Private Equity 8 Hours

Last updated: August 11, 2026, 8:47 AM ET

Mega Deals & Continuation Vehicles

TPG has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Lotte Rental, South Korea's largest car-rental operator, in a deal valued at $925m. Separately, Exponent Private Equity closed a single-asset continuation vehicle of about €750m ($867m) to retain H&MV Engineering, a high-voltage electrical services firm serving data centers and renewables. The transaction, co-led by Apollo, Pantheon, and SQ Capital, values H&MV at €1.4bn, according to Secondaries Investor. Meanwhile, a consortium including Apollo, Blackstone, Brookfield, and KKR has lined up behind NVIDIA in a $500bn initiative to turn compute and AI infrastructure into an investable asset class. A parallel effort led by Apollo, BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs aims to mobilize over $500bn for full-stack AI infrastructure.

Middle-Market PE Activity

CCMP Growth-backed Airo has acquired Legrande’s Enterprises, a specialty plumbing and HVAC firm serving multifamily developers. Quad-C invested in Paradigm, an occupational safety and health platform formed from the combination of Code Red Safety, Concept Controls, and Haz Tek. Trinity Hunt backed Fisher Management Partners, a management consulting firm where founder Todd Fisher remains in leadership. New Heritage invested in Power Rail, a manufacturer serving the global rail industry. HIG Capital completed the acquisition of Phoenix ME, a UK mechanical and electrical engineering firm with blue-chip clients across Europe.

Fundraising & Institutional Mandates

The Plymouth County Retirement Association has issued a request for proposal for a North American private equity manager. Ardian co-CEO Mark Benedetti told PE Hub that the most significant mispricing opportunities lie in European assets and secondaries, as more family-owned firms seek partners for international expansion. In a geographic pivot, Monashees, one of Latin America’s oldest VC firms, has opened a San Francisco office to bring Lat Am startups closer to Silicon Valley investors.

Tech & Startup Trends

Euan Blair, son of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, is reportedly seeking $200m for a new defense startup. At South Summit 2026, three trends were identified as shaping European tech: AI-native business models, cross-sector regulation, and the rise of deep tech. Bob Morse argues that AI is a business change, not a technology upgrade, requiring redesigned teams and workflows. VCs have flagged 17 physical AI startups to watch, covering robotics and autonomous systems. Meanwhile, the co-founder of First Momentum spotlighted the most underrated areas in deeptech, including advanced materials and bio-integrated computing.