Know What's Happening in Private Equity
Know What's Happening in Private Equity
Lead Edge Capital launches AI‑driven secondary fund
Lead Edge Capital announced its seventh flagship vehicle, targeting secondary market investments across fund‑level and direct‑secondaries. The fund will use artificial‑intelligence analytics to improve deal sourcing, pricing accuracy and risk assessment, aiming to capture value in a shifting market.
Advent announced the acquisition of Salt & Stone, the fast‑growing body‑care brand known for its natural, cruelty‑free products. The transaction includes the exit of Humble Growth, which made a minority investment in Salt & Stone in 2024. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal expands Advent’s consumer‑health portfolio and positions the brand for broader distribution. The acquisition reflects heightened private‑equity interest in the wellness and personal‑care sector.
Main Post, a venture capital firm focused on consumer brands, has announced an investment in Stellar Snacks, a pretzel maker. Stellar Snacks already enjoys broad retail distribution, with its products available at major chains including Costco, Target, Sprouts, Kroger, Albertsons,...
Bundesliga International has signed a three‑year partnership with Thailand’s leading telecom provider AIS, beginning in the 2026‑27 season. The deal will stream all nine Bundesliga matches per matchday, plus marquee events, on AIS PLAY, integrating the league into the platform’s premium...
Turnspire Capital Partners is set to solicit first‑round bids in mid‑April for USG Water Solutions, the municipal water‑service firm it added to its 2023 portfolio. The bid process signals a potential sale or strategic partnership for the utility provider. In...
Cerebral, a large integrated mental‑health provider, has acquired Inflow, a CBT‑based digital therapeutic app for adult ADHD, though financial terms were not disclosed. Inflow delivers short, science‑backed daily modules and is supported by an eight‑week randomized controlled trial showing significant...
Bettani Farms, the former Climax Foods, raised $6.5 million and acquired Hungry Planet, Numu and Stockeld Dreamery to create a unified vegan cheese platform. Leveraging its AI‑powered Caseed ingredient, the company unveiled a high‑stretch mozzarella that mimics dairy performance, achieving a...
The Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) announced commitments of up to $275 million to two private‑market funds managed by Warwick Partners and LS Power. The allocations are earmarked for infrastructure and renewable‑energy projects and will be drawn down over...
In this episode Jacob Oros interviews Eric Wicklant, partner at Spaceside Equity, about the firm’s private‑equity strategy for middle‑market manufacturing businesses. Spaceside targets companies with $50‑500 million in revenue, focusing on misaligned ownership structures where they can apply a 27‑tool value‑creation...
Hybrid Advisors and Faithstone Capital Partners have formed a master joint venture, Hybrid Faithstone, to expand the Hybrid Advisors platform into a $3 billion fund‑of‑funds vehicle. The partners aim to raise and deploy the capital over the next 18 months, creating...
Air Street Capital has closed its third venture fund at $232 million, almost twice the size of its second fund. The new capital will be deployed into early‑stage artificial‑intelligence startups, building on the firm’s track record of backing market‑defining technologies. The...
Montreal‑based media company Urbania announced the acquisition of Binge Audio, the independent French‑language podcast network known for hits such as "Les Couilles sur la table" and "Programme B." The deal gives Urbania a portfolio of popular podcasts with an estimated...
AI-related risk assessments are reshaping private‑equity secondary market processes, prompting firms to embed stricter side‑letter provisions. In Japan, limited partners are rapidly rotating commitments, creating a “musical chairs” dynamic among dealmakers. Meanwhile, a recent poll shows half of general partners...
A Democratic senator announced a Senate investigation into the two largest for‑profit child‑care chains, focusing on private‑equity ownership and rising prices. The announcement provided no concrete figures, company names, or timeline, leaving the market to await further clarification.
Vensure Employer Solutions closed a $450 million senior secured financing with Stone Point Capital Markets, earmarked for a rapid merger‑and‑acquisition push and the rollout of AI‑powered HR tools. The deal expands Vensure’s capacity to integrate more than 100 recent acquisitions and...
Apollo Global Management’s funds have signed a deal to buy Japanese glass maker Nippon Sheet Glass Company for roughly $3.7 bn. The transaction, slated to close by March 2027, will inject equity and strategic support to accelerate growth and technology investment.
