Today's Private Equity Pulse
Blackstone launches its biggest Asia private‑equity fund at $13.1 billion
Blackstone announced the closing of a $13.1 billion fund, its largest ever dedicated to Asian private‑equity investments. The fund aims to back buyouts and growth‑capital deals across the region, underscoring Blackstone’s expanding focus on Asia’s mid‑market opportunities.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Toms Capital acquires significant stake in McCormick
New SPAC: RRE Ventures Acquisition Corp. (RREVU) Files for $250M IPO
RRE Ventures Acquisition Corp., ticker RREVU, has filed its S‑1 to raise up to $250 million through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) IPO. The filing positions the vehicle to list on the NYSE later this year, targeting technology and artificial‑intelligence businesses for merger. RRE Ventures, a well‑known early‑stage VC, will leverage its network to source high‑growth targets. The move reflects a broader revival of SPAC activity after a subdued 2025 market.
Ackman Proposes Michael Ovitz as UMG Chairman
Part of Bill Ackman's proposal to buy Universal Music Group for $64 billion is to name a new chairman of the board, Michael Ovitz:
H.I.G.-backed Vernacare Scoops up Eakin Surgical
Vernacare, backed by private equity firm H.I.G., announced the acquisition of Eakin Surgical, a UK manufacturer of single‑use surgical instruments and procedure solutions. The deal adds a proven line of disposable tools to Vernacare’s existing portfolio, strengthening its foothold in...
Gilead Continues M&A Surge with $3.1B Deal for ADC Specialist Tubulis
Gilead Sciences announced a deal to acquire German biotech Tubulis for $3.15 billion upfront, potentially rising to $5 billion with milestones. The purchase adds a next‑generation antibody‑drug conjugate (ADC) platform and two clinical candidates, TUB‑040 and TUB‑030, to Gilead’s oncology pipeline. This...
LPs Believe There Is Room for Improvement in Infra CVs – II Global Summit
At the PEI Group’s Infrastructure Investor Global Summit 2026, panelists noted that most infrastructure secondary transactions (CVs) close at or above fair market value. However, limited partners expressed skepticism that these prices represent the best possible outcomes. They argued that...
Agilitas Agrees to Sell Integris Composites to Triton Partners
Agilitas has agreed to sell its Integris Composites business to private‑equity firm Triton Partners. Integris specializes in custom, high‑performance lightweight composites designed for survivability in hostile environments. The transaction, though undisclosed financially, aligns with Agilitas’ strategy to streamline its portfolio...
Anthropic Plans $1B Venture with Major PE Firms to Sell and Deploy AI Tools Across Their Portfolio Companies
Anthropic is negotiating a $200 million investment as part of a broader $1 billion fundraising round with private‑equity giants General Atlantic, Blackstone and Hellman & Friedman. The capital will launch a new consulting arm that embeds the Claude AI suite into the...
Your Trusted Search Deal Team (2026)
The newsletter from Kaustubh Deo outlines a curated "Trusted Search Deal Team" for entrepreneurs pursuing small‑business acquisitions, listing specific providers for SBA lending, legal counsel, insurance, quality‑of‑earnings analysis, outsourced finance, and buyside advisory. Deo draws on seven years of experience...
Blackstone and Tinicum Agree £1.4bn Deal for UK Aerospace Supplier Senior
Blackstone and Tinicum have agreed to acquire Senior, a UK aerospace components supplier, for roughly £1.4 billion. The partnership blends Blackstone's private‑equity resources with Tinicum's sector expertise, aiming to accelerate Senior’s growth in high‑value aircraft and defence programmes. Financing is expected...
Entrepreneur Acquires Honey Creek Legacy, Rebrands As Legacy Maker Farms
Entrepreneur Steven Hershberger led an investor group to acquire Honey Creek Legacy and rebrand it as Legacy Maker Farms, a premium USDA‑Prime beef producer based in Fairmount, Indiana. The company is deploying the AI‑powered predictive intelligence platform ELI, developed by...
Buy When Five‑Year Earnings Valuation Doubles Current Price
François Rochon on valuation "Our valuation discipline is simple. We estimate what we believe a company can earn in five years and then apply the P/E we think the market should give it. If the resulting price is at least double...
