Apollo (APO) Funds Acquire Gatehouse Living Group From Gatehouse Bank
Apollo Global Management’s funds bought Gatehouse Living Group from Gatehouse Bank on April 1. The deal brings Gatehouse Investment Management and Ascend Properties into Apollo’s UK housing portfolio, adding a platform that owns more than 5,000 homes and manages over 10,000 rental units. Apollo already holds stakes in Miller Homes and Foundation Home Loans, deepening its exposure to the UK build‑to‑rent market. The seller will concentrate on its core retail banking and Sharia‑compliant mortgage products.
Dealmaker's Log: African Private Equity and VC Deals in March 2026
The March 2026 Dealmaker’s Log reports more than 39 private equity and venture capital transactions across Africa, featuring a roster of active investors such as SPE Capital, RMB Corvest, Nedbank Private Equity, Phatisa, and Partech. The deals span sectors from...
Mastercard Acquires BVNK
Mastercard announced the acquisition of BVNK, a developer‑centric fintech that offers API‑driven card issuance and rapid payment‑flow integration. The deal equips Mastercard with embedded‑finance tools designed to slash merchant onboarding times and streamline consumer checkout experiences. By folding BVNK’s agile...
Startup CPG Newswire: The Neighborhood Beverage Company, Parent Company of Once Upon A Coconut, Acquires Punch’d Energy, Expanding Its Better-For-You...
The Neighborhood Beverage Company (NBC), parent of Once Upon a Coconut, announced the acquisition of Punch’d Energy, a natural‑caffeine gummy brand. The deal adds a patented green‑coffee‑bean formula to NBC’s better‑for‑you lineup, expanding its reach into the functional energy category....
Consortium Led by CEO Max Wygod to Take Forian Private for $68 Million
On April 3 2026, Forian Inc. agreed to be taken private by a consortium led by CEO Max Wygod for $68 million. Shareholders will receive $2.17 per share, a 3.33 percent premium, valuing the company at 2.16 times its annual sales. The deal will close...
The VinePair Podcast: The Middle Tier Is Merging and Morphing
VinePair’s latest podcast highlights a rapid wave of middle‑tier mergers in the U.S. alcohol sector. Reyes Beverage Group (RBG) has deepened its footprint by buying five more RNDC markets, while Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (SGWS) snapped up Anheuser‑Busch InBev’s...
The $1.2 Trillion Private Equity “Comeback”
Global private equity deal value has topped $1.2 trillion, the strongest level since the 2021 peak, signaling a clear market rebound after two years of stalled activity. The resurgence stems from a narrowing valuation gap, as sellers accept lower multiples and...
SV Health Investors Acquires EpiVax
SV Health Investors (SVHI) announced the acquisition of EpiVax, a Providence‑based bioanalytical CRO that specializes in immunogenicity risk assessments for pharma and biotech firms. The deal adds a proven scientific platform, including the ISPRI predictive software and cell‑based assays, to...
Sample Due Diligence Report: Structure and Best Practices
Due diligence reports compile financial, legal, operational, and commercial data to help executives evaluate merger, acquisition, or investment deals. Using a pre‑designed template accelerates data gathering and ensures critical sections—executive summary, company overview, deal details, and risk assessment—are not omitted....
All Roads Lead to Sysco.
Sysco Corp. completed a $29 billion acquisition of Restaurant Depot, merging the nation’s largest on‑site delivery distributor with the leading cash‑and‑carry wholesaler. The combined entity now serves roughly 750,000 foodservice establishments, effectively controlling the majority of both delivery and in‑store purchasing...
Big Tech And AI Power Record $10B+ M&A Deal Surge To Start 2026
Despite geopolitical turbulence, global M&A activity surged in Q1 2026, topping $1.2 trillion in value. Deal count fell 17% year‑over‑year, but average size rose, with 22 transactions exceeding $10 billion—a quarterly record. AI‑related equity stakes drove four of the six largest deals,...
B.P. Marsh Buys Additional 2% Equity Stake in Pantheon
B.P. Marsh has increased its ownership in London‑based wholesale insurer Pantheon to 41% by buying an additional 2% stake, valuing the broker at roughly $352 million. The investment was funded from existing cash reserves and follows an initial 25% purchase in...