IFM Investors announced plans to increase its exposure to high‑growth infrastructure sectors by adding value‑add assets to its portfolio. Vivien Cheung, the firm’s vice‑president of infrastructure, said the strategy will complement IFM’s existing core holdings and aim to capture upside...
Summit, a multi‑cloud Salesforce consulting partner, has merged with Aimpoint Technology, a specialist in public‑sector advisory and implementation, to form a unified company under the Summit brand. The deal combines Summit’s scalable delivery and AI‑driven analytics practice with Aimpoint’s deep...
operators: you know how to run a business that's the hard part buying one with no money down is the easy part most people have it backwards
MCJ (6670 JP) - the Letters from Ascender Capital and Maven Capital appear to have had something of an effect. Bain extended the TOB today. They would not extend if they had reached the minimum. I wrote about this on...
Prism, the rebranded OYO, has acquired Motel 6 to spearhead a technology‑driven overhaul of budget hotels. The company is concentrating on economy and extended‑stay segments in both India and the United States, launching the Studio 6 brand for U.S. properties. CEO Ritesh Agarwal is...
Sessa Capital purchased 10.63 million Sotera Health shares for an estimated $175.8 million, giving the firm a controlling interest in the sterilization and testing provider. The deal lifts Sessa’s Sotera position to roughly $206 million, reflecting both the purchase and recent stock gains.
Walker & Dunlop arranged a $350 million aggregation debt facility with JPMorgan Chase to fund a new self‑storage REIT backed by Centerbridge Partners and Reframe Holdings. The financing will support the joint venture’s plan to acquire over $500 million of Class A and...
A wave of regional bank consolidations accelerated in early 2026, with 25 announced deals valued at $15.11 billion. The flurry of transactions is reshaping the competitive landscape and putting pressure on larger banks to defend market share.
Bain & Co’s Asia‑Pacific Private Equity Report 2026 shows that companies held beyond five years increased 18% in 2025, indicating a growing portfolio overhang. Despite a modest uptick in exit activity across the region, the pace of disposals remains insufficient...
After college I joined a $500MM+ AUM real estate private equity firm. Within just 2 years, I became a junior partner I won't deny luck played a part, but I'd like to think there was some skill involved as well Most important...
Dunes Point Capital, a mid‑market private‑equity firm, is launching its fourth flagship fund with a target raise of $1.3 billion, a substantial increase from the $800 million raised for Fund III. The larger capital base reflects the firm’s ambition to scale its investment...
Heritage Global Inc. (NASDAQ:HGBL) operates a multi‑segment distressed‑asset platform that trades at less than 70% of book value and roughly 5.5 × EV/EBIT, placing it near liquidation pricing. The San Diego‑based firm has posted profits every year since 2018 and exhibits counter‑cyclical...
Rob Robinson warns that technology M&A teams often mistake rapid market momentum for durable marketing capability. When a product arrives at the right moment, its novelty can generate brand‑like awareness without a solid marketing org, inflating acquisition premiums. As the...
Komerz Ltd., a global commercial growth firm, announced the acquisition of Pathformance, a marketing measurement and attribution specialist, in a deal that values Komerz at $330 million post‑transaction. The merger combines Komerz’s end‑to‑end commerce platform with Pathformance’s unified measurement capabilities, creating...
Acquiring an existing company can accelerate growth far faster than building from scratch, offering instant market entry, proven teams, and valuable IP. Success hinges on a clear strategic purpose—whether speed, synergies, or capability gaps drive the deal. Entrepreneurs must decide...
The University of California system is offering roughly $3 billion of limited‑partner stakes in private‑equity funds for sale on the secondary market. This move represents the latest effort by the public‑university consortium to unlock liquidity from its sprawling endowment portfolio. Proceeds...
Blackstone Inc. is weighing a $200‑$300 million investment in an Indian Premier League franchise, targeting either Royal Challengers Bengaluru or Rajasthan Royals. The two teams are valued between $1.3 billion and $2 billion, with full payment expected up front. The move reflects a...
Lovable, the AI‑powered app‑building platform once valued at $6.6 billion, announced it is actively seeking acquisitions to bring in founder‑type teams. CEO Anton Osika posted on X that the company wants “more great teams and startups to join Lovable,” aiming to boost...