Sound Growth Partners Among PE Firms Finding Opportunities with Roofing Services; Yangge Seaman and Julia Wittlin Feature in Women in...
Sound Growth Partners is emerging as a leading private‑equity player targeting the roofing services sector, joining peers such as Norea Capital, Bertram Capital and Soundcore Capital Partners in a wave of 2026 deals. The firm’s focus reflects broader investor confidence...
Heartwood-Backed VitalSpace Acquires Manufacturer BIG Enterprises
Heartwood-backed VitalSpace announced the acquisition of manufacturing firm BIG Enterprises, expanding its modular solutions portfolio. The deal, terms undisclosed, adds BIG Enterprises' production capacity and established client base to VitalSpace's platform. VitalSpace aims to integrate BIG's manufacturing expertise to accelerate...
Gamut to Acquire Acousti Engineering Company From Ardian
Construction services firm Gamut announced the acquisition of Acousti Engineering Company from private‑equity owner Ardian. Acousti specializes in ceiling, drywall, and flooring solutions for institutional and commercial customers throughout the southeastern United States. The transaction broadens Gamut’s product portfolio and...
Gulf Coast Midstream Partners Inks Investment From Black Bay
Gulf Coast Midstream Partners announced a strategic investment from Black Bay Capital to fund the first phase of its Nash Energy Storage Hub. The capital will accelerate construction of a 100 MW battery facility in the Gulf Coast region, positioning GCMP...
The OG of Private Credit: (Smaller) Size Matters
The article examines how the post‑GFC zero‑interest environment let large private‑equity firms and direct lenders over‑leverage mega‑software acquisitions with borrower‑friendly terms. As the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) climbed to roughly 5% in 2022, financing costs surged, turning those generous...
LongueVue Capital Leads Private‑Equity Investment in Apex Dental
LongueVue Capital has taken the lead on a private‑equity investment in Apex Dental, a dental‑services platform, signaling continued consolidation in the healthcare and life‑sciences sector. The deal, reported by JD Supra, adds another high‑growth dental business to LongueVue’s portfolio.
Deal Roundup: EQT Life Sciences Exits Tubulis to Gilead, Foresight Scores 4x Return Selling TES to Legrand
EQT Life Sciences has exited its minority stake in Tubulis, the German clinical‑stage biotech developing next‑generation antibody‑drug conjugates, selling the position to Gilead Sciences. The transaction adds a promising ADC platform to Gilead’s oncology portfolio. In a separate deal, private‑equity...
AlixPartners AI‑SaaS Scorecard Flags Winners and Losers in the Emerging 'SaaSpocalypse'
Consulting firm AlixPartners unveiled an AI‑SaaS scorecard that rates 500 software companies on a 1‑to‑7 disruption scale. The analysis finds only 14% of firms have strong data and vertical moats, while roughly 25% sit in the highest‑risk tier, signaling a...
Fortenova Accepts Takeover Bid for Croatia Meat Group Pik Vrbovec
Croatia’s Fortenova Group has accepted Bosqar Invest’s binding offer to acquire 100 % of meat producer Pik Vrbovec, completing another step in its post‑Agrokor divestiture programme. The deal follows Fortenova’s debt‑cutting campaign that reduced gross debt to €650 m and its recent...
Modutec Acquires EOS Europe Stake
Modutec has acquired a majority shareholding in Aberdeen‑based EOS Europe, expanding its in‑house turnkey capabilities for energy and marine projects. The acquisition adds roughly 40 EOS employees, bringing the combined group to about 540 staff. EOS Europe’s portfolio includes hazardous‑area...
HIG Co-Founder Sami Mnaymneh Steps Back, Firm Veteran Brian Schwartz Named CEO
HIG Capital announced that long‑time executive Brian Schwartz will assume the role of chief executive officer, succeeding co‑founder Sami Mnaymneh who is stepping back from day‑to‑day operations. Schwartz has been with the firm for more than two decades, most recently...
Blue Owl Seals $2.9bn Hard Cap Close for Opportunistic Asset-Backed Credit Fund
Blue Owl Capital announced a hard‑cap close of $2.9 billion for its newest opportunistic asset‑backed credit fund, marking the final fundraising round for the vehicle. The fund will pursue distressed loans, structured credit and other asset‑backed opportunities across North America. Investor...
