Private Equity 24 Hours

Last updated: September 23, 2026, 10:02 PM ET

Fundraising & Capital Deployment

Bessemer Venture Partners has raised $5.75bn for new investments, with the firm noting that AI-native companies are growing faster than any prior technology cycle. Blackstone is targeting $8.5bn for its latest energy transition fund, a significant increase from its predecessor which closed on $5.58bn in February last year. Connect Ventures has secured $55m in a first close of its fifth fund, targeting deeptech founders. Magic AI has raised £8m to take its AI-powered fitness mirror to the US market. The EIB has provided €19m in venture debt to grid-tech firm Reactive Technologies.

Mega-Deals & Consolidation

Perwyn and PAI Partners are merging Crosta Mollica with a Nestlé pizza spin-off to form a €1bn group. Ares Management has acquired an 80% stake in a 384 MW California solar-and-storage portfolio from EDPR. Platinum Equity has completed the $6.6bn sale of a Spanish waste business to Blackstone and EQT. Butterfly is set to buy food packager Sabert, while Main Post and Cap Vest are investing in snacking, with 65 snacking M&A transactions completed in H1 2026, up from 50 in the prior year.

AI & Tech Investments

Anthropic and Nvidia are backing Basecamp Research in a $140m round. Nscale has helped a ByteDance subsidiary access Nvidia chips, reportedly swerving US rules. Index Ventures’ Shardul Shah discusses the AI-native future of cybersecurity. Jumbo-sized Series A rounds are rising, with global startups securing at least 114 rounds of $100m or more so far this year. An emerging M&A map is developing for AI agent security as the market specializes.

Middle East Expansion & Platform Builds

EQT has opened its first office in the Gulf, launching a dedicated Middle East platform in Abu Dhabi to target capital and deals. The firm’s move highlights a growing trend of private equity firms establishing a Gulf presence. Renovus Capital-backed Cloud First has acquired Forvis Mazars’ IT and cyber unit. LLR Partners has taken a stake in energy management platform Energy CAP, which serves more than 750 organizations. Bertram Capital’s Ridgeline Roofing has acquired Advantage Roofing & Exteriors, founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1998.

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Arlington-backed AVS Bio has acquired UK bioreagent supplier Biorbyt in an add-on deal. Apollo-backed Forge is set to acquire Becker’s Healthcare from Pamlico Capital. Duke Street has sold UK pharma distributor Kent Pharma to Phoenix Labs. Symera Partners is set to acquire UK security specialist CIS in a family succession deal.

Industrial & Manufacturing

GHK Capital-backed WSB has acquired engineering firm Poly, founded in 1959 in Dothan, Alabama. Ambienta’s Glacialis has bought Italian refrigeration firms Madefrigor and TDF in its fifth add-on. Pfingsten has acquired precision bearings distributor Next Point Bearing Group. May River Capital has sold environmental monitoring platform Dickson to Blackstone-backed Copeland. Mutares has sold Dutch retailer Prénatal Netherlands to its CEO.

Emerging Tech & Data

Vsquared and East X Ventures have led a £10m seed round for a rare materials startup. Qdrant is shifting from vector search into physical AI. Fintech founders are launching a bootstrapped AI compliance startup after a major fintech exit. Companies are exploring how to finally use their most valuable data with AI. The emerging trend of AI-led performance reviews is raising questions about workplace surveillance.

Regulatory & Market Dynamics

New Hampshire Retirement System has issued an RFP for an investment consultant, with proposals due 7 October. The NBA has amended its private equity ownership rule. Bain & Co reports that software portfolio companies are missing payments monetization opportunities, as payments infrastructure often sits outside the traditional operating-partner toolkit. The Strictly VC event will join Tech Crunch Disrupt 2026 to discuss the changing VC landscape. A limited-time offer provides up to $200 off Tech Crunch Disrupt 2026 passes for three more days.