Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: August 10, 2026, 11:45 AM ET

Dealmaking

Bernhard Capital agreed to take-private Bowman Consulting Group for approximately $1bn, with a 35-day go-shop period allowing Bowman to solicit alternative bids. I Squared Capital struck a $631m equity buyout of Australia’s Ooh Media, valuing the out-of-home advertising operator at $733m on an enterprise basis — a 100% premium that the firm says reflects the asset’s digital transformation potential. A separate take-private of oOh!media is also being pursued through a scheme of arrangement. New Mountain Capital will acquire fire safety provider Jensen Hughes from Gryphon, adding mission-critical engineering and compliance services. KKR closed a strategic equity investment in Crowe Advisory, the tax and advisory arm of global accounting firm Crowe. Seatbelt Consulting was acquired by Provectus Capital Partners, marking the firm’s Romanian debut with a majority stake in the country’s largest occupational health and safety services provider. Wise Equity signed an agreement to acquire E-Pharma Trento and will pursue bolt-on acquisitions to expand manufacturing capacity. Eir Partners invested in Claims Bridge and supported the add-on acquisition of Dialysis PPO, aiming to scale the platform organically and through further M&A. VSS closed a minority stake in Cordoba, betting on infrastructure transformation driven by AI — with the firm stating it views AI as a net positive that cannot displace physical infrastructure needs. The same article also notes that PE dealflow had its worst second quarter since 2020, with the TMT sector seeing the biggest drop in deal count relative to last year.

Fundraising & LP Activity

Brookfield Asset Management raised a record $77bn in the second quarter, led by its private equity franchise but also drawing on infrastructure and credit. The firm’s capital raising underscores strong LP demand for large-scale alternatives. Korea’s Employment Insurance Fund plans to commit 120bn Korean won to blind-pool private equity and venture capital funds for 2026, reflecting continued appetite from Asian institutional investors. Global unicorn counts in the first half of 2026 have already surpassed 2025’s full-year total, with 195 new companies joining the Crunchbase Unicorn Board — far above counts seen since H2 2022. Meanwhile, the biggest consequence of a wave of AI IPOs may not be the listings themselves but the subsequent liquidity returned to limited partners, which could fuel a new venture fundraising cycle. However, dealflow slumps persist: the second quarter of 2026 was the worst for PE transaction volumes since the pandemic, with momentum wilting amid macro turbulence. In secondaries, continuation fund activity now outstrips traditional secondaries transactions, while new ESG rules could chill private markets, and an APAC rainmaker has resurfaced at an international firm.

Venture & Growth

Revolut secured a French banking licence, deepening its European regulatory foothold and paving the way for broader lending and deposit services. The biggest funding rounds this week included three startups raising $1bn or more apiece, spanning sectors from AI to healthcare, signalling a resurgence in large late-stage checks. A DeepMind shakeup is testing the UK’s AI ambitions, with DeepMind’s future becoming all the more critical for the country’s tech ecosystem. London’s King’s Cross, once a notorious red-light district, has transformed into one of the world’s top AI hubs, sprouting a cluster of startups and labs. Nabla appointed a new CEO, Brian Manning, who stated he is “not here to be acquired,” signalling a focus on independent growth.

Regional Spotlight

The Spanish mid-market is drawing increased dealmaking interest, with many family-owned companies approaching succession decisions and seeking external capital to professionalize, scale, and expand internationally. This trend reflects the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem across Iberia, where private equity firms are finding attractive opportunities in established, founder-led businesses.