Private Equity 8 Hours

Last updated: June 17, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Deal Activity & Carve‑outs

Montagu closed on BMC Helix in a carve‑out that adds an agentic AI Service Ops platform to its portfolio, expanding the firm’s cloud‑software exposure beyond its traditional infrastructure focus. At the same time, Allvia completed its acquisition of Smith Communication Partners, bolstering the workforce‑services platform with a boutique management‑consulting practice that will feed cross‑sell opportunities across its talent‑optimization suite. Both moves illustrate private equity’s tilt toward technology‑enabled services as fund managers seek higher‑margin recurring revenue streams in a tightening IPO market.

Recapitalisations & ExitsH.I.G. exited its minority stake in The Bluebird Group as founders and Bertram Capital recapitalised the data‑driven omnichannel commerce agency, providing the company with fresh growth capital while allowing H.I.G. to redeploy proceeds into new mid‑market targets. In a parallel trend, CVC Catalyst acquired a majority stake in Willow Wood, giving the prosthetics maker access to CVC’s global network and positioning the business for accelerated product‑line expansion in the United States. These transactions underscore a broader pattern of minority sellers cashing out while incumbents retain control through founder‑led recapitalisations.*

Credit Platform Expansion

Blackstone launched Sable Pointe Credit Strategies to deepen its foray into asset‑based lending, a segment that has outperformed traditional leveraged‑loan funds with double‑digit growth rates over the past year. The new platform will originate loans secured by equipment, receivables and inventory, allowing Blackstone to capture higher yields while mitigating credit‑risk exposure amid an uncertain macro backdrop. The move signals a continued shift among large‑cap PE firms toward diversified credit products as fundraising for classic buyout funds remains constrained.

Fundraising Momentum

Clearlake closed its eighth flagship fund at $14.8bn, a notable achievement given the current fundraising slowdown, and earmarked a sizable portion of capital for AI‑focused investments. The fund’s size reflects limited partners’ appetite for managers with proven AI track records, even as overall private‑equity capital commitments have softened. Clearlake’s success may encourage other mid‑market firms to double down on sector‑specific strategies to differentiate themselves in a crowded capital environment.

Healthcare Exit Highlight

Nordic Capital’s sale of Clario to Thermo Fisher for $8.9bn marked the largest full‑exit announced last year, illustrating the premium placed on digitally enabled pharma services. The transaction, described by Nordic’s healthcare partner as the “single biggest full exit in private equity globally,” validates the long‑term bet on consolidating fragmented diagnostic and clinical‑trial technology providers. The deal also provides a benchmark for future valuations in the rapidly consolidating health‑tech space.