Know What's Happening in Private Equity
Know What's Happening in Private Equity
Lead Edge Capital launches AI‑driven secondary market fund
Lead Edge Capital announced the launch of its seventh flagship fund, targeting secondary market investments across fund‑level and direct‑secondaries. The new vehicle will use artificial‑intelligence analytics to enhance deal sourcing, pricing accuracy, and risk assessment.
Korea Zinc's chairman Yun B. Choi led the incumbent team to a de‑facto victory at the March 25 shareholders' meeting, securing nine of 14 board seats. Private‑equity firm MBK Partners, aligned with challenger Young Poong, boosted its representation to five directors, highlighting the growing role of PE activism in the mining sector.
Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores has entered the final four bidders for the San Diego Padres as the MLB team's sale narrows. The bid reflects a growing trend of private‑equity‑style investors targeting marquee sports assets.
upGrad has signed a term sheet to acquire Unacademy in a 100% share‑swap transaction, creating a combined edtech powerhouse valued at roughly $2.25 billion. The deal follows upGrad’s February acquisition of Internshala and includes a break‑fee to lock in both parties....
JPMorgan Chase has opened an $8 billion junk‑bond offering to finance a $55 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts, the biggest LBO‑related high‑yield issuance of 2026. The deal, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, tests investor...
Sunway just crushed the IJM vote with a massive 99.27% win and the MACC finally got off their back. Is this RM11 billion deal unstoppable now? (Save this for later) 1. Shareholders aren't blinking. 2. The MACC drama is over. 3. Take it...
Arizona’s state pension fund is adopting a more aggressive stance toward private equity, citing “cautious optimism” about an improving M&A environment. The fund plans to allocate additional capital to capture opportunities in what it describes as a bifurcated market, where...
Micron Technology is in talks to purchase Japan Display's shuttered LCD production plant in Chiba, Japan. The U.S. memory maker plans to repurpose the facility for semiconductor chip assembly and testing rather than display manufacturing. Acquiring the site would give...
"I strongly believe there are many high net worth people in finance (IB, hedge fund, PE, etc) who have a desire to allocate some money to LMM deals/roll-ups but don't feel like they have access to vetted deals." How about an...
Italian pharmaceutical group Recordati announced it has received a takeover proposal valued at more than $12 billion. The bid, disclosed in a press release, comes from an undisclosed consortium of investors. Recordati, known for specialty drugs and generics, said the offer...
Private equity fundraising in the Middle East is entering a boom, with capital commitments reaching multi‑billion‑dollar levels. Sovereign wealth funds and regional investors are increasingly favoring general partners who demonstrate deep, long‑term commitment to the market. The region’s regulatory reforms...
The 2025 Streamticker roundup chronicles a wave of high‑value mergers reshaping streaming, advertising, and infrastructure. DIRECTV’s acquisition of INVIDI strengthens addressable TV ad solutions, while Outbrain’s $1 billion purchase of Teads creates a $1.7 billion omnichannel ad platform. DAZN’s $2.2 billion buy of...
Collectly, an AI‑driven patient financial platform that has processed over $1 billion for more than 3,000 facilities, announced the acquisition of Y Combinator‑backed Pledge Health. The deal adds upstream pre‑service automation—coverage verification, cost estimates, and prior‑auth readiness—to Collectly’s existing post‑visit billing suite....
Chicago-based private equity firm Linden, which specializes in healthcare investments, is evaluating a move into the secondary market. The firm joins a wave of buyout houses expanding into secondaries to tap growing demand for liquidity among limited partners. By leveraging...
BCRED, a business development company, issued a new collateralized loan obligation (CLO) to shore up its balance sheet after a wave of investor redemptions. The move follows a 0.4% drop in February NAV, marking the BDC’s first monthly loss in...
Uber is reportedly close to acquiring premium chauffeur service Blacklane for roughly $1.03 bn, a move that would add a high‑margin, pre‑booked offering to its portfolio. Blacklane operates in about 500 cities across more than 50 countries, serving business and luxury...
Private equity firms are increasingly targeting women's health, a sector seen as under‑capitalized and high‑growth. The $18.3 billion Blackstone‑TPG take‑private of diagnostic‑equipment maker Hologic is being cited as a bellwether transaction. Analysts at Kearney, led by Paula Bellostas Muguerza, argue that fragmented...
