Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: April 11, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

Fundraising & Capital Deployment

The private equity fundraising environment showed early signs of stabilization, with nearly half of funds closing in the first quarter *meeting their targets, representing the highest success rate in five years, suggesting managers are adjusting expectations to match current LP appetite. This period also saw fundraising timelines averaging 14 months, the shortest since 2022, while Court Square Capital Partners successfully closed its fifth flagship fund at $3.8 billion, exceeding its initial goal. Concurrently, Blackstone capitalized on strong investor demand for credit strategies by raising $10 billion for its latest opportunistic credit fund, while 154 Partners, founded by a former Blackstone alum, secured $400 million for its debut fund focused on sports investments.

Credit & Secondaries Markets

The credit secondaries market is proving beneficial for managers, as Arcmont noted an "enormous benefit" to this growing segment, with CEO Anthony Fobel expressing willingness to transact with traditional private debt competitors. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Asset Management suggests that some evergreen funds are achieving short-term performance boosts through secondaries mark-ups, leading to potential rationalization efforts. In Asia, Ping An Insurance is reportedly exploring a secondaries sale of approximately $1 billion of its portfolio, marking the sixth time the insurer has initiated such a process. Furthermore, the rebound in venture secondaries is being influenced by the AI sector, though this AI-driven pricing recovery* raises questions regarding its long-term sustainability in the sector.**

Sector-Specific Acquisitions & Exits

Activity across various sectors included several strategic divestitures and acquisitions, demonstrating continued M&A appetite despite broader economic uncertainty. GTCR finalized its acquisition of European generics pharmaceutical company Zentiva from Advent International, while EQT agreed to sell its stake in the Nordic ferry operator to a consortium including Rederiaktiebolaget Gotland. In healthcare, Sterling picked up Healthcare Linen Services Group from seller York Private Equity, and Avista acquired Bentech Medical from sellers Greyrock and Hermitage Equity Partners. Elsewhere, Ara Partners committed up to $500 million to accelerate the project pipeline and manufacturing capabilities of waste management firm Sedron in North America.

Technology & Infrastructure Deals

The technology sector saw significant private equity involvement, particularly in specialized hardware and infrastructure plays. Nvidia-backed SiFive achieved a $3.65 billion valuation following a $400 million funding round for its open-source RISC-V chip designs, standing out against traditional x86 and ARM architectures. In infrastructure, Blackstone acquired a minority stake in Rowan Digital Infrastructure, which is currently backed by Quinbrook. Furthermore, Charlesbank led a fresh investment round in Bridgepointe Technologies, with participation from existing backer Carlyle Alp Invest. In the digital services realm, Gryphon-backed Caylaent, an Amazon Web Services partner, acquired tech firm Pronetx* to expand its capabilities.**

Healthcare & Specialized Industrials

Firms continued to target specialized areas within healthcare and consumer goods. Advent, Avista, and Main Post are actively involved in the personal care space, which is drawing interest as brands focus on *building consumer relationships. This interest was further illustrated by Blackstone and TPG closing their take-private of women’s medtech developer Hologic earlier this week. In the medical field, Havencrest invested in Offor Health to facilitate a recapitalization, while Council Capital, with backing from PMPK, acquired health tech firm Medical Service Quotes.com. In industrials, Mutares entered into a dual carve-out agreement to acquire two automotive supplier businesses from Magna to construct a $320 million platform.

Exit Preparations & Corporate Activity

Several firms are preparing major liquidity events, signaling potential market churn. TPG is evaluating strategic options, including a sale or IPO, for its Asia One Healthcare business, which is valued at approximately $7.5 billion, having appointed Malayan Banking and UBS to advise. Separately, defense technology provider Aevex, backed by Madison Dearborn Partners, is setting terms for a U.S. IPO targeting a $2.35 billion valuation* in a deal aiming to raise $336 million. In the professional services sector, Tower Brook-backed Eisner Amper is set to merge with KLB Business Valuations & Forensic Accountants in a transaction anticipated to conclude in May 2026.**

Sports Investment & European Tech

Sports-related investment remains a focus area, with several large firms being sounded out for potential minority stakes in major European assets. Firms including Apollo, CVC, Ares, and Sixth Street are being approached regarding a *minority investment in Italy’s Serie A. This echoes the debut fund close by 154 Partners at $400 million, focused on sports investments. In European technology, there has been a notable surge in venture creation, with Europe minting the highest number of $1 billion startups in four years, fueled partly by the ongoing impact of AI on entrepreneurship across the continent. Meanwhile, Onex Partners completed a $1.6 billion multi-asset continuation vehicle which included stakes in portfolio companies such as Power School and Sedgwick.