Private Equity 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 7, 2026, 8:18 PM ET
Private Equity Deals
Partners Group-backed Middle River Power acquired a California gas plant from Ares Management, expanding its footprint in U.S. power generation. Spectrum Equity made its first institutional investment in hospital data firm Symmetric, which maintains a database of nearly 20 million healthcare records. BDT & MSD agreed to acquire Sunrise Senior Living from PSP Investments, gaining control of over 230 senior living communities across the U.S. and Canada. Altaris completed the carve-out of Clarivate’s life sciences and healthcare business, which provides AI-enabled data intelligence tools for drug discovery and clinical trials. North Branch Capital backed Callaway Industrial Services, a North Carolina-based provider of specialized cleaning and maintenance for industrial facilities. GIP and CPP Investments took a 50% stake in a new AT&T fibre joint venture, signaling continued infrastructure investment by major pension and private equity players. Carlyle and CVC’s CFGI struck a deal for Texas-based advisory firm BAO Consulting, founded in 2021 to provide CFO and controllership services. Align Capital Partners’ Advantage Investigations completed an add-on acquisition of Nor Star Investigations, adding surveillance and background check capabilities to its platform. Sojourner aims to broaden personal care capabilities through its LPNA merger, while Main Capital, Gemspring, and One Equity placed bets on cybersecurity platforms. Goldman Sachs-backed Integrity Care Group completed the acquisition of 15 Next Care clinics across Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois, expanding its outpatient care network. Eurazeo acquired a majority stake in water efficiency specialist Miya, which helps utilities reduce non-revenue water through smart monitoring and analytics. Searchlight and Fitzroy agreed to acquire credit manager Kredinor from Spare Bank 1 Gruppen, combining it with Modhi Finance to strengthen Nordic credit services. Old Ironsides and EnCap Flatrock’s Brazos sealed a $4.4bn sale of Midland Basin natural gas assets to ONEOK, including 700 miles of gathering and processing infrastructure. CD&R and McKesson agreed to a $5.8bn take-private of Option Care Health, one of the largest home and alternate site care providers in the U.S. KKR agreed to a $5.1bn deal to buy Gen II Fund Services from Hg and General Atlantic, one of the largest independent fund administrators in Europe. Blackstone agreed to a $3.0bn sale of its events business Clarion to Informa, exiting a 100-plus B2B brand portfolio after decades of ownership. LGPS Central partner funds committed an additional £2bn to private markets, bringing the UK pension pool’s total allocation to over £108bn. CVC and GBL lifted their offer for Recordati to €53 per share in a "best and final" bid, increasing pressure on the Italian pharmaceutical company’s board and shareholders.
Fundraising and Market Trends
Endeavor Catalyst raised $320M to back founders outside Silicon Valley, countering the concentration of VC activity in San Francisco. Boka targets $300m for its third defence fund, having begun fundraising in Q2 with a goal of final close by Q1 2027. North America’s startup funding fell 35% in Q3, with investors deploying $92 billion across seed to growth-stage rounds as AI giants shift focus to public markets. AI IPOs are raising the bar for investors, with greater scrutiny on profitability and sustainable growth amid fading megarounds. Owkin alum Rivercell raised $25m in seed funding to build a world model for human cells, aiming to simulate biological responses at scale. Aleph Alpha and Mistral released new models that bolster hopes for Europe’s sovereign AI ambitions, reducing reliance on U.S. and Chinese technology stacks. Leatherback rebranded to Foren after a two-year transformation, completing a strategic shift in identity and market positioning. Eurazeo made a play in water efficiency with its Miya Water move, while Blackstone agreed to exit Clarion at a $3bn enterprise value. Apposite Capital sealed its first Healthcare III exit with the sale of Crest Optics to Evident, a Rome-based developer of optical imaging systems founded in 2011. Slush named the inaugural list of 20 tech talents under, highlighting emerging European innovation in deep tech and AI. European defence tech faces a reality check, with funding gaps and procurement delays undermining early optimism about sector growth. A magician’s son raised $4.2M in seed funding for his cybersecurity startup Hilt, leveraging an unconventional background to breach prevention. Side Letter noted a fundraising sneak peek, indicating Q3 private equity activity showed signs of upturn per preliminary PEI Group data. The top 10 investors backing Europe’s fastest-growing startups and scaleups were revealed, highlighting consistent support from firms like Accel, Atomico, and Index Ventures. Sifted published a guide on how to raise a Series A, detailing investor expectations around traction, team strength, and market timing. Finally, Tech Crunch Disrupt 2026 is six days away, with early bird passes still available ahead of the 10,000+ attendee gathering in San Francisco.