Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: August 11, 2026, 5:40 AM ET

Topline Deals

Apollo landed a £5.7bn recommended offer for easy Jet in a landmark European take-private, while Bernhard Capital agreed to take Bowman Consulting Group private for $1bn including a 35-day “go-shop” period. I Squared Capital agreed to acquire oOh!media for $733m on an enterprise basis, and New Mountain Capital is acquiring fire safety provider Jensen Hughes from Gryphon. KKR took a strategic equity stake in Crowe Advisory, the tax and advisory arm of the global accounting network. CPP Investments committed ~$143m for a 49.5% interest in two Hilton hotels in Brazil alongside HSI. Exponent closed a €750m single-asset continuation vehicle for H&MV Engineering, a specialist in high-voltage electrical services for data centers and renewables. Amberjack Capital completed the carve-out of Flowserve’s PNV Automation group, including facilities in Texas and Sweden. Provectus Capital made its Romanian debut by acquiring a majority stake in Seatbelt Consulting, the country’s largest occupational health and safety provider.

AI Infrastructure & Thematic Buildout

Six of the world’s largest alternative asset managers — Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs and KKR — plan to mobilize over $500bn for AI infrastructure buildout, using new financing platforms that turn Nvidia compute and full-stack AI into an investable asset class. VSS closed a minority stake in Cordoba, betting on infrastructure transformation; a principal there noted AI cannot displace the need for physical infrastructure. Meanwhile, private equity is backing Europe’s growing HVAC market as heatwaves intensify, and Nvidia plans partnerships with a host of PE firms to accelerate data center deployment.

Fundraising & LP Activity

Brookfield Asset Management raised a record $77bn in Q2, led by private equity, infrastructure and credit. StepStone surpassed $20bn in private wealth AUM; its SPRING vehicle attracted nearly $1.7bn in subscriptions last quarter. Korea’s Employment Insurance Fund seeks to commit 120bn Korean won to blind-pool PE/VC funds for 2026. The secondaries market is diverging as continuation fund activity outstrips traditional secondaries, while new ESG rules could chill private markets.

Dealflow & Mid-Market Trends

Global PE dealflow had its worst Q2 since 2020, with the TMT sector seeing the biggest drop relative to last year. Yet the Spanish mid-market is drawing dealmakers as family-owned companies approach succession decisions, seeking professionalization and international expansion. Three trends shaping European tech were highlighted at South Summit 2026, including the rise of deep tech and physical AI.

Venture & Tech: AI’s Ripple Effects

A wave of major AI IPOs could return significant liquidity to LPs, fueling a new venture fundraising cycle rather than just resetting public-market valuations. Global new unicorn counts in H1 2026 have already surpassed 2025’s totals, with 195 companies joining the board. VCs are watching 17 physical AI startups, and First Momentum’s cofounder identified the most underrated deeptech areas. The DeepMind shakeup tests the UK’s AI ambitions, and its future has become critical for the UK. Former red-light district King’s Cross is now one of the world’s top AI hubs. Nabla’s new CEO Brian Manning said he’s not there to be acquired.