Private Equity 8 Hours

Last updated: July 6, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Dealmaking Activity & Fund Raises

Private equity firms have been active across various sectors, with several significant transactions and fund closes reported. Lone Star Funds agreed to acquire Conti Tech, the industrial materials division of Continental, for €4 billion. In a move to expand its Asian reach, EQT is set to acquire Orikan, a parking technology group, signaling a mid-market push into the Asia Pacific region. CVC Capital Partners successfully closed its European mid-market fund, Catalyst III, at €3 billion, nearly doubling its target. Separately, CVC has agreed to sell its marina operator D-Marin to Infra Via. Bridgepoint is backing AI-powered HR software provider Skello with a €200 million minority investment. HIG is acquiring a majority stake in Germany's Terras Group, an infrastructure engineering and construction services firm.

Sector Focus & Investment Trends

Investment focus is diversifying across industrial materials, technology, and infrastructure, with a notable push into cleantech and sustainable solutions. Capmont plans to carve out Dyneon, a fluoropolymer manufacturer serving critical sectors like semiconductors and electric vehicles, from 3M Deutschland. The cleantech sector saw $15 billion invested in seed through growth-stage rounds in the first half of the year, driven by growing energy demand and sustainability initiatives Sector Snapshot: Cleantech Startup. This trend is supported by firms like Foresight, which is actively seeking opportunities in industrial decarbonization and decentralized energy systems. Meanwhile, reports suggest a notable trend where some venture capital limited partners are concentrating investments in megafunds, potentially overlooking higher return opportunities in smaller, specialized funds amidst economic uncertainty Misplaced Fear (And Why.

Public-to-Private & Exits

The public-to-private space is seeing notable activity, with Castlelake securing board backing for a potential £5.5 billion take-private of easy Jet, valuing the airline at approximately $7.3 billion. In the realm of exits, Warburg Pincus is divesting its stake in Singular Bank, a private banking specialist, to a consortium led by ING. This follows a period where pension funds like Japan's $1.8 trillion GPIF saw their private equity portfolios climb by 26% year-on-year, despite a challenging market environment. A $67 billion pension fund is also reportedly seeking software bargains Side Letter: Software steals.

Secondaries & Fund Strategy

The secondaries market continues to attract significant capital, with Eurazeo surpassing its target for its largest-ever secondaries vehicle, raising €2.3 billion. This fund is more than double the size of its predecessor. CVC's successful closing of its €3 billion mid-market fund also highlights a strategic focus on this segment CVC closes mid-market fund Catalyst III at €3bn, nearly double target. These moves indicate continued investor appetite for diversified private equity strategies, ranging from direct investments in technology and infrastructure to secondary market transactions and carve-outs.