Apollo Global Management and Bain Capital have entered the auction for Continental AG’s ContiTech industrial unit, joining a crowded field of private‑equity suitors. Advent and CVC Capital Partners are collaborating on a joint bid, while Platinum Equity, KPS Capital Partners...
In this episode, Steve and Bruce Fretton discuss how heightened uncertainty—driven by tariffs, shifting interest rates, and tighter credit markets—has complicated middle‑market M&A. They note that private equity’s $2 trillion of undeployed capital is pushing deals forward, but valuation gaps and...
In this episode, Bruce Fenton and host Steve discuss how to structure middle‑market M&A deals amid heightened uncertainty, focusing on valuation gaps, earn‑outs, seller rollovers, and purchase‑price notes as tools to bridge price mismatches. They highlight the importance of rigorous...
Two Harbors said CrossCountry’s unsolicited $10.70‑per‑share cash offer is superior, but a higher $10.75 cash bid from an unnamed party is also on the table. The REIT would receive a $25.4 million fee if the pending $1.3 billion all‑stock merger with United...
PEI Group announced the acquisition of Scientific Infra & Private Assets (SIPA), the leading provider of private‑equity and infrastructure benchmarks. The deal adds indices that serve more than $1 trillion of assets under management, expanding PEI’s data platform for institutional investors.
The sale of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has entered its final stage, with two main bidders: Swedish private‑equity firm EQT and a consortium of Manipal Hospitals’ Ranjan Pai, KKR and Temasek. The Glazer family and other high‑profile suitors have withdrawn, ending...
Mercer has completed the acquisition of AltamarCAM, a specialist in private‑equity secondaries, to fill a strategic gap in its investment‑advisory platform. The deal was discussed by Mercer’s Michael Dempsey in a Q&A with AltamarCAM founder Jose Luis Molina, emphasizing the...
Bark announced it will not pursue two recent take‑private offers, opting to remain a public company. The board’s special committee concluded that the existing standalone strategy best maximizes long‑term shareholder value. The first proposal from Great Dane Ventures was withdrawn...
AI: Where VC converges with PE! Historically, outstanding venture capitalists invested in high-growth software. Top-quality private equity firms acquired companies. And the two strategies were distinct. Those two paths may be converging. @generalcatalyst just invested $13.8M to back KP Reddy to launch @ZeroRFI_...
Exclusive: OpenAI sweetens private equity pitch amid enterprise turf war with Anthropic, sources say https://t.co/ZcUhtQFcMj
The piece labels evergreen side‑letter structures a “cardinal sin” when they are mis‑sold or mis‑structured, warning that such arrangements can trap investors in perpetual commitments. It details a recent governance clash at one of Australia’s largest limited partners, prompting a...
Lead Edge Capital announced the close of its seventh private‑equity fund with $3.5 billion of commitments, making it the firm’s largest raise to date and an oversubscribed transaction. The new Fund VII will focus on investments in software, internet platforms and...
I have trouble believing that OpenAI is offering PE firms a "guaranteed minimum return of 17.5%" on preferred shares. This is the rate offered by highly distressed firms or those in contentious bankruptcies - not a firm operating as a going...
Headway Capital Partners’ research shows independent private‑equity sponsors are targeting three‑times‑plus returns, outpacing traditional fund benchmarks. The shift stems from heightened deal selectivity and a strategic focus on lower‑multiple acquisitions. Sponsors believe tighter sourcing and disciplined pricing can deliver superior...
Poste Italiane has submitted a €10.8 billion offer to acquire Telecom Italia, Italy’s largest fixed‑line operator. The postal group already controls 27.3% of TIM after buying shares from former major shareholder Vivendi. TIM’s fixed‑line network has already been sold to a...
Japan’s emerging secondaries boutique RGCM announced the imminent close of its debut vehicle, RGCM Fund I, with commitments approaching the fund’s hard‑cap. The fund will target both direct secondary transactions and primary financing rounds, offering investors diversified exposure to private‑market...
Mike Barker, CEO of House of Cheatham, paused the sale process for 90 days to shore up the company’s financial and operational profile before accepting a private‑equity offer. During the pause he produced a quality‑of‑earnings report, commissioned an environmental study,...
