Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: August 10, 2026, 5:40 PM ET

Mega Deals & Take-Privates

Apollo landed a £5.7bn recommended offer for easy Jet in what is set to be a landmark European take-private. I Squared Capital agreed to acquire oOh!media in a scheme of arrangement valuing the out-of-home advertising operator at $733m on an enterprise basis, a 100% premium. Bernhard Capital is taking Bowman Consulting private for $1bn, with a 35-day go-shop period for alternative bids.

Fundraising & AUM Milestones

StepStone surpassed $20bn in private wealth AUM, with its venture and growth-focused SPRING vehicle attracting nearly $1.7bn in subscriptions in the quarter. Brookfield raised a record $77bn in Q2, driven by private equity, infrastructure and credit franchises. Korea's Employment Insurance Fund plans to commit 120bn won to blind-pool private equity and venture capital funds in 2026.

Sector & Regional Deals

CPP Investments committed about $143m for a 49.5% interest in two landmark Hilton hotels in Brazil. New Mountain Capital is acquiring fire safety provider Jensen Hughes from Gryphon. KKR closed a strategic equity investment in Crowe Advisory, the tax and advisory arm of the global accounting network. Provectus Capital made its Romanian debut by acquiring a majority stake in Seatbelt Consulting, the country's largest occupational health and safety provider. VSS closed a minority stake in Cordoba, betting on infrastructure transformation and noting that AI cannot replace the need for physical infrastructure.

Market Trends & Secondaries

Private equity dealflow suffered its worst Q2 since 2020, with the TMT sector seeing the steepest decline in deal count year-over-year. Continuation fund activity is now outstripping traditional secondaries, while new ESG rules could have a chilling effect on private markets. Global new unicorn counts in the first half of 2026 have already surpassed 2025’s full-year totals, with 195 companies joining the board. A wave of major AI IPOs could return significant liquidity to LPs, fueling a new venture fundraising cycle.

AI & Venture Ecosystem

A DeepMind shakeup is testing the UK’s AI ambitions, with the lab's future seen as increasingly critical for the country's tech ecosystem. King’s Cross, once a notorious red-light district, has become one of the world’s top AI hubs, sprouting research labs and startups. Meanwhile, Nabla’s new CEO Brian Manning stated he is “not here to be acquired,” signaling independence for the AI healthtech company.