Lawfront Acquires Reading Firm Field Seymour Parkes
Lawfront has acquired Reading‑based firm Field Seymour Parkes, adding a practice with roughly $19 million in annual revenue and 85 qualified lawyers. The deal expands Lawfront’s footprint into the Thames Valley and brings a firm that has delivered about 9% compound...
Kingsway: A Different Type of Serial Acquirer
Kingsway Financial Services has launched a publicly‑traded vehicle that mimics the high‑return search‑fund model, allowing retail and institutional investors to participate in serial acquisitions. The firm targets lower‑middle‑market companies, buying them outright or taking controlling stakes, then applying operational expertise...
Nano-Cap SaaS Gem: Headwinds, Green Shoots, and the Private Equity Playbook
The micro‑cap SaaS company posted FY2025 results that mix balance‑sheet strength with top‑line weakness. An at‑the‑market offering wiped out legacy debt, leaving the firm with zero debt and an undrawn credit line. Revenue fell year‑over‑year as its volatile segment faced...
Del. Chancery Addresses When “Mere Puffery” Crosses the Fraud Line
The Delaware Court of Chancery issued a letter opinion in Shareholder Representative Services v. Sphera Solutions, clarifying when optimistic buyer statements cross from mere puffery into actionable fraud. The magistrate held that Sphera’s promise to substantially increase its marketing budget...
Are Bidder-Initiated Takeovers Opportunistic?
The authors test whether bidder‑initiated takeovers exploit private information to overpay with inflated shares, contrasting that view with a rational payment‑design hypothesis. Analyzing 2,968 U.S. public acquisitions from 2000‑2020, they find bidders launch only half of deals and stock financing...
WTW Completes Acquisition of FlowStone Partners: Private Equity New Phase:
WTW has completed its acquisition of FlowStone Partners, adding specialist private‑equity secondary capabilities to its advisory platform. The deal expands WTW’s private‑markets offering, targeting high‑net‑worth and mass‑affluent investors seeking alternative exposure. By merging institutional‑grade secondaries expertise with its wealth‑management reach,...
Goodbye Partner Track, Hello “F2E”: James Bohannon of Belzberg & Co.
James Bohannon of Belzberg & Co. highlighted the fast‑growing “Finance to Entrepreneurship” (F2E) movement, where seasoned finance professionals abandon partner‑track roles in private equity or investment banking to buy and run lower‑middle‑market companies. He explained how F2Es differ from traditional...
AI in Private Equity: Use Cases Across the Deal Lifecycle
AI is reshaping private equity across the entire investment lifecycle, from deal sourcing to exit planning. Firms that deploy AI for document processing report 50‑80% faster deal times and 35‑85% productivity gains in due diligence. A recent survey shows 82%...
Podcast: Adam Back and Sean Bill on Bitcoin Standard Treasury’s $4bn Deal with CEPO
Bitcoin Standard Treasury (BST) announced a $4 billion combination with Cantor Equity Partners I (NASDAQ: CEPO), a SPAC that closed last July. The deal merges BST’s extensive Bitcoin holdings and a novel Bitcoin PIPE with Cantor’s public‑market platform, creating one of the...
InsideArbitrage Special Situations Newsletter: April 2026
InsideArbitrage’s April 2026 Special Situations newsletter updates its Deal‑in‑the‑Works (DITW) pipeline, now cataloguing 1,109 potential transactions dating back to 2017. The report highlights a renewed “relief rally” as the CNN Fear & Greed Index plunged into single‑digit territory on March 30,...
InsideArbitrage Event Driven Monitor – April 1, 2026
Eli Lilly announced a $6.3 billion cash‑plus‑contingent‑value‑right acquisition of Centessa Pharmaceuticals, paying a 37.8% premium, while Biogen launched a $5.6 billion tender offer for Apellis at a 140% premium. Fidelity BancShares agreed to buy Affinity Bancshares for $142.8 million, offering a 17.3% premium, and...
