Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: July 10, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

Apollo's Multifaceted Investment Surge

Apollo Global Management is making significant moves across various sectors. The firm is set to into Bayer's life sciences business, specifically its long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) division. In a separate, aggressive play, Apollo has tabled a £5.7bn bid for budget airline easy Jet, trumping an earlier offer from Castlelake and prompting easy Jet's board to drop its support for the rival suitor . Apollo is also actively involved in the primary care sector alongside Kain and OMERS to address the growing need for digital infrastructure . This primary care push is further detailed in a report noting six deals in the sector, with Apollo among the investors .

Dealmaking Activity in Healthcare and Technology

The healthcare sector is a hotbed for private equity activity. KKR has, Allyntra, to leverage innovation in medical devices, with Precipart, an existing KKR portfolio company, forming its core. Frazier Healthcare is set to acquire health tech firm Matrix Care from Resmed . Decathlon Capital Partners is backing diagnostics firm Amprion Inc. to expand its testing capacity for neurodegenerative diseases . Meanwhile, the HR tech sector has seen a flurry of deals, with Shore Capital, Lightyear, and Bridgepoint signing agreements. Shore Capital has acquired HR tech firm Thrive Pass , and Ardian has for HR Path, a business focused on HR consulting, implementation, and outsourcing . Coalesce-backed Decision HR has also acquired payroll service Paymasters Inc. .

European Tech and Venture Capital Trends

European tech is experiencing a strong period for venture funding, with the second quarter marking the strongest in four years. Startups across Europe raised approximately $24 billion in Q2, a significant increase. Despite this overall strength, some traditional areas are seeing shifts. Investor sentiment towards European tech has cooled, with tourist investors showing less enthusiasm for previously hot sectors . However, certain areas remain attractive, with defense tech drawing interest. Tikehau's Emmanuel Laillier notes that electronics and mechanical components are presenting opportunities in defense tech, and mergers of assets are seen as key to a unified European defense industry. AI continues to be a major focus, with Nvidia backing voice AI startup Gradium, bringing its seed round to over $100 million . World Fund and IQ Capital are among the backers of a €91 million round for.

Fundraising and Investor Intentions

The private equity fundraising market is showing signs of strength, with Q2 breaking a new record for inflows, partly buoyed by a $49 billion raise for MGX Fund I in June 25. Schroders anticipates that GP-led secondary. Several institutional investors are actively seeking new fund commitments. The Minnesota State Board of Investment is seeking a general investment consultant . The Korean government-related Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance and Prevention Fund aims to commit 270 billion Korean won to domestic blind funds for 2026. Similarly, Korean Teachers' Credit Union is looking to commit 100 billion won to domestic blind-pool VC funds for the same year. L1 Impact is targeting $100 million across four funds with a social impact focus, concentrating on the Middle.

Market Activity and Sector Focus

Private equity's influence on the M&A market remains substantial, with mega-deals continuing to drive activity. In the music sector, Ares has backed Firebird Music's $750 million fund for music rights catalogue acquisitions, collaborating with The Raine Group . CVC Capital is investing in music distributor Distro Kid, with Insight Partners retaining a significant minority stake . The primary care sector, driven by its increasing need for digital infrastructure, has attracted significant attention, with Apollo, Arsenal, Kain Capital, and OMERS Private Equity among those investing. Environmental service providers are also coming to market, with Ares, Littlejohn, Palladium, and TPG reportedly evaluating sales of these companies in the second half of the year. Secondaries Market and Strategic Investments

The secondaries market is anticipated to in the second half of the year, following a volatile first half . Advisers suggest that selective deal activity will pick up for firms with differentiated strategies as the bid-ask gap on quality assets narrows. Charlesbank has completed an investment in secondaries PE firm Overbay, with the Overbay team retaining significant long-term shareholder status and control over investment activities . In other strategic moves, Warburg Pincus is backing Australian credit agency Creditor Watch to support its expansion in Asia . SoftBank Corp and Pay Pay are reportedly in talks to invest in Seven & i Holdings, the owner of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain.

Emerging Themes: AI and Defense

Artificial intelligence continues to be a defining theme. SoftBank's Nandan Nilekani is stepping down from his GP role at Fundamentum as the firm launches its third fund of $200 million, targeting AI and fintech startups in India . Paradigm, a crypto VC firm, has to invest in "technical frontier" startups, expanding beyond cryptocurrency to include robotics and AI . EdVisorly has secured a $13.3 million Series A round to scale its AI-native platform for college transfers. Solo GP Ashley Smith's Vermilion Cliffs Ventures has closed a $25 million Fund II to back startups in AI, security, and other areas. In the defense sector, Europe’s newest defense unicorn has raised $175 million in a Series B funding round .