Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: August 10, 2026, 8:45 AM ET

Deal Flow & Fundraising

Global private equity dealmaking hit a wall in the second quarter, with activity posting its worst Q2 since 2020 as macro turbulence derailed momentum, according to PE Hub. Despite the slowdown, Brookfield Asset Management raised a record $77bn in Q2, drawing heavily on its private equity, infrastructure, and credit platforms. Meanwhile, the global unicorn count surged: 195 companies joined the Crunchbase Unicorn Board in the first half of 2026, already surpassing all of 2025's total, as reported by Crunchbase News. A wave of major AI IPOs could further boost the ecosystem, returning significant liquidity to limited partners and fueling a new venture fundraising cycle — the real consequence may be what happens after the IPO itself.

Take-Privates & Large Deals

I Squared Capital agreed to take oOh!media private for approximately $733m on an enterprise basis, paying a 100% premium for the Australian out-of-home advertising operator. In the Nordic region, Nordic Capital led an $800m take-private of BWXT’s nuclear medicine business, while Accel-KKR, Bain, and Knox Lane placed bets on clinical workforce services, as detailed in PE Hub's latest. In Italy, Wise Equity signed an agreement to acquire E-Pharma Trento, with the pharmaceutical company likely to pursue bolt-on acquisitions for new technologies.

Minority Stakes & Exits

VSS closed a minority stake in Cordoba, betting on infrastructure transformation in the age of AI. "We view AI as a net positive… there is no way AI can reasonably displace the need for infrastructure itself," said Principal Sai Parepally, reported by PE Hub. Eir Partners invested in Claims Bridge and supported the add-on of DialysisPPO, aiming to scale the claims platform organically and through M&A. Carlyle is picking up a minority stake in Prime Capital Financial as Abry Partners exits the wealth management firm, which now oversees $50bn in AUM, according to PE Insights. Bernard Arnault installed Aymeric Le Clere as CEO of Financière Agache, the €3.1bn holding vehicle that anchors the Arnault family's control of LVMH.

Regional PE: Spain, Korea, UK

Dealmakers are increasingly drawn to the Spanish mid-market, where a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem and family-owned companies approaching succession decisions are creating opportunities, according to PE Hub. In Asia, Korea's Employment Insurance Fund is seeking commitments to blind-pool private equity and venture capital funds, with plans to allocate 120bn Korean won in 2026. The UK’s AI ambitions face a test as Deep Mind undergoes a leadership shakeup; the startup’s future is increasingly critical for the broader tech ecosystem, reports Sifted and a separate analysis. Meanwhile, London’s King’s Cross — once a notorious red-light district — has transformed into one of the world’s top AI hubs, sprouting startups and tech campuses, as TechCrunch Venture reports.

Fintech, Healthcare & Startup Funding

Revolut was granted a French banking license, a key regulatory win for the fintech giant, according to Sifted. In digital health, Nabla’s new CEO Brian Manning insists his company is "not here to be acquired," as he takes the helm of the AI-powered medical scribe, per Sifted. The week’s 10 biggest startup funding rounds featured three companies raising $1bn or more, with checks concentrated in enterprise, AI, and healthcare — a robust lineup detailed by Crunchbase News.