Research Pipeline Session #15: 2 Transformative Acquisitions, and an EBITDA Inflection
A micro‑cap firm closed two back‑to‑back acquisitions that could shift its revenue from irregular, lumpy streams to a steadier, technology‑driven model anchored by its proprietary automation platform. The platform is already delivering 60‑70% efficiency gains at one of the newly...
SBA Communications Is on the Block – Report
SBA Communications, owner of over 44,000 tower and small‑cell sites, is evaluating a sale after Bloomberg reported preliminary interest from large infrastructure funds. The company’s enterprise value is estimated at roughly $37 billion, debt included. The news sparked an 18 % surge...
Chart of the Week: Different Strokes
The latest chart from The Lead Left shows that the overlap between core (large‑cap) and lower‑middle‑market (LMM) investment portfolios has remained remarkably steady over the past ten years. The data, sourced from company filings and Raymond James research, indicates that...
Strüngmann Family Office Athos Acquires Stake in Doctolib
Athos, the Munich‑based Strüngmann family office, acquired a minority stake in French digital‑health platform Doctolib through a secondary transaction that valued the company at €3.6 billion, down from its €5.8 billion 2022 valuation. The deal involved other investors such as the A.P. Moller...
Ownership Shifts Analysis: Live With Your Decisions
A few days in New York City and an important message from a former partner at a lower middle market private eqity firm. Today, he runs his own firm. He has bought 8 companies, all legacy buyouts, with companies that have been...
Blackstone Backs Renewable Energy Infrastructure Platform Sunotec
Sunotec, a Bulgaria‑based integrator of utility‑scale solar and battery storage, secured a structured equity investment from Blackstone’s Tactical Opportunities fund. The capital will fund Sunotec’s expansion across core European markets such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and Southeast Europe,...
Where Premiums Will Be Paid: Fashion and Beauty M&A Trends
2025 reshaped fashion and beauty M&A as brands pursued scale, supply‑chain resilience, and AI‑driven capabilities. Flagship deals—Prada’s €1.25 bn (≈$1.35 bn) purchase of Versace, Caleres’ $105 m acquisition of Stuart Weitzman, and e.l.f. Beauty’s $1 bn buyout of Rhode—highlighted a premium on tech‑enabled, culturally resonant...
LatAm Cuisine Firm El Latino Signs Private-Equity Deal
El Latino, a Doral‑based Latin American food producer, has partnered with private‑equity firm Apex Capital to accelerate its U.S. expansion. The deal brings Apex’s food‑industry expertise, derived from Grupo Mariposa, while keeping founder María Elena Ibañez as president. El Latino’s...
KKR Raises $23bn for Biggest PE Fund Solely Dedicated to North American Dealmaking
KKR announced the final close of its newest North America‑focused private equity fund, raising approximately $23 billion. The vehicle is now the largest PE fund dedicated exclusively to dealmaking on the continent. It will target mid‑market buyouts across sectors such as...
Hood River Distillers Buys Crater Lake Spirits
Oregon‑based Hood River Distillers announced the acquisition of the Crater Lake Spirits portfolio from Bendistillery for an undisclosed amount. The deal adds gin, flavored vodka and rye whiskey, along with the Timberline Vodka and Forthwest Whisky brands, to HRD’s existing...
Cybersecurity Unicorn Torq Is in Talks to Acquire This AI Startup for $50 Million
Cybersecurity unicorn Torq, valued at $1.2 billion after a $140 million funding round, is in advanced talks to acquire Boston‑based AI security assistant Jit for about $50 million. The deal would merge Torq’s large security command center with Jit’s automated tools to create...
ETA Is Breaking (and Going Global): Investor Conflict, Weak Boards, and Structural Shifts - Ibrahim Abdel Rahim of Moonbase Capital
In this episode of Surge Funded, Ibrahim Abdel Rahim of Moonbase Capital reflects on five years of growth in the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) space, highlighting the shift from a Europe‑centric model to a truly global, home‑based approach with searchers...
The Investing Strategy in the Franchising and Multi-Unit Retail Sector
In this episode of the Raw Selection Private Equity Podcast, co‑managing partner Mike Esposito of Franchise Equity Partners (FEP) discusses his transition from a 30‑year career at Goldman Sachs to building a niche private‑equity firm focused on franchising and multi‑unit...
