Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: July 17, 2026, 2:30 PM ET

Sector Focus: Healthcare, Infrastructure, and Tech Acquisitions Drive PE Activity

Private equity firms continued to be active across a range of sectors. Partners pursuing, with ArchiMed completing a $1.1 billion take-private of Esperion Therapeutics. In the medical transport space. Charterhouse is set to acquire Batibig, a French building maintenance business with over €500 million in annual revenue. Separately, Charterhouse is also acquiring an emergency building repairs business. acquiring Epic. Partners acquired. Serent-backed Raintree. acquired stakes, including event-sourcing specialist Axoniq and digital health business Dawn Health. services provider. Apollo is in advanced talks to provide nearly $3 billion in financing to the New York Yankees. Blackstone GIP. Stone Point Capital and Further Global, backed by Permira, are acquiring ABC Economics. Ardian is acquiring a majority stake in Pflegia, a German digital healthcare recruitment platform.

Investment Strategies and Fund Activity

Investment firms are exploring diverse strategies, from niche acquisitions to broad market plays. investing CMW. promoted Pete. Percheron-backed Big. EQT has raised its tender offer for Japanese internet platform operator Kakaku.com to ¥3,450 ($21. per share. ACM and Wafra are expanding their stakes in Ardian, with AXA selling its 10% holding. H.I.G. Capital has launched Highground Living, a €1 billion German residential platform. Germany's KENFO plans to increase its private markets allocation to 30% but trim private equity exposure. Partners Group warned that evergreen outflows could hit $20 billion, with private equity accounting for two-thirds of its underperforming assets. acquired Borio. backing Pickton. acquiring pipe. Advantage Partners plans to target Japanese firms shielded from foreign takeovers. VSS exited. Godspeed-backed ICE. selling StatLab. Gemspring-backed Amplix. Caltius investing. RFE-backed LaunchPad. Veritas is acquiring facilities management services firm BGIS from CCMP Capital Advisors and Alberta Investment Management Corporation. Partners investing. Mutares sold.

Venture Capital and Funding Trends

Venture capital activity shows a concentration in AI and larger funding rounds, particularly in Asia. AI startups are attracting significant seed funding, making it harder for other pre-seed stage companies to secure capital. Fora, an AI-powered travel agency, has achieved unicorn status, raising $60 million and valuing the company at $1 billion. Investors poured $42.8 billion into startup funding rounds across Asia in Q2, driven by China's $7.4 billion DeepSeek raise. funding surged. Monetary rounds are becoming larger in Europe, though fewer companies are closing deals. Greylock capped its new fund at $1.5 billion to focus on fewer investments and offer more support to founders. Founders Fund. EQT's €5. robotics startup. Neko raised a $700 million Series C, reporting profitability at the clinic level. Miles Wang.

Secondaries and Fund Governance

The secondary market is seeing increased activity in real estate and a focus on continuation vehicles, while fund governance is under heightened scrutiny. Louisiana Teachers' Retirement System is exploring a sale of PE secondaries to reduce its allocation to buyout assets. Serone, a credit manager, has launched a buyout secondaries strategy with a debut fund. M&G is building infrastructure secondaries exposure and targeting continuation vehicles. Carlyle AlpInvest has closed its second single asset-focused fund on $1.7 billion, surpassing its target. Rising confidence. Paul, Weiss reports that scrutiny on fund governance has intensified, with LPs seeking greater control and stronger protections. appointed Ramit.

Notable Deals and Valuations

Several significant deals and valuations have been reported. Aston Martin is in discussions with a group of funds, including HPS Investment Partners, to raise fresh debt. taking Gooch. CVC Capital Partners and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert have made an offer for Italian drugmaker Recordati, which the board has deemed financially fair. Francisco Partners is nearing a $1.3 billion buyout of construction software maker Command Alkon. Ares Management has completed the $1.7 billion all-cash take-private of Whitestone REIT. KKR is marketing Europe's first debt deal backed by PayPal buy now, pay later loans. acquired stake. Cutting Edge. Permira-backed Kroll. AnaCap-backed Ryze.

AI and Tech Investments

AI continues to be a major theme, with both dedicated AI companies and traditional businesses integrating the technology. launched Ode. EQT is reportedly in talks to lead a funding round for Mistral AI. The shift towards "multiplayer AI" is evident, with applications moving beyond single-user chatbots. Startups are focusing on AI applications across various sectors, from drug discovery to code generation. Verdane has acquired a portfolio of technology stakes from bp. ArchiMed's $1.1 billion take-private of Esperion Therapeutics highlights biopharma investment in rare diseases.

Limited Partner (LP) and Manager Perspectives

LP sentiment and manager strategies are evolving. CalPERS reported a 14.8% net investment return for the year ending June 2026, with private equity as a key contributor. LPs are increasingly sophisticated regarding continuation vehicles (CVs), which are a key liquidity tool in private credit. Ardian has arranged unitranche financing for Astorg's buyout of Barkene. Blackstone's new EMEA wealth head discussed expansion plans and the challenges of fragmented European regulations. Montagu's Christoph. The broader GP-to-GP market remains subdued relative to 2021 levels.

Geographic Focus

Activity is noted across various regions. The European venture capital landscape sees larger rounds but fewer deals. Asia's startup. Argentina and Spain are also seeing notable startup funding activity. H.I.G. Capital launched a €1 billion German residential platform. EQT is in a bidding war for Australian fund manager Perpetual, improving its offer to A$22.07 a share.