Private Equity 8 Hours

Last updated: March 26, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Private Equity Exits & Acquisitions

Private equity dealmaking in the beauty sector faces headwinds due to Middle East conflict, a sentiment echoed across transaction floors as firms continue to execute platform plays. In the aerospace logistics space, Sun European acquired Heathrow-based B&H Worldwide, a provider of services for aviation components, following a similar move where they invested in another logistics business, B&H Worldwide. Separately, the infrastructure exit market saw a transaction where Audax and Greenbriar sold airport services firm AGI to Lone Star, concluding their co-investment period which began in June 2021. Furthermore, on the buy side for platform expansion, Sovereign-backed Affinia made an add-on acquisition, building upon its foundation firm, LB Group, which Sovereign originally backed in May 2023.

Deal Financing & Secondary Market Strategy

Investment banks are adapting to capitalize on the need for liquidity as PE firms seek ways to realize gains, with Bank of America launching a dedicated Private Capital M&A unit specifically designed to unlock exits for private equity sponsors. Financing large deals remains active, as evidenced by Bain Capital securing a significant A$430 million loan, equivalent to approximately $300 million, earmarked to finance its acquisition of Perpetual’s Australian wealth management arm. In a separate deployment of capital, Blackstone committed $250 million toward a UAE-based payments platform, forming part of a larger $1 billion investment thesis focused on regional digital infrastructure despite current geopolitical tensions.

Middle East Capital Deployment & Platform Growth

Middle Eastern institutional capital continues to aggressively deploy funds globally, with Alterra backing General Atlantic’s latest investment into the managed services provider Wireless Logic, signaling sustained appetite from the region's sovereign wealth funds. Meanwhile, within the U.S. workforce services sector, Trinity Hunt-backed Allvia expanded its platform capabilities by snapping up HR Pals, a U.S.-based provider of workforce services. These platform additions occur even as broader venture funding dynamics shift, where data shows that while overall seed funding has not stalled, the activity is skewing toward larger rounds, with only deals exceeding $10 million showing growth in 2025, making early-stage competition fiercer than ever.

Sector Focus & UK Regional Investment

Geographic focus remains important for deploying capital, even as certain sectors experience friction; while PE dealmaking in beauty faces pressure due to conflict in the Middle East, the UK’s investment map shows opportunities extending beyond traditional hubs. Analysis suggests UK regions outside London are becoming increasingly investable for private capital, indicating a diversification of deployment strategy across the British Isles. In the technology sphere, internal governance matters are playing out in court, as reports detail an alleged ‘covert plot’ by Balderton and AVP aimed at ousting the founder of Cognism. The technology focus extends to AI, where Yann LeCun handpicked a 'maverick' founder to lead AMI Labs, while data indicates deeptech investors remained active throughout 2025.