Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: August 12, 2026, 5:44 AM ET

Fundraising

Accel has raised $800m for its ninth early-stage Europe fund. Separately, the firm closed an oversubscribed $550m India fund within weeks, just 19 months after its previous $650m vehicle, of which over 55% remains for deployment. Scaleup Europe, a public-private fund targeting $5.7bn, made its first investment by backing Finnish satellite company ICEYE. In the secondaries space, Hollyport Partners sold a passive stake to Blue Owl, which will ultimately represent approximately 25% of the firm’s economic interests, allowing Hollyport to maintain independence. Meanwhile, Exponent closed a single-asset continuation vehicle of about $867m (€750m) for H&MV Engineering, tapping Apollo, Pantheon, and SQ Capital. A trio of former Local Globe partners is plotting a new VC firm, signaling continued appetite for specialist venture platforms.

Mega-Deals & Large Investments

Blackstone and La Caisse are leading a roughly $1.8bn (C$2.5bn) minority investment for a 25% stake in Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty programme, valuing the business at about $7.2bn (C$10bn). Apollo Sports Capital has invested $2.6bn in Yankee Global Enterprises, parent of the New York Yankees, to support franchise growth and refinance existing debt. Thoma Bravo completed its $466m take-private of Irish validation software firm Kneat, which has been delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Buyouts & Add-on Acquisitions

CHG Healthcare, a PE-backed hospital staffing firm, acquired medical staffing company Krewe Anesthesia. Alro Steel secured a majority investment from Lindsay Goldberg, with the founding Glick family retaining a significant stake. Monogram completed a continuation fund for beverage company Mountaintop, with Apollo S3 as lead investor. THL Partners invested in pavement maintenance firm Pave Masters, while Northern Lakes Capital exited. Phase 1 Equity, a Dune Glass-backed doctor-owned platform, snapped up a North Dakota orthodontic practice. Baymark acquired healthy meal prep and delivery company Meal Prep Sunday, marking its 66th acquisition. BNP Group, backed by Godspeed, acquired cost management firm US Cost Incorporated from Schneider S.E. PrimeSource Brands, a Clearlake-backed building products provider, acquired Starborn Industries. Keltec, backed by Vance Street, acquired filtration firm AJF Filtration. Big Top Manufacturing, an Altamont-backed provider of fabric structures, scooped up Coast to Coast Contracting. Airo, backed by CCMP Growth, acquired specialty plumbing and HVAC firm Legrande’s Enterprises. Quad-C invested in occupational safety and health platform Paradigm, formed through the combination of Code Red Safety, Concept Controls, and Haz Tek. Trinity Hunt backed management consulting firm Fisher Management Partners, with existing leadership staying on. New Heritage invested in manufacturer Power Rail, which serves the global rail industry. HIG Capital completed its acquisition of UK engineering firm Phoenix ME, which provides mechanical and electrical services to blue-chip clients.

Energy & Infrastructure

Solar energy is drawing increased private equity interest, while Providence also agreed to sell live entertainment business ATG to Mari, which operates 70 venues across the UK, US, Germany, and Spain. Separately, investors have identified 16 energy startups to watch in Europe.

Healthcare & Medical Education

The widening healthcare workforce gap presents an opportunity for PE in medical education.

Sports, Entertainment & Secondaries

Providence’s sale of ATG to Mari covers 70 venues including seven on Broadway and ten in London’s West End. Apollo’s investment in Yankee Global is part of a wider deal flow that also includes New Heritage’s backing of Power Rail. On the secondaries front, Ardian co-CEO Mark Benedetti highlighted most mispricing opportunities in European assets and secondaries, seeing more European families seeking international expansion partners.

Venture Capital, AI & Regional Shifts

Deeptech founders are increasingly dictating term sheets in 2026, with advice on securing fair deals. Monashees, a leading Latin American VC, is crossing into Silicon Valley by opening a San Francisco office to support the region’s startups. An opinion piece argues that AI is a business change, not a technology change, requiring redesign of teams and workflows. Sovereign wealth funds are leading AI investing, while PE talent is flowing to Spain and big deals bolster African data, according to a side letter.

Institutional Activity

The Plymouth County Retirement Association issued an RFP for a North American private equity manager, signaling ongoing institutional appetite for PE exposure.