Private Equity 3 Days

Last updated: August 14, 2026, 5:34 PM ET

Venture Capital and AI

Joshua Kushner, a prominent figure in venture capital, has cautioned against excessive exuberance surrounding Artificial Intelligence, emphasizing the need for investment discipline despite the sector's vast potential. In his first investment letter, Kushner warned that "it would also be a grave error in our minds to let excitement weaken our investment discipline." Meanwhile, Databricks has secured another $5 billion, following a similar amount raised just eight months prior. Other significant funding rounds this week included an AI neolab, data center and electricity storage solutions, and defense technologies. In a related development, Battery Ventures is backing Vetspire, an AI operating system for veterinary practices, aiming to accelerate product innovation and AI development. Thrive Holdings has raised $2 billion at a $12 billion valuation, with support from investors like SoftBank, D1 Capital Partners, and Altimeter Capital, to bring AI solutions to the enterprise. OpenAI-backed Thrive Holdings raised $2 billion to bring AI to the enterprise. Furthermore, Trunk Tools, an AI construction startup founded by Sarah Buchner, is aiming to improve efficiency in the construction industry. The drone sector is also seeing significant investor interest, with VCs highlighting ten drone startups to watch in 2026. Uforce, a drone startup, is reportedly targeting a valuation upwards of $4 billion in its latest fundraising round. In the realm of AI infrastructure, Mistral has secured backing from ASML, Amadeus, and others for its data center buildout. Index Ventures is reportedly in talks to lead a $500 million round for a new AI lab founded by a former Deep Mind researcher. Multiverse Computing, a Spanish startup, is positioning itself as a potential European AI champion. In the fitness sector, startup funding is rebounding, with investors showing a preference for AI and data-driven companies over traditional fitness equipment.

Private Equity Deals and Investments

Private equity firms continue to be active across various sectors. Shurco, a manufacturer of cargo covering systems, has acquired Heavy Motions Inc. In the energy sector, Optimum Energy has acquired Hussung Mechanical Contractors and HMC Service Company. Wolf-Gordon has acquired two interior surfaces providers, Andor Willow and Walls & Interiors. In the environmental services space, One Rock is set to sell Enviro Serve to Clean Harbors for $470 million. Astara Capital has acquired Dynatec, an industrial wastewater treatment firm. Resurgens Technology Partners is investing in Qarma, an AI-powered quality and compliance software platform. In the financial services sector, WestBridge is acquiring a majority stake in Beckett Investment Management from Foresight Group. Apax is selling Tosca, a food supply chain logistics provider, to Goldman Sachs Alternatives. Goldman Sachs is also acquiring ETF provider Neos Investments for $2.25 billion. In the data center sector, CVC DIF has agreed to acquire a significant majority stake in firstcolo, a German colocation data center operator, from Cube Infrastructure. Providence Equity has agreed to acquire Hometrack, a property valuation data firm. Mountaingate has exited its investment in Relevate, a healthcare commercialization platform. In the insurance sector, Thoma Bravo is taking Accelerant, a specialty insurance risk exchange platform, private for over $4 billion. Reverence Capital has backed Sunstar in its acquisition of insurance agency RJR Faribo. Clearview Capital-backed Capitol Services has acquired Wolz, a corporate services provider. Gridiron Capital is investing in van den Boom & Associates, a life sciences back-office solutions provider. Braemont Capital is investing in Thought Logic, a consulting firm. RF Investment Partners has acquired RJ Underground, a drilling company. Granite Creek-backed DCG is merging with digital and tech firm Urban Emu. Butterfly Equity, Graham Partners, and Wise Equity are among firms transacting with nutraceuticals assets. Astorg has completed the buyout of Thermo Fisher's microbiology business. Marlin's Radar Healthcare has completed an add-on acquisition of Cemplicity, a patient experience platform. Riverside-backed Western Botanicals is investing in Yellow Emperor, a dietary supplement developer. HarbourVest has revealed its deployment strategy for its $4.75 billion flagship fund, HCF VII, which is targeting AI and healthcare innovation. The firm is also seeing activity in the beverage sector with deals from Bain, Platinum Equity, and Monogram. Providence has agreed to sell its live entertainment business, ATG, to Mari.

Fundraising and Investor Sentiment

EQT and Digital Garage have increased their tender offer for Kakaku.com to ¥3,570 per share, surpassing a competing offer. EQT's Scaleup Europe Fund has debuted with a €450 million check to ICEYE, valuing the satellite operator at €10 billion. In the credit markets, private credit heavyweights are reportedly circling a €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) non-performing loan package being sold by Italy's BFF Bank, with Pimco and Pollen Street among the potential suitors. CVC Credit has priced Apidos LVIII, a new $550 million collateralised loan obligation, marking its fourth new issue CLO of the year. Accel has raised $800 million for its ninth early-stage Europe fund. Separately, Accel has also closed an oversubscribed $550 million India fund within weeks. Hollyport Capital has secured backing from Blue Owl, choosing to remain independent. New 2ND Capital is nearing a $1.25 billion close for its Fund IV. Korea's NPS has added another $1 billion in secondaries exposure, with its secondary funds and co-investments growing 36% to approximately $3.7 billion. The Korean pension fund's private equity assets under management have seen a 12% rise, though overall growth is slowing. La Caisse's private equity holdings experienced a 4.3% loss in the first half of 2026, significantly underperforming a benchmark that gained 8.0%. Investors are increasingly focusing on local economy themes, according to a former heavyweight LP turned consultant. The SEC is intensifying its scrutiny of private fund valuations, with examiners requesting information on specific funds. US investors are also raising questions regarding valuations in credit secondaries. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is shifting its strategy towards value realization and seeking greater private capital involvement for its next phase. The LA Fire and Police Pension system is reaffirming its commitment to the lower mid-market and emerging managers, believing their portfolio distributions have performed well.

Corporate and Market Trends

Silver Lake is reportedly in discussions to take Workday private in one of the software industry's largest buyouts. Silver Lake and Digital Bridge are also exploring a potential exit for Vantage Data Centers, which could value the hyperscale operator at approximately $100 billion, considering either an IPO or a sale. In Europe, the fintech sector is grappling with a culture problem. The number of companies joining the Crunchbase Unicorn Board in July reached, the highest count in four years, with financial services, robotics, AI orchestration, multimodal AI, energy, and semiconductors leading the pack. Bank of America has agreed to invest up to $1.9 billion for a stake of up to 49.9% in Jio Credit, the lending arm of Jio Financial Services. Northern Gritstone, a UK spinout investor, is planning to open an office in San Francisco. Blackstone is exploring a broader push into the US retirement market, looking to incorporate private markets into target-date funds and managed accounts. TDR Capital is reportedly exploring the sale of Arrow Global, a British private credit manager it acquired five years ago. The market for private equity dealmaking has seen a slump. EQT Life Sciences is investing $17.5 million in Vaderis Therapeutics as part of a $152 million Series B round. There are meetups in London for founders and VCs.