Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: August 10, 2026, 11:40 PM ET

Fundraising & Dealflow Dynamics

Brookfield raised a record $77bn in Q2, driven by private equity, infrastructure, and credit. StepStone surpassed $20bn in private wealth AUM, with its SPRING vehicle attracting nearly $1.7bn in subscriptions. Despite these inflows, PE dealflow experienced its worst Q2 since 2020, with TMT hit hardest. Meanwhile, global unicorn counts surged to 195 in H1 2026, surpassing full-year 2025 totals. The wave of AI IPO liquidity could return substantial capital to limited partners, potentially fueling a new venture fundraising cycle.

Take-Privates & Large Acquisitions

Apollo’s £5.7bn bid for easy Jet marks a landmark European take-private. In the US, Bernhard Capital agreed to take Bowman Consulting private for $1bn, including a 35-day go-shop period. I Squared Capital is acquiring oOh!media for $733m enterprise value at a 100% premium. New Mountain plans to buy fire safety provider Jensen Hughes from Gryphon. Amberjack Capital closed the carve-out of Flowserve’s PMV Automation group. In Romania, Provectus Capital made its debut by acquiring a majority stake in Seatbelt Consulting.

Strategic Investments & Minority Stakes

KKR took a strategic stake in Crowe Advisory, the tax and advisory arm of the global accounting firm. VSS closed a minority stake in Cordoba, betting on infrastructure transformation and stating AI is "a net positive" for the sector. CPP Investments committed ~$143m for a 49.5% interest in two Hilton hotels in Brazil alongside HSI.

International & Regional Focus

The Spanish mid-market is drawing dealmakers due to family-owned firms approaching succession decisions. Korea's Employment Insurance Fund seeks to commit 120bn won to blind-pool PE/VC funds. The UK’s AI ambitions face tests after a DeepMind shakeup and questions over DeepMind’s future in the region. In healthtech, Nabla’s new CEO Brian Manning insists the company is “not here to be acquired.”

Secondaries & Side Letter Activity

Continuation funds are surging, with secondaries divergence seeing continuation fund activity outpace traditional secondaries, while new ESG rules could chill private markets and an APAC rainmaker resurfaces at an international firm.