Private Equity 8 Hours

Last updated: July 16, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Private Equity Dealmaking and Fundraising Activity

KKR and Energy Capital Partners increased their takeover bid for Irish energy distributor DCC to £5.81 billion, offering £67.97 per share. In a move to acquire a majority stake in German laboratory testing firm GBA Group, Bridgepoint agreed to purchase the company from Ardian. Separately, Arlington Capital Partners announced plans to take Gooch & Housego private in a £345.6 million deal. Montagu has acquired a majority stake in GBA Group, with Ardian exiting the business. Montagu's Christoph Leitner-Dietmaier noted that deal complexity, particularly in carve-outs, presents opportunities, while acknowledging a subdued GP-to-GP market relative to 2021 levels suggested Leitner-Dietmaier.

Sector-Specific Acquisitions and Investments

Oridian-backed ACR has acquired reusable bags provider Redi Bag USA. In the senior relocation sector, Ridgewood and Coogee Bay Partners have jointly acquired Caring Transitions, with Joshua Ellstein and Michael Felman to serve as co-executive chairmen. Ground Force Capital has invested in agricultural testing platform Rock River Laboratory, which is backed by Aqua Capital. CD&R-backed White Cap is set to acquire concrete distributor Gierke Robinson. Verdane has acquired minority stakes in a portfolio of over 10bp technology businesses focused on energy digitalization and transport innovation. Arrow Global has added Milan real estate developer Borio Mangiarotti to its portfolio.

Private Credit and Secondaries Market Dynamics

Continuation vehicles are emerging as a significant liquidity tool within private credit, though most limited partners are still choosing to exit their positions amidst increasing market scrutiny. M&G is actively building its exposure to infrastructure secondaries, with a focus on backing continuation vehicles that require additional time and capital for growth, rather than solely allowing general partners to retain trophy assets. The real estate secondaries market is experiencing a surge, becoming a permanent channel for capital as managers seek liquidity while retaining prized assets. EQT's venture capital continuation fund, which houses eight assets, has seen Harbour Vest lead a €526 million vehicle.

Venture Capital Trends in Asia and Europe

Despite high-profile AI mega-seed rounds, historical data indicates that very large initial financings rarely yield venture-scale returns due to elevated entry valuations limiting investor upside. Asia's startup funding ecosystem reached a multiyear peak in Q2 2026, with investors pouring $42.8 billion into funding rounds, significantly boosted by China's $7.4 billion DeepSeek raise. In Europe, venture rounds are increasing in size but decreasing in volume, with Munich robotics startup Microagi raising $55 million for Germany's largest-ever seed round reported Sifted. EQT-backed Syntetica has raised $30 million with backing from Lululemon reported Sifted.

Other Notable Transactions and Market Commentary

Ardian has arranged unitranche financing to support Astorg's leveraged buyout of Barkene, a French provider of mission-critical technical services. The board of Italian drugmaker Recordati has deemed the €51.29 per share takeover offer from CVC Capital Partners and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert to be financially fair reported PE Insights. PEI analysis reveals considerable variation in benchmarking approaches among 20 of the largest private equity investors according to PEI.