Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: July 21, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

Fundraising and Exits Dominate Deal Activity

Private equity firms are actively engaged in both fundraising and strategic exits. Kayne Anderson and Warburg Pincus agreed to sell Wild Fire Energy for approximately $4.06 billion to Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation in a significant transaction. Separately, Searchlight and Abry of IoT company Kore, while AIP, MGX, and BlackRock's GIP acquired Aligned Data Centers. Blackstone, Apollo, and KKR are committing $5.34 billion to Williams' power projects, taking a 49% non-controlling interest. On the fundraising front, Clipway surpassed its target, reaching $6.4 billion for its debut fund, and secondaries fundraising in the first half of the year, marking its second-strongest performance in six years.

Sector-Specific Investments and Acquisitions

The private equity landscape continues to see targeted investments across various sectors. I Squared-backed Liberty Tire Recycling acquired All American Tire, Tire Recycling, and Genan Inc., expanding its footprint in the tire recycling industry. Falfurrias injected capital into Factor Lab, an AI firm focused on work risk management. In the healthcare sector, PE-backed Premier Care Dental Management acquired cosmetic dentistry practice Brookline Smile Artists. Bluestone has backed Delphinus Engineering, appointing Roby Lentz as its new CEO. Enlightenment Capital invested in govtech firm Quorum, aiming to accelerate its product roadmap and AI capabilities. RFE-backed Launch Pad snapped up home inspection firm Top to Bottom Services, and O2-backed 4M acquired Bluegrass Commercial Cleaning and Rainbow Maintenance Services. Carbyne-backed Suan Nutra is set to acquire specialty ingredients businesses from IFF, and Cap Vest completed the acquisition of France's TSG, a provider of technical services for energy infrastructure. Apax Partners agreed to acquire techoraco and Institutional Investor from Delinian.

Venture Capital and Emerging Technologies

Emerging technologies, particularly AI, are driving venture capital activity. Maritime nuclear energy startup Bluecore Energy in a pre-seed round led by Slauson & Co. Natural raised $30 to develop payment solutions for AI agents. European fintech funding in the first half of the year has been heavily influenced by AI, with the mantra being "'If you're not AI-native, you're not getting funded.'". Black founders in the AI era are seeing some improvement in Series A funding, with approximately $643 million raised by Black-founded startups by late May, though this increase was driven by a few key deals in an encouraging sign. Dell Technologies Capital's Daniel Docter discussed how AI is reshaping Saa S and why the business model is not headed for extinction in a recent interview.

Operational and Strategic Adjustments

Firms are also making strategic adjustments to their teams and operations. Visionaries has shaken up its investment team ahead of a new fund. Angeles Equity Partners has tapped Kyle Huffman as VP of finance for its operations group, where he will focus on building scalable finance organizations and improving cash generation. Hellman & Friedman is moving Baker Tilly's $3 billion in debt from private credit to the syndicated market, with Deutsche Bank arranging the refinancing according to reports.