Ambienta Backs Plant-Based Dairy Producer The Bridge to Accelerate European Growth
Ambienta has acquired a majority stake in Italian plant‑based dairy specialist The Bridge, marking its second investment from the Small Cap Fund. The Bridge, founded in 1994, generates about 80% of revenue from international markets and operates a fully vertical,...
Governance Gaps Highlighted Amid Unanswered CEO Outreach
Just so everyone has the full picture, the Koala has never received a reply to any of these emails to TNR Gold $TNR.V $TRRXF Have never met with or spoken with the CEO (despite trying) Swapped DMs with his son the VP...
Gilead's $3.1B Deal Expands ADC Portfolio
Gilead continues M&A surge with $3.1B deal for ADC specialist Tubulis https://t.co/xEMXvDq2LL by @gwendolynawu $GILD #biotech
Bed Bath & Beyond To Widen Offer In $150 Million Container Store Deal
Bed Bath & Beyond announced a $150 million acquisition of The Container Store, adding more than 100 physical locations to its portfolio. The deal, slated to close mid‑2026, will rebrand the stores as “The Container Store/Bed Bath & Beyond” and expand...
M&A Surge: Blackstone Deal, SCII LOI, Two $200M IPOs
Today's M&A and SPAC notes $HOLX / Blackstone / TPG deal closed $SCII entered LOI with a payments technology company $ACGCU $200 million IPO $AACPU $150 million IPO https://t.co/094cl5qlvH
Tubulis Secures $5B Gilead Acquisition After CEO Vision
Last year I visited @Tubulis_GmbH in Munich, Germany. Here's what CEO Dominik Schumacher told me they were aiming to do. Congrats on today's acquisition by @gilead for up to $5B, and congrats to @schroederthilo who raved to me about this...
OpenAI Buys TBPN for Low‑hundreds‑of‑millions, Bolstering AI‑driven Marketing Push
OpenAI has acquired the tech‑media podcast TBPN in a deal valued in the low hundreds of millions of dollars, placing the show under its communications and marketing division. The move signals a strategic push to control AI‑centric brand narratives ahead...
Ackman's 78% Premium Is Merely a Self‑valued Projection.
the “78% premium” that Ackman is advertising isn’t really a premium in the classical M&A sense… it’s just his view of future value of UMG with him in charge after a basically all-stock merger🙄: https://t.co/otTHJExZ64
Board Meetings Now Focused on Selling to Anthropic
Every Q1 board meeting just got a “So guys, how do we sell the company to Anthropic? ” Question added to the agenda 😂
Pershing Square Launches $64 Bn Bid for Universal Music, Offers 78% Premium
Pershing Square Capital Management has submitted a non‑binding €55.8 billion ($64 billion) proposal to acquire Universal Music Group, offering €5.05 in cash plus 0.77 shares of a new NY‑listed entity per share – a 78% premium to the current price. The deal...
Pernod Ricard Completes California Wine Exits with Mumm, Kenwood Sales
Pernod Ricard has completed the sale of its Mumm sparkling wine operations in the United States to Trinchero Family Wine and Spirits, and simultaneously divested its Kenwood winery in Sonoma to F Korbel & Bros. Both deals, finalized in April 2026, remove...
The Pipeline: Nuveen Nears $2.5bn Target, Foresight Names New Real Assets Head and InfraVia Doubles up on Power
Nuveen’s EPIC II fund is approaching a $2 billion second close, moving toward its $2.5 billion fundraising target. The fund focuses on core infrastructure assets across Europe and North America. Meanwhile, Foresight has appointed a new head of real assets to steer...
Gallo Finalises $775m Buyout of Four Roses Bourbon
Gallo has completed a $775 million acquisition of Four Roses Bourbon from Japan’s Kirin Holdings, returning the iconic brand to U.S. family ownership after 83 years. The deal expands Gallo’s premium spirits portfolio and strengthens its presence in Europe and Japan....
Strabag Buys Structural Steelwork Specialist Crofton
Strabag has completed the acquisition of Crofton, a UK structural steelwork specialist founded in 1953. Crofton will continue operating under its own name from its Linton premises, retaining its senior management team. The purchase aligns with Strabag’s global‑local growth model,...