Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: July 24, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

Private Equity Firm Activity and Fundraises

Private equity firms have been actively deploying capital across diverse sectors, with significant activity in health tech, AI, and specialized services. Longshore has invested in health tech firm Prochant to fuel its growth phase. GTCR-backed Dentalcorp has acquired Northstar Dental Partners, expanding its reach in the dental support organization market. Providence Equity has invested in SCG, a UK communications and IT provider serving approximately 35,000 small and medium-sized businesses. Sky Knight is set to invest in Apex Infusion, a provider of infusion services, with FFL Partners remaining a minority investor. Bain Capital is acquiring UK vitamin company Vitabiotics for international expansion, leveraging its brands sold in over 70 countries. Nazca Capital has acquired Madrid Artes Digitales, an operator of immersive cultural experiences. Investindustrial is investing in Italian flavors and fragrances maker PA Aromatics, which supplies over 8,000 products to multinational and Italian customers. Decathlon has invested in health tech firm Health Endeavors. Tayeh Capital has invested in C-suite advisory firm Council Advisors, which has over 160 professionals across three practice groups. Oaktree-backed GA Group has acquired Trampe Settles, a family law litigation support firm. Bregal Sagemount will take a majority stake in ATOZ Services, an administration and governance provider for over 800 private equity, private credit, and real estate clients. Coalesce Capital has invested in cybersecurity provider Worksheet, with founder Stephanie Ge noting its position at the intersection of cybersecurity spending and regulatory compliance. Monomoy is reportedly in advanced sale discussions for concrete manufacturer Cast-Crete, which could be valued up to $850 million. Fundamental Advisors has acquired aerial services operator Blue Sky Helicopters, serving utility, government, and public safety customers. Tinicum is backing specialty chemicals distributor GracoRoberts. Vesterra Capital has acquired facilities maintenance platform PHFM. Bowmark Capital will become a shareholder in building standard SFG20, which offers a software platform for facilities managers and building owners. Camden-backed Triumph Higher Education has acquired the Culinary Institute of Barcelona. Valeas Capital Partners is investing in My Pension Expert, which has grown to around £2 billion of assets under administration since Palatine's initial investment. IK Partners plans to sell MDT technologies, a maker of smart building automation components, to Bregal Unternehmerkapital. TJC will acquire electrical power firm Sunbelt Solomon from Trilantic North America, with Sunbelt Solomon operating 42 locations across the US, Canada, and Chile. Cinven is acquiring software firm Salsify, which has established a network of over 2,000 customers. Truehelm-backed Wildflower Health has acquired maternity and women’s pelvic health platform Every Mother. Equality Asset-backed Mindoula has acquired Janus Healthcare Partners and Valera Health, focusing on engaging hard-to-reach individuals and families in healthcare. Butterfly and Graham Partners are investing in flavor maker Custom Flavors, serving the protein & nutrition, gummies & nutraceuticals, functional food & beverage, and better-for-you snack industries. Madison River is investing in construction firm Pro-Max to support its geographic expansion and service capabilities. Knox Lane has acquired health tech firm Cross Country Healthcare Inc. Crest Rock is investing in civil contracting firm Andrew Site Work, which performs retrofit, installation, and emergency repair activities for local governments.

Venture Capital and Startup Funding

Venture capital continues to fuel a range of startups, with a notable focus on AI and fintech. General Catalyst has taken the lead over Y Combinator in backing fintech deals of $5 million or more in the second quarter. Crunchbase data indicates that 60% of global startup funding this year, approximately $320 billion, has gone into rounds of $1 billion or more. A physical AI startup, Atoms, led a week of varied large funding rounds, alongside investments in biotech, cybersecurity, AI infrastructure, and fintech. Dimension Capital's third fund, at $800 million, demonstrates the booming intersection of science and compute. Imagi has announced a $4.5 million seed round for its edtech platform aimed at teaching coding, with investors including Brighteye Ventures, Day One Capital, and Will.i.am Edtech platform. Cascade has raised $3.5 million in a seed round from investors including a16z Speedrun, Ada Ventures, and Snowball VC to help construction firms find and win projects. Ten frontier AI labs joined the Crunchbase Unicorn Board in June, collectively valued at $65 billion, contributing to a total of 34 companies adding over $110 billion in value.

Secondaries Market and Fund Strategies

The secondaries market is experiencing robust activity, with record volumes and growing LP interest in evergreen vehicles. Townsend has raised $2 billion for real estate secondaries and has already deployed $1 billion, with an early focus on data center investments. More than half of secondaries investors are now running evergreen vehicles, with this capital increasingly deployed into a broadening set of opportunities, according to an Evercore report. Blackstone is seeking up to $22.5 billion for its Strategic Partners Fund X, making it the secondaries market's second-largest active fundraise by target. Step Stone's VC secondaries fund has surpassed $1 billion, with Ohio's public school employees' pension committing $50 million. Private real estate managers are increasingly utilizing the secondaries market, signaling its evolution beyond distress-driven strategies. In the European market, a significant war chest is being amassed, and Astorg is actively pursuing exits. Lead Edge and Hamilton Lane led a $625 million deal for Ninja One, a Saa S provider, offering LPs options to roll or cash out during the continuation vehicle process.

Industry Trends and Firm Developments

Private equity firms are adapting to evolving market dynamics, with a focus on AI, infrastructure, and talent. AI is seen as a transformative force that will fundamentally rewrite the global financial value chain, making marginal operating costs near-zero and enabling highly personalized products. However, AI disruption risk is also cited as a factor that is killing deals. Investors are expressing a "risk-on" sentiment but expect managers to clearly differentiate their strategies, particularly in areas like AI, defense, and liquidity. Apollo is targeting up to $20 billion for private credit deployment in Mexico, aiming to capitalize on nearshoring-driven infrastructure development Apollo targets. Blackstone is selling battery storage developer Aypa Power to Brookfield in a $7 billion deal. KKR has appointed Roy Gori as a senior advisor to focus on strategic opportunities across global financial services and insurance, with an emphasis on Asia Pacific and international markets. Astorg's co-managing partner highlighted the importance of mid-market focus for maximizing exit choices amidst a volatile macro backdrop. Epiris has appointed Owen Wilson as managing partner, succeeding Bill Priestley who will retire in October 2026. Athena Capital has recruited Karim Bousta as an investment partner and Francesca Cornelli to its operating partners council.

Sector-Specific Investments

Private equity firms are making targeted investments across various specialized sectors, including veterinary care, sports, and infrastructure. Seven deals in veterinary care services have been reported, involving firms such as Warburg Pincus, Great Point Partners, Axcel, and Bansk Group. Harbinger has taken a minority ownership stake in MLB’s Athletics as part of the club’s equity financing for a new ballpark in Las Vegas. Eli Manning, the former NY Giants quarterback, is sharing insights on investing in sports and discusses Brand Velocity Group's recent investment in RCX Sports. Ridgewood Infrastructure-backed MN8 is set to acquire power producer Greenbacker for $375 million, expanding its portfolio of energy assets. Matador Resources Company is acquiring EnCap-backed Paloma Permian for nearly $1.3 billion, along with undeveloped acreage in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. Hg is making a growth investment in UK proptech company Street Group, valued at over £200 million, with plans to deepen its AI capabilities.