Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: May 19, 2026, 11:30 PM ET

Manufacturing & Packaging Consolidation Created a precision‑manufacturing platform as Sky Peak merged Excelus Manufacturing Solutions, D&G Machine Products and Millennium Precision, expanding its footprint in high‑tolerance components for aerospace and medical devices. At the same time, Novvia added a life‑sciences packaging distributor by acquiring APC Packaging, giving the Kelso‑backed firm a broader North‑American customer base and positioning it to capture rising demand for sterile, rigid containers amid vaccine roll‑outs.

Take‑Private Deals and Luxury Brand Transfer Closed a $3.1bn take‑private transaction when Leonard Green bought Mister Car Wash at $7 per share, adding 400 locations to its service‑center portfolio and illustrating private equity’s appetite for fragmented consumer‑services assets. Within the luxury sector, WHP Global agreed to purchase Marc Jacobs from LVMH, a deal that will place the iconic label under a specialist brand‑management platform and reflects a broader trend of private‑equity firms targeting high‑margin fashion houses for operational turn‑arounds.

EU Super‑Fund Win and AI Infrastructure Bet EQT secured management of the EU’s €5bn Scaleup Europe deep‑tech fund and later confirmed a pipeline of over 100 deep‑technology companies, signalling the firm’s intent to become a leading conduit for European AI, quantum‑computing and biotech start‑ups. Parallel to that, Blackstone committed $5bn to a joint venture with Google to build a U.S. AI‑infrastructure business, targeting 500 MW of capacity by 2027 and underscoring private capital’s shift toward capital‑intensive, compute‑heavy assets as demand from generative‑AI models surges.

Credit, Clean Energy and Private‑Credit Scaling H.I.G. Bayside refinanced Lifeways Group with a £90 m unitranche facility, extending the UK care provider’s debt maturity and improving liquidity ahead of a planned expansion of its senior‑living portfolio. In the power sector, Hull Street acquired FirstLight USA from PSP Investments, adding nearly 1,400 MW of clean‑energy generation in the Northeast to its asset base, a move that dovetails with the firm’s strategy to consolidate renewable assets under a single platform. Meanwhile, Barings closed more than $19bn for its Global Direct Lending strategy, marking one of the year’s largest private‑credit raises and highlighting continued investor appetite for senior‑secured loans amid a tightening bank‑lending environment.

Strategic Exits and Portfolio Adjustments KKR sold its remaining 10.57% stake in Kokusai Electric through a coordinated block sale, trimming exposure to Japan’s industrial conglomerates as the firm rebalances toward higher‑growth technology and healthcare holdings. On the consumer side, L Catterton exited Everlane for roughly $100 m in a sale to Shein, a stark contrast to the brand’s earlier DTC valuation and indicative of private equity’s willingness to accept lower multiples to exit underperforming apparel assets. Finally, Blackstone’s $5bn injection into a Google‑backed JV was highlighted as a case study in how extended hold periods are reshaping value‑creation mandates, with firms now deploying larger capital commitments to secure long‑term infrastructure footholds rather than seeking quick exits.