Allworth Financial, a California‑based registered investment advisor with roughly $36.5 billion in client assets, is exploring a sale of its majority stake held by Lightyear Capital and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. The firm has hired William Blair to lead the transaction....
Blackstone has pledged a $250 million investment into Advanced Digital Gaming Technology, a newly launched UAE‑based payments and data‑intelligence platform. The capital injection is aimed at scaling the firm’s infrastructure to support faster, more secure digital transactions across the Gulf. Blackstone’s...
Denmark‑based shipping firm Alba Tankers has been acquired by Zeaside Capital Partners, which partnered with Danish and international investors to take control. The transaction adds Alba’s nine sub‑20,000 dwt vessels and its Gothenburg‑based commercial platform to Zeaside’s portfolio, giving the newly‑formed...
The latest Loan Note briefing highlights growing scrutiny over fund structuring, with mis‑selling and mis‑structuring flagged as core concerns for retail‑focused private debt vehicles. Regulatory attention is intensifying, prompting managers to reassess compliance and disclosure practices. Meanwhile, Blue Torch announced...
Lloyd Blankfein to Bloomberg about "fire" risk in private markets: "At some point there needs to be a forcing function or a reckoning that causes you to come to grips with what your balance sheet really is worth...The analogy I...
Bloomberg: "Pernod Ricard is exploring a potential acquisition of Brown-Forman, the owner of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, as alcoholic drink companies look at ways to consolidate amid an industry downturn, people familiar with the matter said. They have held some initial...
Synergy Sports Capital announced the acquisition of League One Volleyball Salt Lake, a U.S.-based professional youth volleyball league. The deal adds a fast‑growing grassroots sport platform to Synergy’s portfolio of sports‑focused investments. League One Volleyball currently operates in multiple states,...
VINCI Highways, the toll‑road arm of French construction giant VINCI, signed an agreement to purchase nine highway concessions in India from Macquarie Asset Management for roughly 150 billion rupees (about $1.8 billion). The deal, covering 700 km of key routes in Andhra Pradesh...
Advent Capital announced a strategic investment in Shield AI, the leading autonomous systems developer for defense applications. The capital infusion will finance Shield AI’s planned acquisition of Aechelon Technology, a Sagewind Capital portfolio company. The deal underscores Advent’s confidence in...
ZIM is seeking shareholder approval for a $924,000 retention bonus for CEO Eli Glickman as part of its pending $4.2 billion sale to Hapag‑Lloyd and Israeli private‑equity fund FIMI. Thirteen other senior executives could receive up to $5.4 million in similar payouts,...
Just Date, a maker of organic date‑sweetened products, has secured an undisclosed investment from private‑equity firm Contour Ridge to accelerate its growth. The partnership will fund expanded retail distribution, new product launches, and a major food‑service rollout, including placements at...
Hongyuan Green Energy (Hysolar) is set to acquire control of Wuxi Suntech Solar Power through a court‑led restructuring that creates a new entity, New Suntech, and transfers core assets while isolating legacy debt. The new company will be capitalized at...
The March 26, 2026 SPAC Insider morning roundup is a subscription‑only briefing that aggregates the day’s special‑purpose acquisition company (SPAC) developments. The page offers no free headlines, requiring a monthly plan to view detailed deal announcements, de‑registrations, and market commentary. While the...
Henkel AG announced a cash acquisition of Olaplex Holdings for $1.4 billion, offering $2.06 per share—a 54.9% premium to the prior close. The deal values Olaplex at 13.72 times its EBITDA and is slated to close in the second half of...
Overmatch Ventures announced the close of its oversubscribed second fund, raising $250 million to back early‑stage deep‑tech, defense and space companies. The capital will be deployed to founder‑led startups developing technologies deemed critical to U.S. national security. By targeting high‑risk, high‑reward...
Warner Bros. Discovery Sets Date for Shareholder Vote on Paramount Skydance Merger https://t.co/V3ENTx7eTr via @variety
CK Snacks, the private‑label snack arm of Cheeze Kurls LLC, announced the acquisition of Keystone Food Products, a Pennsylvania‑based manufacturer of tortilla chips, corn chips and other snack varieties. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, will keep Keystone’s...