Kairos Risk Solutions Acquires Molto Re, Names Josh Madson as MD, North America
Singapore‑based Kairos Risk Solutions announced the acquisition of Molto Re, a boutique reinsurance adviser, to strengthen its North American presence. The deal brings Molto Re’s client relationships and specialized expertise into Kairos’ portfolio, complementing its AI‑driven risk solutions. Concurrently, Josh...
GEODIS Completes Acquisition of Transports Malherbe
GEODIS has completed its acquisition of French carrier Transports Malherbe after securing regulatory clearance, expanding its footprint in France’s road transport market. The combined entity now generates nearly €2 billion (about $2.15 billion) in FTL and LTL revenue, placing GEODIS among the...
Delaware Law: M&A Checklist
Morris Nichols has released the 2026 edition of its 192‑page “Mergers & Acquisitions: A Delaware Checklist,” available for free download. The guide compiles the most critical Delaware court decisions on fiduciary duties, poison pills, deal protections, appraisal rights, preferred stock...
Top 3 SPAC Targets – Battery Makers
The SPAC market is re‑energizing, and battery manufacturers are emerging as prime targets. Amprius Technologies saw its share price climb to $14.72 after a CEO change, while South Korea’s SK On secured a 7.2 GWh BESS contract and a 100 GWh supply deal...
World’s Oldest Watch Store Acquired by Patek Philippe
Beyer Chronometrie, the world’s oldest watch shop with a 266‑year legacy, has been sold to Patek Philippe and will close at the end of 2026. The historic Zurich Bahnhofstrasse location will be transformed into an enlarged, brand‑exclusive Patek Philippe boutique....
CapVest Completes Majority Acquisition of Stada
CapVest Partners LLP has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Germany’s STADA Arzneimittel AG, a leading consumer‑health, generics and specialty pharma group. The deal follows STADA’s record 2025 performance, with revenue of €4.3 billion (approximately $4.73 billion) and adjusted EBITDA of €961 million...
Fidelity BancShares Acquires Affinity Bancshares for $142.8 Million in a Cash Deal
Fidelity BancShares announced a cash acquisition of Georgia‑based Affinity Bancshares for $142.8 million, paying $23 per share—a 17.35% premium to the prior close. Affinity contributes roughly $882 million in assets and a portfolio focused on commercial real‑estate, construction, and small‑business lending. The...
M&A Trends: PE Take Privates on the Rise
EY Parthenon’s February 2026 report shows private‑equity‑backed take‑private deals rising 9% month‑over‑month, while overall M&A deal value jumped 139% as transaction volume fell 15%. Large‑scale deals are driving the surge: transactions of $100 million + grew 224% in value and $1 billion + deals surged...
Sullivan & Cromwell Discusses FDIC Rescission of Policy Statement Limiting Participation of Private Investors in Failed-Bank Acquisitions
On March 19, the FDIC rescinded its 2009 Statement of Policy that limited private‑equity participation in failed‑bank acquisitions, aiming to broaden the pool of bidders and reduce resolution costs. The move follows a pilot program that pre‑qualifies nonbanks for asset...
Odds Against Tomorrow
Tomorrow Ltd., a private‑equity‑backed fashion brand accelerator, was sold to e‑commerce holding Progetto 11 in March 2026. Progetto also owns The Level Group, a Milan‑based end‑to‑end solutions platform that offers identical business‑operations services for emerging designers. The Level Group will now...
Coatue Projected $1.995 Trillion Valuation for Anthropic in 2030
Coatue Management disclosed a projection that AI safety startup Anthropic could reach a $1.995 trillion valuation by 2030. The firm’s model shows a $14 billion EBITDA loss on $18 billion revenue in 2026, rising to $48 billion EBITDA on $200 billion revenue by 2031. Recent...
Talent Agencies: Who Leads the Next Era?
Talent agencies are increasingly leveraging high‑margin brand and marketing partnerships to outpace traditional commission‑based talent representation. Landmark deals such as CAA’s 1991 Coca‑Cola consulting contract demonstrated the profitability of corporate collaborations, a model now replicated by agencies with partners like...
