Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: July 25, 2026, 2:30 AM ET

Private Equity Firms Fuel Growth Across Diverse Sectors

Private equity continued its robust activity this past week, with a multitude of firms deploying capital into a wide array of industries. Longshore invested in health tech firm Prochant to support its next growth phase, while Providence Equity invested in SCG, a UK communications and IT provider serving approximately 35,000 small and medium-sized businesses. Bain Capital agreed to acquire UK vitamin company Vitabiotics for international expansion, and GTCR-backed Dentalcorp acquired Northstar Dental Partners, a dental support organization. Sky Knight is set to invest in infusion services provider Apex Infusion, with FFL Partners remaining a minority investor. In the realm of technology, Goldman Sachs Alternatives will acquire fintech firm Aegis Hedging Solutions, and Cinven is acquiring software firm Salsify, which boasts over 2,000 customers.

Dealmaking in Healthcare, Food, and Infrastructure

The healthcare sector saw significant PE involvement, with Warburg Pincus, Great Point Partners, Axcel, and Bansk Group among firms transacting in veterinary care services PE taps. Truehelm-backed Wildflower Health acquired maternity and women’s pelvic health platform Every Mother, and Equality Asset-backed Mindoula picked up Janus Healthcare Partners and Valera Health to enhance its engagement with hard-to-reach individuals and families. In food and beverage, Nazca Capital acquired Madrid Artes Digitales, an operator of immersive cultural experiences, and Investindustrial agreed to invest in Italian flavors and fragrances maker PA Aromatics. Infrastructure also featured, with Ridgewood Infrastructure-backed MN8 agreeing to acquire power producer Greenbacker for $375 million.

Venture Capital and Growth Investments

Venture capital activity remained dynamic, with General Catalyst leading over Y Combinator in backing fintech deals of $5 million or more in the second quarter. A $4.5 million seed round was announced for edtech platform Imagi, with participation from Brighteye Ventures, Day One Capital, and Will.i.am Edtech platform. Cascade raised $3.5 million to assist construction firms in finding and winning projects, with investments from a16z Speedrun, Ada Ventures, and Snowball VC. In a notable financing round, AI startup Atoms led the week's largest deals, attracting significant capital alongside other varied rounds in physical AI, biotech, cybersecurity, AI infrastructure, and fintech.

Secondaries Market Activity and Fundraises

The secondaries market continues to expand, with Harbour Vest closing its seventh co-investment program at $4.75 billion, surpassing its target Harbour Vest closes. Blackstone is seeking to raise up to $22.5 billion for its Strategic Partners Fund X, positioning it as the second-largest active fundraise in the secondaries market. Step Stone's VC secondaries fund has surpassed $1 billion, with Ohio's public school employees' pension fund committing $50 million. Townsend also raised $2 billion for real estate secondaries, having already deployed $1 billion into data center investments. More than half of secondaries investors are now running evergreen vehicles, deploying capital into a broadening range of opportunities.

Strategic Acquisitions and Minority Stakes

Strategic acquisitions and minority stake investments were prevalent. Blackstone has agreed to sell battery storage developer Aypa Power to Brookfield in a $7 billion deal, which includes Aypa's project portfolio and development platform. Matador Resources Company is set to acquire EnCap-backed Paloma Permian for nearly $1.3 billion, along with additional acreage in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. In sports, Harbinger took a minority ownership stake in MLB’s Athletics as part of the club's equity financing for a new ballpark in Las Vegas. Inflexion will take a minority stake in Salto Systems, a designer and manufacturer of electronic access control technology.

Fundraising and Firm Developments

Fundraising efforts remained strong, with Partners Group closing its fourth direct infrastructure program above $15 billion, exceeding its predecessor by over 50% and already committing more than 40% of the capital Partners Group closes. Apollo is targeting up to $20 billion for private credit deployment in Mexico, aiming to capitalize on nearshoring-driven infrastructure build-out Apollo targets. In firm news, Epiris appointed Owen Wilson as managing partner, succeeding Bill Priestley who will retire in October 2026. KKR has tapped Roy Gori as a senior advisor to focus on strategic opportunities across global financial services and insurance, particularly in Asia Pacific and international markets.

AI and Technology Investments

The artificial intelligence sector continued to attract significant attention and investment. Ten frontier AI labs joined the Crunchbase Unicorn Board in June, collectively valued at $65 billion and adding over $110 billion in value to the board. Hg is investing in UK proptech company Street Group, with plans to enhance its AI capabilities, valuing the company at over £200 million. The potential for AI to fundamentally rewrite the global financial value chain, driving down operating costs and enabling personalized products, was highlighted.

Industry Focus and Emerging Trends

Private real estate managers are increasingly leveraging secondaries, with continuation vehicles signaling a shift away from distress-driven strategies in the real estate secondaries market. The European startup landscape is also seeing significant activity, with discussions around high salaries and the emergence of AI, dual-use, and spacetech as key areas for debt funding. Investors are "risk-on" but demand clear differentiation in strategies, with a close eye on AI, defense, and liquidity dynamics.