVC Capital Partners and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert received backing from the independent directors of Italian drugmaker Recordati for their takeover offer Recordati board backs CVC. Ares Management completed its $1.7 billion take-private of Whitestone REIT. Francisco Partners was reportedly in advanced talks to acquire a controlling stake in construction software maker Command Alkon for as much as $1.3 billion Francisco Partners closes in on. Apollo Global Management was reported to be in advanced talks to provide nearly $3 billion in financing to the New York Yankees Apollo in advanced talks.

Private Credit and Secondaries Market Activity

The private credit and secondaries markets saw notable developments. Continuation vehicles (CVs) are emerging as a key liquidity tool in private credit, though many LPs are still opting for cash exits amid increased scrutiny. M&G is building its exposure to infrastructure secondaries, targeting CVs that require long-term capital for growth. The secondaries market is becoming a more permanent channel for capital flow as managers seek liquidity without selling prized assets. High Vista tapped Ramit Malhotra for its GP-led secondaries team, having launched the strategy earlier in the year. Serone, a credit manager, launched a buyout secondaries strategy with hires from Ardian and UBS. Louisiana Teachers is exploring a sale of private equity secondaries to reduce its buyout allocation and increase liquidity. EQT-backed Syntetica raised $30 million, and saw Harbour Vest lead a €526 million vehicle.

Asia's Startup Funding and AI Investments

Asia's startup funding reached a multiyear peak in the second quarter, driven by China. Investors poured $42.8 billion into startup funding rounds across Asia in Q2 2026, with China's $7.4 billion DeepSeek raise being a significant contributor. Despite attention-grabbing AI mega-seed rounds, historical data suggests that very large first financings rarely deliver venture-scale returns due to high entry valuations limiting investor upside. Several private equity firms are actively partnering with AI specialists. Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Anthropic launched an AI services provider named Ode with Anthropic, backed by a consortium of investors including Apollo Global Management and Goldman Sachs, a move also noted alongside other PE firms teaming up with AI specialists.

European Venture Capital and Tech Funding

European rounds are increasing in size, but the number of companies closing deals is declining. Munich robotics startup Microagi raised $55 million, marking Germany's largest-ever seed round. Visma and its AI portfolio are focusing on making bookkeeping less painful. EQT-backed Syntetica raised $30 million with backing from Lululemon. Robotics startup Monumental raised $32 million, backed by Khosla Ventures. Despite the focus on AI, Yann LeCun's experience with a new VC fund and subsequent departure raises questions.

Other Notable Developments

KKR is marketing Europe's first debt deal backed by PayPal's buy now, pay later loans in Germany KKR markets Europe's first. CalPERS reported a preliminary net investment return of 14.8% for the year to June 30, 2026, with private equity being a strong contributor Private equity lifts CalPERS. Greylock capped its new fund at $1.5 billion to focus on being a more impactful partner to its founders. Stripe and Advent International were reported to be teaming up to make an offer to buy PayPal for over $53 billion. The Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker noted over 127,000 workers laid off at U.S.-based tech companies in 2025 and continuing into 2026.