Pritzker Alternative Strategies (PAS) closed its inaugural fund at nearly $385 million, targeting emerging private‑equity managers across the United States and Europe. The capital will be allocated to buyout funds that lack large‑scale backing, giving smaller sponsors a runway to scale...
Blackstone, alongside Aditya Birla Group, Times of India and Bolt Ventures, signed a definitive agreement to purchase the Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL franchise for $1.78 billion. The deal, pending regulator sign‑off, places the team under a new ownership team that aims to...
German consumer‑goods giant Henkel AG has signed a definitive agreement to purchase premium hair‑care brand Olaplex for $1.4 billion, or $2.06 per share. The deal, approved by Olaplex’s board and its controlling shareholder Advent, is aimed at deepening Henkel’s hair‑care category...
Infosys announced a definitive agreement to acquire Stratus, a U.S.‑based Guidewire consulting specialist with more than 450 experts. The deal, slated to close in the first quarter of FY2027, aims to combine Infosys' Topaz AI and Cobalt cloud platforms with...
Bulgarian private‑equity firm INVENIO Partners announced the first closing of its third fund, targeting a total of €75 million (≈ $81.5 million) to back high‑growth SMEs in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. The fund will deploy equity and quasi‑equity investments of $3.3 million to $10.9 million...
ProSiebenSat.1 Media announced the divestiture of its rental‑car comparison site billiger‑mietwagen.de and the motorhome platform CamperDays to investors led by Pivotum Capital. The undisclosed‑price deals are slated to close by the end of April and have already been incorporated into...
Paychex (PAYX) posted $1.8 billion in third‑quarter revenue, up 20% year over year, and returned $463 million to shareholders through stock repurchases. The results underscore accelerating demand for payroll and HR solutions as employers grapple with a cost‑of‑living squeeze.
Bain & Company reports that Asia-Pacific private‑equity exit value rose 24% year‑on‑year in 2025 and net cash distributions to investors turned positive for the first time since 2021. The rebound comes despite an 8% drop in total deal value and...
Blue Owl Capital halted redemptions from its retail credit vehicle, Apollo Global Management capped withdrawals at 5% after 11.2% redemption requests, and KKR’s flagship private‑credit fund was downgraded to junk by Moody's. The moves underscore a widening liquidity crunch in...
A Senate committee has opened a high‑profile investigation into the role of private‑equity firms in rising child‑care costs. Lawmakers say the probe will examine pricing practices, ownership structures and potential antitrust concerns, signaling fresh regulatory scrutiny of the sector.
Consumers Energy filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to push back the start of a $350 million spillway replacement at Michigan’s Hardy Dam until the end of 2028, citing the pending sale of the dam to Confluence Hydro....
USA Rare Earth (USAR) closed a $1.6 billion U.S. government grant and $1.5 billion private investment, then agreed to buy Texas Mineral Resources for $73 million. The capital boost aims to bring its rare‑earth processing to market by 2028, fueling a projected $2.6 billion...
Paramount Global and Skydance have emerged as the leading bidder for Warner Bros. Discovery, but the deal now faces a wave of political criticism. Senator Elizabeth Warren and actress Jane Fonda released a video denouncing the merger as an abuse...
JPMorgan Chase has kicked off an $8 billion junk‑bond sale to finance a $55 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts, the biggest LBO in history. The deal, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, mixes...
The University of California announced it will sell a roughly $3 billion portfolio of limited‑partner (LP) stakes in private‑equity funds. The move is part of a broader strategy to rebalance its $140 billion endowment and generate cash for upcoming capital needs. UC...
KKR has agreed to acquire the Dallas‑based bakery chain Nothing Bundt Cakes for more than $2 billion, taking the brand from private‑equity owner Roark Capital. The franchise‑heavy concept, founded in 1997, sells a focused line of Bundt cakes that benefit from steady demand...
Curtis LeGeyt, CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, warned that consolidation is essential for traditional TV networks to compete for the NFL’s roughly $10 billion annual media rights. He argues that only larger, merged entities can afford the escalating fees...
