Bridgepoint has agreed to acquire a majority stake in GBA Group, a laboratory testing business based in Hamburg, Germany. The deal highlights continued private equity interest in the testing, inspection and certification sector.

Meanwhile, Montagu's Christoph Leitner-Dietmaier argues that the complexity of corporate carve-outs, while deterring some sponsors in the current cautious M&A market, creates opportunities for firms willing to execute the operational work required to separate businesses from parent companies.

In another transaction, Arlington Capital Partners plans to take photonics business G&H private, adding to the wave of take-private deals in the technology hardware space. The moves reflect divergent strategies: bolt-on acquisitions for platform building versus structural complexity plays.

Craig Mc Glashan reports from the London newsroom that sponsors are increasingly selective, focusing on assets where operational improvement can drive returns despite macroeconomic headwinds.