Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: August 6, 2026, 10:04 PM ET

Mega-Deals Reshape European Landscape

Apollo has secured a recommended cash offer for easyJet valuing the FTSE 100 airline at approximately £5.7bn and ending a fast-moving four-week bidding contest in one of Europe's landmark take-privates. The deal underscores the continued appetite of large-cap private equity firms for undervalued European public companies with strong cash flows and brand recognition. In the healthcare sector, KKR has agreed to acquire Medicover India, the Indian hospital operations of Nasdaq Stockholm-listed Medicover AB, adding a scaled multi-specialty network of 24 hospitals to its global healthcare portfolio. The transaction highlights the ongoing consolidation in emerging-market healthcare delivery as private equity seeks platforms with demographic tailwinds.

Private Credit Powers Healthcare and Infrastructure

Ares Management is leading a $2.2bn direct loan to finance Med Impact Holdings' planned acquisition of Puerto Rico-based Medical Card System, according to Bloomberg. The financing package demonstrates the growing role of private credit in funding mid-to-large-cap M&A as traditional bank lenders remain constrained. The transaction adds to a record year for direct lending, with private credit funds increasingly displacing syndicated loan markets for acquisition financing.

Secondaries Market Accelerates with Record Fundraising

G Squared secured $2.3bn for its seventh flagship secondaries fund, which is about twice the size of its previous vehicle and took half as long to raise. The rapid fundraising reflects intensifying investor demand for liquidity solutions in a market where exit timelines have stretched. Pantheon has backed a new BlackRock BDC credit continuation vehicle that will house over $500m of debt positions held by TCPC, with pricing coming in at 95% of gross fair value as of 31 December 2025. The GP-led market's domination in the first half of the year goes beyond market volatility, with fundraising momentum and expansion into new asset classes also driving growth. Assessing a quick-flip continuation vehicle on the asset's hold period alone is an imperfect metric, as more nuanced operational and performance factors determine true value.

Energy and Power Infrastructure Deals Dominate

Sunoco has agreed to acquire Court Square-backed oil transporter Offen Petroleum for $600m, adding a fuel distribution network delivering approximately 2.5 billion gallons annually to roughly 7,000 customers. The acquisition strengthens Sunoco's wholesale fuel distribution footprint across key US markets. LS Power is set to acquire the Brazos Valley gas-fired power plant from Constellation, a transaction that satisfies a regulatory divestiture commitment tied to Constellation's 2025 acquisition of Calpine. Partners Group agreed to acquire a majority stake in AVK Power Solutions, which has delivered more than 20,000 projects and installed approximately 3.5GW of power for data centers across Europe's FLAP-D markets. Veritas is acquiring Greenbelt-backed Saber Power Services, a vertically integrated power infrastructure services platform that helps customers build, modernize and maintain critical electrical systems. The flurry of power-related deals reflects the surging demand for electricity from data centers, electrification and grid modernization.

Professional Services and Business Services Consolidation

Broad Sky has closed the sale of professional services firm Smith + Howard to TPG, with the business having grown 4x under its ownership. 'The business is durable; tax and audit advisory are needed in good and bad times,' Broad Sky CEO Tyler Zachem told PE Hub in an interview. RedBird's Affinia added Wilson Partners in a UK accounting tie-up, with Wilson Partners advising small and medium-sized enterprises, private individuals and private equity investors across the UK. Equity-backed FMG Leading has closed its acquisition of Broadbranch Advisors at the end of July.

Technology and Manufacturing Investments

Verdane has made a majority investment in Factbird, a Danish IoT and recurring software company providing manufacturing intelligence services. MPK Equity-backed Gorgeous Collective has acquired Clean Your Dirty Face, marking the first acquisition for the platform since its launch earlier in 2026. Equity-backed Facility Grid has acquired autonomous commissioning company Ping Cx, introducing a new product strategy centered on three integrated offerings — FG Construct, Validate, and Sustain. Tortuga Growth has invested in Advanced eClinical Training out of its Fund I, L.P.

New Platforms Formed Through Add-Ons

Arlington-backed TRP has closed five add-on deals to form a new highway plastics division, with the targets being folded into a new platform called Gulf Highway Materials. The multi-acquisition strategy demonstrates how private equity firms are building scaled platforms through tuck-in mergers in fragmented industries. Partners Group in talks to buy beauty business Aroma-Zone from Eurazeo, while CVC and Veritas Capital are vying for Bodycote, a heat treatment and metallurgical services provider.

Investor Activity and LP Allocations

New Jersey sees opportunity in the slow exit market, with CIO and director of the Division of Investment Shoaib Khan saying re-ups and new opportunities are being looked at on equal footing, despite being spared liquidity concerns. Industriens Pension mulling adding more infrastructure secondaries exposure, with the Danish retirement scheme favouring indirect over direct investment and having made commitments to all five infra secondaries vehicles managed by Pantheon. Italian pension ENPAV has released an RFP seeking private equity co-investments. Asia, MMAA looks to commit 300bn Korean won to domestic blind pool private equity and venture capital funds for 2026. Korea Post seeks to commit 60bn Korean won to domestic blind-pool venture capital funds for the same period. Mega-firms are largely defying fundraising and exit headwinds, while OMERS is plotting a fivefold increase of its PE portfolio.

Talent and Entrepreneurial Trends

The UK has expanded its talent visa program to more than 100 companies, aiming to attract skilled workers to the country's growing technology and financial sectors. A dataset shared directly from Y Combinator revealed 454 repeat founders who have gone through its cohorts, showing a growing class of second-time entrepreneurs. The trend reflects the increasing institutionalization of startup creation, with experienced founders often achieving faster traction and better fundraising outcomes.

Market Outlook and Deal Pipeline

Goldman Sachs Asset Management is lining up data center contractor Divcon for sale, according to sources, adding to a busy pipeline of power and digital infrastructure assets coming to market. professional services deal close by Broad Sky that PE Hub first reported highlights the continued liquidity in the mid-market even as larger exits remain challenging. Europe's 50 most active equity investors in the first half of 2026 have been identified, showing the breadth of capital deployment across the continent. Paris continues to emerge as a hub for founder and VC networking, with seven key spots identified for meetings in the French capital.