Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: July 23, 2026, 2:30 AM ET

Infrastructure and Credit Drive Large Fundraises

Partners Group closed its fourth direct infrastructure programme above $15bn, marking its largest infrastructure raise to date and already committing more than 40% of the capital. In parallel, Apollo is targeting up to $20bn of private credit deployment in Mexico, aiming to capitalize on the country's infrastructure build-out driven by nearshoring trends. Separately, Blackstone, Apollo, and KKR collectively committed $5.34bn to Williams' power projects, taking a significant non-controlling interest.

AI and Tech Sector Activity

The artificial intelligence sector continues to attract substantial investment, with 10 AI labs joining the Crunchbase Unicorn Board in June, adding over $65bn in collective valuation and a total of 34 companies. Mistral AI, a prominent AI research lab, is reportedly in talks with Samsung for a Series D funding round, aiming to compete with established players like Anthropic, which itself has seen a remarkable revenue run rate increase to $47 billion. Natural raised $30M to build payments infrastructure for AI agents, while CuspAI to accelerate AI-driven materials discovery. Dell Technologies Capital's Daniel Docter, suggesting a continued role for the software model. However, Sifted highlights potential risks, detailing.

Private Equity Dealmaking in Traditional Sectors

Private equity firms have been active across a range of traditional industries. TJC is set to acquire electrical power firm Sunbelt Solomon from Trilantic North America, a company with over 1,600 employees across multiple countries. Monomoy is reportedly in advanced sale discussions for concrete manufacturer Cast-Crete, which could given current market multiples for building products companies. Cinven is acquiring software firm Salsify, which boasts over 2,000 customers, while Inflexion will take a minority stake in Salto Systems, a specialist in electronic access control technology as reported by PE Hub. Goldman Sachs Alternatives agreed to acquire fintech firm Aegis Hedging Solutions, marking an exit for Greenbelt Capital Partners and Baird Capital.

Healthcare and Industrials See Acquisitions

The healthcare sector remains a focus for private equity, with Truehelm-backed Wildflower Health acquiring maternity and women's pelvic health platform Every Mother. Equality Asset-backed Mindoula picked up Janus Healthcare Partners and Valera Health to enhance its engagement with hard-to-reach individuals. In the industrial space, Kinderhook aerospace components maker American Aero, its 33rd platform investment in the sector. BGF plans to sell Walker Precision Engineering to Karman Space & Defense, a provider of mission-critical components for aerospace and defense markets, while Pelican Energy is scooping up industrial metal fabricator Riggins Company.

Secondaries Market Activity and Investor Sentiment

The secondaries market is experiencing a record-breaking run, with volume extending its strong performance in the first half of the year. Townsend raised $2bn for real estate secondaries, with an initial focus on data centers. Clipway surpassed its target to reach $6.4bn for its debut fund. More than half of secondaries investors are now running evergreen vehicles, a trend that is broadening across the buyer universe and capital deployment opportunities as noted by Evercore. Despite this activity, overall investor caution persists, with 67% of institutions keeping private equity allocations unchanged in H1 2026.

Venture Capital and Emerging Markets

In Latin America, Mexico's startups in Q2, raising $944 million and significantly outpacing Brazil. This growth is attracting more global venture capital firms to the region. Meanwhile, within the U.S., tech layoffs continued into 2026, with over 127,000 workers at U.S.-based tech companies having been laid off in mass job cuts in 2025. Menlo Ventures' Matt Murphy highlighted the unprecedented growth of AI companies like Anthropic, which, and emphasized the need for AI startups to differentiate themselves.

Strategic Moves and Portfolio Company Additions

Private equity firms are also making strategic hires and consolidating their portfolio companies. KKR has tapped Roy Gori as a senior advisor to focus on financial services and insurance opportunities, particularly in Asia Pacific. Athena Capital has recruited Karim Bousta as an investment partner as announced by PE Hub. In portfolio news, I Squared-backed Liberty Tire Recycling acquires All American Tire, Tire Recycling, and Genan Inc. to expand its tire recycling operations. Coalesce-backed Examinetics acquires safety services firm Progressive Safety and Jurgiel, while O2-backed 4M acquires Bluegrass Commercial Cleaning and Rainbow Maintenance Services as reported by PE Hub.

Energy and Infrastructure Investments

Energy infrastructure continues to draw significant capital. Blackstone, Apollo, and KKR are committing $5.34bn to Williams' power projects, acquiring a 49% non-controlling interest. Cap Vest completes acquisition of France's TSG, a provider of technical services for critical energy infrastructure. Bluecore Energy, a maritime nuclear energy startup, raised $10M in a pre-seed round led by Slauson & Co. to develop portable nuclear reactors on barges.

Regulatory Scrutiny and Market Trends

Private funds are facing ongoing regulatory pressure, with the SEC's enforcement actions indicating continued scrutiny of managers. The broader market is also grappling with evolving trends, such as the increasing adoption of evergreen vehicles in the secondaries market as noted by Evercore and the potential for AI disruption to impact deal-making. PEI's analysis suggests that private equity allocations are stabilizing, with a majority of investors keeping their allocations unchanged in the first half of 2026.