Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: August 12, 2026, 5:42 AM ET

Mega Funds & Institutional Capital

Brookfield raised a record $77bn in Q2, led by its private equity franchise. StepStone surpassed $20bn in private wealth AUM, with its SPRING vehicle attracting nearly $1.7bn in subscriptions. Accel raised $800m for its ninth early-stage Europe fund, while simultaneously closing an oversubscribed $550M India fund within weeks. Meanwhile, Scaleup Europe, a public-private fund targeting $5.7bn, made its first investment backing Finnish satellite company ICEYE. The Plymouth County Retirement Association issued an RFP for a North American PE manager, and Korea’s Employment Insurance Fund seeks blind-pool PE/VC funds worth 120bn won.

Large PE Deals & Take-Privates

Bernhard Capital agreed to take-private Bowman Consulting Group for $1bn with a 35-day go-shop period. Thoma Bravo completed its $466m take-private of validation software firm Kneat. I Squared Capital agreed to acquire oOh!media at a 100% premium, valuing the advertising operator at $733m enterprise. New Mountain is set to acquire fire safety provider Jensen Hughes from Gryphon. HIG Capital completed the acquisition of UK engineering firm Phoenix ME. Clearlake-backed PrimeSource Brands acquired Starborn Industries. Monogram completed a continuation fund for beverage company Mountaintop, with Apollo S3 as lead investor. Alro Steel landed a majority investment from Lindsay Goldberg, with the founding Glick family retaining a significant stake. New Heritage invested in manufacturer Power Rail, and Providence agreed to sell live entertainment firm ATG to Mari, which operates 70 venues across the UK, US, Germany and Spain. In the same PE Hub story, solar energy is drawing private equity interest.

Venture Capital & Deeptech

Deeptech founders are dictating term sheets in 2026, with advice on securing fair deals. Ex-Local Globe trio is plotting a new VC firm. Monashees, one of Latin America’s oldest VCs, is crossing into Silicon Valley with a San Francisco office. There are 16 energy startups to watch in Europe, per investors. 17 physical AI startups are being watched by VCs. First Momentum’s cofounder highlights the most underrated areas in deeptech. Nabla’s new CEO Brian Manning says he’s not here to be acquired. Global new unicorn counts in H1 2026 have already surpassed 2025 totals, with 195 companies joining the board. A wave of AI IPOs could return significant liquidity to limited partners, fueling a new fundraising cycle. DeepMind shakeup tests UK’s AI ambitions, and the lab’s future has become critical for the UK. London’s King’s Cross, once a red-light district, is now one of the world’s top AI hubs. The South Summit 2026 highlighted three trends shaping European tech. AI-nativity is a business change, not a technology layer, argues Bob Morse.

Secondaries & Continuation Vehicles

Hollyport maintained independence by selling a 25% passive stake to Blue Owl. Exponent tapped Apollo, Pantheon, and SQ Capital for an $867m single-asset continuation vehicle for H&MV Engineering. Continuation fund activity now surpasses traditional secondaries. Apollo, Blackstone, Brookfield, and KKR are lining up behind NVIDIA in a $500bn move to make compute an asset class. The mispricing opportunities in European assets and secondaries are detailed by Ardian co-CEO Mark Benedetti.

Regional & Mid-Market Transactions

In Europe, Ardian co-CEO Mark Benedetti details mispricing opportunities, and Apollo Sports Capital invested in Yankee Global Enterprises. Spanish mid-market draws dealmakers as family-owned firms approach succession. Private equity plays in the growing European HVAC market. Provectus Capital made its Romanian debut by acquiring a majority stake in Seatbelt Consulting. CCMP Growth-backed Airo acquired specialty plumbing and HVAC firm Legrande’s Enterprises. Quad-C invested in occupational safety platform Paradigm, formed from multiple combinations. Trinity Hunt backed management consulting firm Fisher Management Partners. Vance Street-backed Keltec snapped up AJF Filtration. Amberjack Capital closed a carve-out of Flowserve’s PMV Automation group. DuneGlass-backed Phase 1 Equity snapped up a North Dakota orthodontic practice. Baymark acquired healthy meal prep company Meal Prep Sunday, its 66th acquisition. Godspeed-backed BNP Group acquired cost management firm US Cost Incorporated. Altamont-backed Big Top Manufacturing scooped up Coast to Coast Contracting. THL Partners invested in pavement maintenance firm Pave Masters, with Northern Lakes Capital selling out. CHG Healthcare acquired medical staffing firm Krewe Anesthesia. VSS closed a minority stake in Cordoba, betting on infrastructure transformation. CPP Investments teamed up with HSI in a $143m Brazilian hotels deal, taking a 49.5% interest in two Hilton hotels. KKR took a strategic stake in Crowe’s advisory business. Blackstone and La Caisse lead a $1.8bn minority investment in Air Canada’s Aeroplan, valuing the loyalty program at $7.2bn.

AI & Technology Trends

Apollo Sports Capital invested $2.6bn in Yankee Global Enterprises for growth and debt refinancing. Side Letter notes SWFs are leading AI investing, and PE talent rains down on Spain. Medical education gaps present an opportunity for PE. PE dealflow had its worst Q2 since 2020, with TMT deals dropping most. A top PE news of the week includes Apollo’s £5.7bn recommended offer for easy Jet. Nvidia plans partnerships with PE firms as they line up behind the chip giant. Side Letter also covers new ESG rules chilling private markets.