Private Equity 8 Hours

Last updated: March 24, 2026, 9:30 AM ET

Private Equity Deal Activity & Disposals

The private equity sector saw a mix of platform acquisitions and early-stage sales processes kicking off across North America and Europe. In the U.S., GI Partners is advancing sale talks for American Residential Services, which sources suggest could achieve a valuation around $3.5 billion, reflecting strong market appetite for scale residential service providers. Meanwhile, Blackstone is seeking a €100 million disposal from its larger €700 million Paris apartment acquisition, indicating active asset management and value realization strategies within its European real estate portfolio. In the mid-market, Turnspire is shopping USG Water Solutions to a broad pool of bidders, aiming to secure first-round bids by mid-April for the municipal water service provider.

Sector-Specific Investments & Platform Builds

Platform expansion continued across specialized technology and industrial services. In the sports technology space, the GTCR-backed Ascent Sports Group acquired LiveBarn, a move designed to bolster its technology and media offerings established earlier this year in January 2026. Similarly, Southfield is investing in recruitment firm Metric Search, gaining exposure to the specialized medtech life sciences, engineering, and data center staffing markets. Government technology also attracted capital, as TSCP invested in Karpel, a firm whose client base includes numerous public defender and prosecutor offices nationwide. Furthermore, Blue Fire Equity is focusing on defense and government tech, having recently closed its first platform investment by acquiring Jovian Concepts in March.

European Transactions and Infrastructure

European dealmaking featured activity in industrial services and power generation, while major firms jockeyed for significant industrial assets. Apollo Global Management and Bain Capital are leading the bidding race for Continental’s Conti Tech industrial unit, with the acquisition potentially valued around €4 billion. In the Nordics, Altor inked an agreement to acquire Eltera from Valedo, a provider of specialized electrical installation services, following the UK Competition and Markets Authority finalizing reforms impacting the pet care industry. Separately, Hull Street is moving to acquire two power plants from Rockland, specifically targeting the Lee County Generating Station in Illinois and the dual-fuel Tait Electric Generating Station in Ohio.

Fundraising, Exits, and Talent Moves

Firms are actively managing capital deployment and investor relations amidst evolving market dynamics. Generate Capital completed the sale of Equinox Growers to Taylor Farms, a greenhouse operator whose facilities support regional food supply chains. On the talent front, O2 has tapped Rob Hays as its new Investor Relations head, bringing in Hays from his previous role as a managing director at Clean Bridge Securities. Meanwhile, the secondary market is seeing disruption, with reports indicating that AI concerns are affecting secondaries processes, and roughly half of general partners surveyed admitted their own AI initiatives are falling short of expectations. Simultaneously, European fintechs like Revolut are achieving record profits while the continent grapples with a substantial talent gap, as evidenced by data showing firms missing roles due to hiring shortfalls.