Private Equity 8 Hours

Last updated: March 24, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Private Equity Dealmaking & Sector Focus

The mid-market private equity space saw active portfolio management, as Turnspire shops USG Water Solutions to a broad universe of firms, with first-round bids expected in mid-April for the municipal water service provider. Separately, Altor inks agreement to buy Eltera from Valedo, solidifying its footprint in electrical installation services; this transaction follows Altor’s earlier reported agreement concerning a similar electrical services provider Altor agrees to deal for electrical installation services provider. In infrastructure, Hull Street to acquire two power plants, specifically picking up the Lee County Generating Station in Illinois and the Tait Electric Generating Station in Ohio from Rockland, signaling continued PE appetite for contracted energy assets.

Government technology and defense remain an attractive niche, evidenced by Blue Fire Equity’s Farrah Holder discussing the firm’s specialization in that sector, which included its first platform investment, the acquisition of Jovian Concepts earlier in March. In a similar vein, TSCP invests in govtech firm Karpel, which services prosecutor and public defender offices across the U.S., indicating a targeted play on specialized public sector software providers. Meanwhile, the competition for large industrial assets heats up, with Apollo and Bain lead €4bn bidding race for Continental’s Conti Tech industrial unit.

Talent, Secondaries, and Fintech

The European talent market continues to present challenges for GPs, as data suggests Half of GPs see their AI efforts falling short while simultaneously struggling with recruitment, as suggested by reports on The UK and Ireland’s 10 fastest-growing fintechs by revenue and the broader discussion on The data behind Europe’s talent gap. Investor relations staffing is also seeing movement, with O2 taps Rob Hays as IR head after his tenure as a managing director with Clean Bridge Securities. In the evolving secondary market, concerns surrounding artificial intelligence are reportedly disrupting secondaries processes across the board.

Venture Capital and Technology Investments

In financial technology, Revolut hits record profits as the firm prepares for further expansion, providing a positive backdrop for sector valuations. In deep tech, a robotics spinout involving Oxford University raises from Amadeus Capital and OSE to address long-term memory challenges in robotics, though the market ponders if another robotics firm, Rivr, sell to Amazon too early. Furthermore, the ongoing debate surrounding AI intellectual property intensified as Mistral’s CEO sparks backlash with AI copyright proposals centered on prioritizing code building over tax considerations. Separately, Blackstone eyes $300m IPL deal as the firm evaluates a potential $200 million to $300 million investment in the Indian Premier League, marking a potential first foray into sports investments for the firm. Finally, UK regulatory bodies released UK CMA’s finalized pet care reforms, which private equity investors specializing in the sector must now incorporate into their due diligence.