Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: September 4, 2026, 2:18 PM ET

Deal of the Day: EQT's $2bn Specialty Broker Bet

EQT has agreed to acquire a majority stake in McGill and Partners, the London-based specialty insurance and reinsurance broker, for $2bn, taking over from Warburg Pincus. The independent specialty (re)insurance broker, founded in 2019, has grown to more than 600 colleagues across seven countries, serving over 1,000 clients and generating revenue exceeding $400m annually. The transaction underscores continued PE appetite for high-margin, fragmented insurance distribution platforms, with EQT targeting cross-border expansion and further M&A to scale the business.

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Healthcare: Specialty Pharmacies, Hospitals and Textiles

Predictable, recurring revenues are pulling private equity into specialty pharmacies, with five deals closing recently. Court Square, Frazier Healthcare, Linden Capital and Wind Rose are among the firms deploying capital into multi-state operators with robust margins. Ina related move, Flexpoint, Frazier, WindRoseare eyeing further targets, while HIG Capital backed Outcomes One, a provider of clinical network services that helps independent pharmacies participate in value-based care contracts. Elsewhere in healthcare, KKR has agreed to take a minority stakein Avisena Healthcare, a Malaysian hospital operator, marking the firm's continued push into Asian healthcare infrastructure. In Europe, KKR is selling its minority stakein Nordic Bioscience back to the company's founder, having helped the business double its revenue and expand across R&D services, clinical diagnostics and drug development during its hold period. Meanwhile, CVC has agreed to invest in Unitex,an Elmsford, New York-based healthcare textile management services firm serving more than 5,000 healthcare facilities, as hospitals outsource laundry, linens and sterilization services to cut costs.

.Consumer, Industrials and Infrastructure Deals

TSG Consumer has made a strategic investment in Los Tacos No. 1,the New York taqueria known for its Tijuana-style tacos served fresh off the grill, marking continued PE interest in emerging restaurant brands with cult followings. In industrials, One Equity Partners has invested in Metro East Industries,a railcar services firm providing maintenance, repair and inspection services to Class 1 railroads, rail leasing companies, short linesand other rolling stock operators. The investment targets the growing need for railcar upkeep as freight volumes recover. In infrastructure, Goldman Sachs Alternativesand Cleanhill Partners have agreed to the $4.4bn sale of EPC Power to Flex.. The Poway, California-based company designs and manufactures software-defined power conversion solutions for data centers, utility-scale energy storageand microgrids, positioning Flex to capture surging demand for grid-scale power electronics amid the AI data center buildout.

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Fundraisingand Capital Formation

MS+PARTNERS has held the first close of its inaugural fund, raising close to €150mtowardsa €300m target, in a debut backed by the European Investment Fund anda roster of blue-chip institutions. The pan-European buyout fund will focus on smaller mid-market deals across Western Europe, targeting founder-led businesses in industrials, business servicesand healthcare. In technology, Bessemerand Creandumare set to back a new AI infrastructure startup at a $600m valuation,according to sources, signaling continued heavy capital deployment into compute-heavy AI ventures despite broader valuation corrections. Separately, Crusoe reportedly raised $3B at a $30B valuation,after the data center developer secured a $13 billion contract with Jane Street, underscoring how AI-driven electricity demand is reshaping data center economicsand attracting mega-rounds. .

M&A: Builders, Brewers, Fulfillmentand Legal Tech

Regimen Equity-backed Central Builders' Supply has acquired Lumberworld,a Victoria, British Columbia-based building materials supplier established more than 50 years ago, strengthening its position asthe leading independent supplier inthe Greater Victoria region. The deal reflects ongoing consolidation in building materials distribution, where scale drives purchasing powerand logistics efficiency. Saothair Capital has completed its acquisition of North American Breweriesfrom Heineken, taking control ofthe Rochester, New York-based brewerthat produces Labatt, Genesee, Seagram's Escapes, Lipton Hard Iced Teaand Bubly Wine Refresher,and is among the largest US providers of full-service contract brewing. The carve-out adds a stable cash-flow business with iconic regional brands to Saothair's consumer portfolio. Fort Point-backed AMS Fulfillment has completed its acquisition of Vox Fulfillment,a Provo, Utah-based third-party fulfillment provider serving fast-growing healthand wellness, beautyand cosmetics, appareland consumer product brands since 2018, expanding AMS's West Coast footprintas e-commerce brands seek distributed inventory networks to cut shipping timesand costs. Inlegal tech, Cecilia Ziniti, a former general counselat Amazon, Cruise, Replitand Anki, has teamed up with engineer Bardia Pourvakil to buildGC AI,an AI-powered legal tool designed specifically for corporate counsel needs, combining nearly two decades of in-house legal experience with coding expertise to automate contract review, compliance trackingand board reporting. .

Sports, Music Royaltiesand Talent Moves

Carlyleand Dynasty Equity have closed minority investments inthe Seattle Seahawks,the NFL franchisebeing acquired by the Khosla family,which has cultivated one of the most dedicated fan bases inthe league anda brand resonating well beyond the Pacific Northwest. The deal valuesthe franchiseat approximately $6bn, continuing the wave of institutional capital into professional sports teamsas leagues relax ownership rules. Harbour View Equity Partners has acquired the producer royaltiesand related master-recording rights of GRAMMY-nominated producerDavid Kershenbaum,whose catalog spansfrom "Fast Car" to"Steppin' Out", adding to its growing portfolio of music intellectual propertyas investors seek uncorrelated, royalty-based cash flows from streaming growth. .

Nordic, Australianand Other Regional Highlights

CVC Capital Partners has agreed to take a controlling stake in Ambrose Construct Group,a national leader in Australia's insurance repairand restoration industry, acquiring the business from CPE Capital. The deal capitalizes on rising extreme weather events driving demand for property restoration services across Australia. Inthe Nordics, the top 10 investorsby revenue growth have been ranked, highlighting firms backing scalable B2B softwareand climate tech across Sweden, Finland, Denmarkand Norway, where exit activityis picking up after a multi-year drought. .

Sector Roundupand Miscellany

Insurance, healthcareand energy metering deals rounded out the week, with VIPR's platformprocessing around 500,000 bordereaux annually, representing about $12 billion of gross written premium, across a base of blue-chip customers,as PE firms target insurance administration businesses with sticky, recurring revenue streams. M|C Partners has invested in DivergeIT,a Torrance, California-based managed ITand managed security services provider serving mid-sized businessesand enterprises nationwide for more than 27 years, to build a managed service provider acquisition platform targetingthe fragmented SMB IT market. .

People, Eventsand Strategy

Laurent Sifre, cofounder of H, has joined Microsoft,accordingto exclusive reporting, marking a notable talent grab by the tech giantas it deepens its AI research capabilities. Ina strategic choice, Legora has explained why it isn't building its own AI model, instead focusing on acquisitionsto integrate existing AI solutions into its platform, a pragmatic approachthat prioritizes speed-to-market over costly, uncertain foundational model development. Finally, less than 24 hours remain to apply for a TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Side Event,with applications closing tonight at midnight PT, offering startups a chance to host events during the Silicon Valley conferenceand gain visibility among investors, foundersand corporate innovation teams.