Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: July 30, 2026, 5:30 PM ET

AI and Cleantech Draw Major Capital Infusions

Battery storage startup Antora, marking one of the year's largest cleantech rounds, to accelerate large-scale project deployment amid rising energy demand from AI data centers. In the European Union, applications. Meanwhile, Inforcer, a London-based company focused on AI and security risks for smaller businesses led by Insight Partners. Additionally, a rollup startup named Dwelly, focused on AI backed by EQT and General Catalyst.

Dealmaking Activity Spans Sectors and Geographies

Blue Owl reached $10.6 billion for its latest GP stakes fund, extending its fundraising timeline to wrap up this year. KKR reported its largest-ever monetization quarter, with $848 million in realized performance income and exit multiples as high as 20x. CVC is aiming for a third-quarter close on its sixth secondaries fund and is also planning its first infrastructure secondaries vehicle, having raised $9.3 billion to date for Fund VI according to its H1 results. In the Asian market, a concentration of capital in the large-cap space could present a lucrative opportunity for GPs able to raise capital down market.

Private Equity Eyes Strategic Acquisitions and Divestitures

HIG Capital to Truelink Capital, having acquired it in 2022. Blackstone's energy transition group, while Macquarie is reportedly shopping waste-to-energy company Win Waste. TSG Consumer, which was previously backed by Prelude Growth Partners. In a significant carve-out, Platinum Equity will acquire a 50% stake in Nestlé's waters arm for $3.4 billion, forming a new company named Peranel.

Large-Cap Transactions and Fundraisings Signal Market Strength

KKR and Energy Capital Partners received board backing for their £5.75 billion takeover of DCC, despite shareholder objections. Brookfield has held a $2 billion first close on its Middle East buyout fund, anchored by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund Brookfield Middle East Partners. Providence Equity Partners is taking full control of THE·TEAM in a buyout of the agency formerly known as Wasserman. MRC has backed Nexus Power to support its geographic expansion, targeted acquisitions, and team growth. Dominus has invested in traffic products manufacturer Pelco Solutions, with Pelco's management team to continue leading the business.

Sector-Specific Investments and Strategic Moves

Bain Capital agreed to acquire UK vitamins leader Vitabiotics for approximately £900 million ($1.2 as part of an international growth strategy. BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners is backing a €1.2 billion ($1.38 management buyout of Irish Continental Group, led by CEO Eamonn Rothwell BlackRock-backed ICG management buyout. Blackstone and Colony IM plan to acquire Accor's 30.7% stake in hotel owner Essendi for up to €975 million ($1.12 . Hg and EQT, while Open Gate is carving out Knorr-Bremse’s HVAC unit.

Secondaries Market Activity and Investor Strategies

Savanno closed oversubscribed, with its latest vehicle having made 12 investments to date. Evercore is expanding its APAC private capital advisory unit, more than doubling headcount to capitalize on secondaries growth in the region. Family office Green Bear is reducing its private equity exposure and favoring separately managed accounts, seeing cost-efficiency benefits in 'full-service' SMAs amid lower private equity returns. Step Stone is leading a £140 million single-asset secondary for Premier Modular, a modular buildings provider that raised £360 million from European infrastructure investors.

Venture Capital Focus on AI, Health, and Enterprise Solutions

Function, a health testing platform providing access to over 100 blood tests via subscription. Startups at the intersection of AI and security have collectively raised $855 million across more than 150 seed-stage rounds this year. Centralize, an enterprise sales platform co-founded by former Meta and Slack engineers, emerged from stealth with $15 million in Series A funding. Throne Science, which develops an AI-powered toilet camera for gut health tracking, raised $10 million in Series A funding led by Will Ventures. Freehand has raised $75 million in Series B funding to scale autonomous AI agents managing supply chain spend and back-office operations.

VCs Assume Operator Roles and Europe's Startup Expansion

Venture capitalists are increasingly taking on operator roles within the companies they fund. European startups are actively expanding internationally, even at the seed stage. Alecta, a Swedish pension fund managing €126.7 billion in alternatives, believes that disciplined entry pricing is directly linked to value creation, stating that "purchase multiples are the new DPI". One of Europe's most active limited partners is actively seeking venture capital firms with strong "industrial know-how".

AI's Impact on Industries and Investor Scrutiny

The value creation credentials of AI are facing mounting scrutiny, with some fearing that general partners may overpromise and underdeliver on AI's ability to drive topline growth. Providence Equity's Karim Tabet suggests that AI "fatigue" indirectly boosts live events, as the paradox of digitalization makes physical scarcity more valuable. Tabet also notes that sellers are becoming more realistic about must-move assets, with new opportunities emerging in communications, live events, and education against the backdrop of AI. Tower Brook's Joseph Knoll believes the strongest opportunities lie in services, particularly business, financial, and healthcare services, where AI can meaningfully improve productivity and customer outcomes.