Cris Collinsworth Retains PFF Media Arm in $100M+ Teamworks Acquisition
Teamworks has completed the acquisition of Pro Football Focus’s business‑to‑business data platform in a deal valued at more than $100 million. The B2B analytics unit will operate under Teamworks’ brand while the consumer‑facing media arm stays with former owner Cris Collinsworth. Collinsworth...
How to Sequence Your Search Raise Investor Conversations
The article argues that the order of investor conversations is crucial when raising a search fund. Early meetings should be with people who already know the entrepreneur, allowing the founder to practice the pitch and secure soft commitments that act...
Amethis Buys Majority Stake in Côte D’Ivoire’s Ademat
Amethis has acquired a majority stake in Côte d’Ivoire‑based power security provider Ademat, buying out SPE Capital’s controlling position. Founded in 1983, Ademat now offers the full value chain from generation to maintenance, including gas‑powered generators and solar panels. Under...
Activism: Portfolio Optimization as a Driver of M&A Activism
Alvarez & Marsal’s March 2026 US Activist Alert identifies three forces fueling M&A‑related activism: higher foreign direct investment, a push for portfolio optimization, and tighter margin discipline. The report cites Elliott Management’s recent campaigns at Honeywell and PepsiCo as proof that activists...
Alaska Buying JetBlue? Not So Fast
Alaska Air is eyeing JetBlue as a potential acquisition, attracted by the combined route map and East Coast foothold. The deal would give Alaska access to Boston, JFK slots, the Mint premium brand, and a fleet of A321LRs suited for...
The M&A Accretion/Dilution Model Every Founder and Investor Should Run Before Any Deal
The VC Corner blog post unveils a free seven‑sheet Excel model that lets founders and investors run a full accretion/dilution analysis on any M&A transaction. The tool calculates whether the acquiring company’s earnings per share (EPS) will rise or fall...
Tesla and SpaceX to Merge in 2027, Wall Street Analyst Predicts
Wall Street analyst Dan Ives predicts that Tesla and SpaceX will merge in 2027, citing growing operational overlap and shared AI ambitions. The forecast follows Tesla’s $2 billion investment in xAI being converted into a sub‑1% equity stake in SpaceX and...
SUSE Acquires Losant; KORE Acquired in $726 Million Deal
SUSE announced the acquisition of Losant, a leading Industrial IoT platform, to evolve from an edge‑infrastructure provider into a full‑stack IIoT leader. The deal expands SUSE's Edge portfolio with Losant's visual workflow engine, device orchestration and real‑time analytics, promising faster...
CrossCountry Mortgage to Acquire Two Harbors for $8.45 Billion
CrossCountry Mortgage announced an $8.45 billion acquisition of Two Harbors Investment Corp., a leading mortgage REIT. Two Harbors common shareholders will receive $10.8 in cash per share, a 5.26% discount to the prior close, while Series A‑C preferred holders will be...
InsideArbitrage Event Driven Monitor – March 27, 2026
The InsideArbitrage Event Driven Monitor highlights a series of high‑profile M&A moves, including the $22 billion merger‑of‑equals between Equitable Holdings and Corebridge Financial, and Henkel's $1.4 billion cash acquisition of Olaplex at a 55% premium. Servier has opened a tender offer for...
The Gravity of Capital: Understanding the Waterfall That Makes LBOs Possible
Leveraged buyouts rely on a strict payment waterfall that prioritizes operating expenses, senior debt, reserves, seller notes, and finally buyer equity. The hierarchy ensures banks’ capital is protected while the entrepreneur’s equity bears performance risk, driving deleveraging through cash‑flow allocations....
ZIM Seeks Executive Bonuses as $4.2bn Sale to Hapag-Lloyd and FIMI Advances
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,...
Morning SPAC News Roundup: March 26, 2026
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 to Acquire Olaplex for $1.4 Billion in Cash
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...
The Consolidation Cycle Is Beginning
Higher education is entering an early consolidation cycle as asset‑focused acquisitions give way to broader institutional combinations. Federal officials are signaling a move to streamline merger approvals by 2027, while demographic decline and persistent operating deficits tighten financial pressures. Credit...
