Have Software Returns Faltered over the Past Five Years?
Software-focused private equity funds, including those managed by Vista, Insight and PSG, have largely matched or outperformed their vintage peers over the past five years. Despite widespread concerns about slowing SaaS growth and valuation compression, the sector’s returns have remained resilient. The analysis suggests that recurring‑revenue business models and strong cash‑flow generation have insulated these funds from broader market headwinds. Consequently, software remains a bright spot in the private‑equity landscape.
Side Letter: Private Permira
Permira announced it will retain its equity stake in a flagship portfolio company, underscoring confidence in the asset’s growth prospects. The decision, disclosed via a side‑letter, aligns with a broader trend of managers seeking longer lock‑up periods and flexible redemption...
Danish Pension P+ Seeks GPs for Defence Investment
Danish pension fund P+, which oversees roughly $27 billion for academic retirees, is actively seeking general‑partner firms to source private‑equity investments in the defence sector. The move marks a strategic shift from its traditionally conservative allocations toward a high‑growth, resilient asset...
Investor Intentions: Alpine AM Family Office Plans to Scale up Its Portfolio in 2026
Taiwanese family office Alpine AM announced plans to scale its investment portfolio, targeting up to $4 billion in new allocations over the next five to eight years, beginning in 2026. The fund aims to diversify across private equity and other alternative...
What’s Next for DFIs and Private Equity?
Development finance institutions such as the International Finance Corporation and British International Investment are recalibrating their private‑equity strategies. They are moving away from broad, blind‑pool commitments toward selective, manager‑led allocations that focus on growth‑equity opportunities. The new approach also stresses...
Future Fund Flags Potential Investment Team Job Cuts
Australia's sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund, announced it may reduce staff within its investment team as part of a broader cost‑management drive. CEO Raphael Arndt said the fund will "make changes where it is prudent to do so" to...
MEAG-Warburg Pincus Deal Marks Further Shift in LP Demand for Defence
MEAG, the asset‑management arm of Munich Re, has pledged capital to a new defence‑focused fund managed by Warburg Pincus. The partnership marks a notable shift as limited partners increasingly allocate money to security‑related assets, especially in Europe. U.S. private‑equity firms...
Thoma Bravo to Wind Down Growth Equity Strategy
Thoma Bravo, the software‑focused private‑equity powerhouse, announced it will wind down its growth‑equity strategy by running off its existing Growth Fund and will not raise a new vehicle. The decision follows the departure of the two co‑heads who ran the...
Green Shoots Emerge Amid PE’s Most Challenging Era
Fundraising cycles in private equity compressed to an average of 14 months in Q1, the quickest pace since 2022. The shortened timeline hints at a tentative revival in investor confidence after a prolonged period of market headwinds. While capital inflows...
Side Letter: Diversification Drive
The latest side‑letter trends show limited partners (LPs) in the Asia‑Pacific region increasing allocations to diversify away from traditional European and North American exposures. Tiered‑carry provisions are creating friction in continuation fund deals, as managers and LPs clash over performance...
DOWNLOAD: Bright Spots Emerge in Q1 PE Fundraising
Nearly half of private‑equity funds that closed in Q1 2026 met their fundraising targets, the highest proportion in at least five years. The 48% hit rate signals a rebound after a period of subdued capital raising driven by higher rates...
LPs Go Direct for GP Stakes
Institutional limited partners are increasingly interested in bypassing traditional fund vehicles to acquire direct stakes in private‑equity general partners. This trend could reshape the nascent GP‑stakes market by creating a new class of shareholders who own a slice of the...
Size Matters for the Specialists
GP‑stakes investors are increasingly segmenting their strategies by the size of private‑equity firms they target. In a market flush with capital, mid‑market managers are becoming the focal point for many funds, while mega‑caps attract institutional investors seeking stable cash‑flows. Size‑based...
Emerging Managers Serve up Stakes
Emerging private‑equity managers are increasingly offering ownership stakes in their firms to secure anchor limited‑partner commitments. By selling a minority GP stake, new GPs provide investors with direct exposure to management fees and carried interest. Anchor investors, in turn, gain...
M&A Reshapes the GP Stakes Galaxy
The private‑equity GP‑stakes market is undergoing rapid consolidation, reshaping the landscape for both investors and fund managers. Larger platforms are acquiring smaller specialists, creating a more concentrated set of players with deeper capital pools. This wave of M&A intensifies competition...
