Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: July 16, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

Dealmaking and Platform Launches

H.I.G. Capital launches Highground Living, a new German residential platform valued at €1bn. Tailwater backs Pickton Gas Storage, led by former Nor Tex Midstream Partners management. One Equity pipe fabrication and distribution firm Epic Piping from Bernhard Capital Partners. Guardian sells manufacturer Precision Roll Solutions to American Roller Company, which it acquired in 2022. Inspirit Equity-backed Sizemore is set to acquire Carlson Building Maintenance. Oridian-backed ACR has acquired reusable bags provider Redi Bag USA. Ridgewood Coogee senior relocation services firm Caring Transitions. CD&R-backed White Cap plans to acquire concrete distributor Gierke Robinson. Gemspring-backed Amplix is acquiring tech sourcing and procurement firm One Connect. Caltius invests in tech services firm Saa S Consulting Group. Verdane acquires minority stakes in a portfolio of over 10bp technology businesses focused on energy industry digitalization and transport innovation.

Fund Allocations and Governance

Germany's KENFO plans to increase its private markets allocation to 30% from 25% over the next two years, while simultaneously reducing its private equity exposure. Partners Group that evergreen outflows could reach $20bn, with private equity comprising two-thirds of its underperforming assets. A report from Paul, Weiss highlights as LPs seek greater control, improved economics, and stronger protections against succession and zombie fund risks amid mounting fundraising pressures. Teachers explore a private equity secondaries sale to reduce its buyout asset allocation, increase liquidity, and divest from inactive GP relationships.

Major Transactions and Takeover Bids

KKR and Energy Capital Partners have sweetened their offer for DCC, raising the bid to £5.81bn, or £67.97 per share. Arlington Capital Gooch & Housego private in a £345.6m deal, focusing on optical design, testing, and manufacturing for aerospace, defense, industrial, telecom, and life sciences. Bridgepoint acquire a majority stake in Hamburg-based laboratory testing group GBA, a specialist serving over 60,000 customers in environmental, food, and life sciences markets. Bridgepoint buys a majority stake in GBA Group from Ardian. Recordati board backs CVC Capital Partners and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert's takeover offer, deeming the €51.29 per share bid financially fair. Apollo in advanced talks to provide nearly $3bn in financing for the New York Yankees. Mutares sells Finnish remediation firm Redo to Invex Group, which has been part of Mutares' portfolio since 2023 and operates over 20 locations.

Secondaries Market Activity and Strategies

M&G builds infra secondaries exposure, targeting continuation vehicles (CVs) for assets requiring more time and capital for growth, rather than solely supporting GP hold periods. The real estate secondaries market is experiencing as managers seek liquidity while retaining prized assets, establishing secondaries as a permanent capital flow channel. managers launch buyout secondaries strategies, with Serone hiring from Ardian and UBS to lead its new approach. Continuation vehicles are emerging as a in private credit, though most LPs are still opting for cash payouts amid increased market scrutiny.

Venture Capital and Startup Funding

Asia's startup reached a multiyear peak in Q2, with investors pouring $42.8 billion into rounds across the region, led by China's $7.4 billion DeepSeek raise. Munich robotics startup Microagi, marking Germany's largest ever seed round. Despite attention on large AI seed rounds that very large first financings rarely produce venture-scale returns due to high entry valuations limiting upside. EQT-backed Syntetica raises $30m backed by Lululemon. robotics startup $32m backed by Khosla Ventures. Greylock capped its new fund at $1.5 billion, aiming to maintain a focus on approximately 25 investments per fund to be the "most important partner" to its founders.

Strategic Investments and Financing

GroundForce Capital in agricultural testing platform Rock River Laboratory, which is backed by Aqua Capital. Ardian arranges unitranche financing for Astorg's leveraged buyout of Barkene, a French provider of mission-critical technical services. Verdane buys a portfolio of minority stakes in technology businesses from bp. Payments giant Stripe and Advent International have teamed up to make an offer to buy PayPal for over $53 billion.

Market Commentary and Trends

Montagu’s Christoph notes that deal complexity is a "source of opportunity," with the broader GP-to-GP market remaining subdued relative to 2021 levels. European venture rounds are, but fewer companies are closing them. AI is a significant focus, with articles discussing and how Visma and its AI portfolio are reshaping accounting. Europe is seen as for building humanoids, according to a Uma cofounder.