Blackstone, Audax, Five Arrows Eye Pharmaceutical and Life Science Consulting Firms; Drug R&D Complexity Drives Eir Partners to Invest in...
Private‑equity firms Blackstone, Audax and Five Arrows are scouting boutique consulting firms that specialize in pharmaceutical and life‑science services, seeing them as platforms for growth. At the same time, Eir Partners announced a strategic investment in QuartzBio, a data‑analytics startup aimed at simplifying drug‑R&D workflows. Both moves were discussed at a Houlihan Lokey conference that emphasized the role of artificial intelligence in navigating industry disintermediation. The combined activity signals heightened PE focus on the data‑intensive, high‑complexity segment of drug development.
Catalyst IR Handles Mobix's Potential Deal for SPD
Mobix Labs, represented by Catalyst IR, has signed a non‑binding letter of intent to acquire Special Project Delivery LLC (SPD), a privately held platform with holdings in U.S. rare‑earth properties. The proposed transaction aims to bolster Mobix’s ability to supply...
Blackstone and KKR to Assume Control of Dental Group Affordable Care
Direct lenders Blackstone and KKR are set to take control of Affordable Care, a U.S. dental services provider, through a restructuring that slashes its debt by roughly 70%. The $1.4 billion private‑credit facility will be exchanged for a $225 million first‑lien term...
PE Seeks Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Consulting Firms: 7 Deals
Private equity firms are actively pursuing add‑on acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and life‑sciences consulting space, with seven deals currently in the pipeline. Blackstone, Audax, Bridgepoint and Baird are among the most vocal bidders, each targeting niche advisory platforms that serve...
Japan Power Chip Alliance Talks Slow as Rohm Resists Integration
Denso has withdrawn its bid to acquire Rohm, leaving Japan’s power‑semiconductor consolidation in limbo. Ongoing talks among Rohm, Toshiba and Mitsubishi Electric are stalled by concerns over joint management control and operational integration. Meanwhile Toshiba and Mitsubishi have each launched...
Buyout Majors Maintain Appetite for Middle East Deals Despite Regional Conflict
Global private‑equity firms such as General Atlantic and KKR say the Iran‑related conflict has not derailed their Middle East strategies. Both firms report robust fundraising and continued deal flow, with General Atlantic deploying about $3 bn since 2013 and securing a...
LVMH Sells Fashion House Marc Jacobs to G-Star Owner WHP Global
LVMH is selling the Marc Jacobs fashion label to WHP Global, the owner of Vera Wang and G‑Star, in a deal valued at up to $850 million. The acquisition will be structured as a 50/50 joint venture with G‑III Apparel Group,...
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Q1 2026: What Closed, Who Closed It, and What's Coming Next
In Q1 2026, private‑equity platforms recorded 547 global closings, with North America accounting for 378 (69%). Healthcare surged to a 21.2% share of NA platform deals, more than double its recent 9.1% baseline, while technology fell to 32.5% of closings despite...
Aveanna Expects ‘Zero Impact’ From Home Health Moratorium
Aveanna Healthcare Holdings announced that the recent Medicare enrollment moratorium for home health and hospice will have "zero impact" on its operations and financial guidance. The company is progressing toward closing its $175.5 million acquisition of Family First Homecare in late...
Brookfield to Acquire Air Freight Services Provider WFC- #CapitalMarkets #Finance
Brookfield Asset Management announced it will acquire World Freight Company (WFC), the world’s largest general sales and service agent for air cargo. WFC connects more than 300 airlines with 16,000 freight forwarders across 3,500 trade lanes in over 80 countries....
Welsh Carson Targets $5bn for Latest Flagship
Welsh Carson announced the launch of its 15th flagship fund, aiming to raise roughly $5 billion. The vehicle will concentrate on mid‑market buyout opportunities, with a geographic emphasis on North America. Documents shared at a recent limited‑partner meeting detail the fund’s...
Ascend Brings Alabama-Based Jackson Thornton Into the Fold
Ascend, the Arlington‑based platform backed by Alpine Investors, has acquired Alabama accounting firm Jackson Thornton, adding 30 partners and more than 160 professionals. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, marks Ascend’s second M&A this year after the January...
Talk Back to Television: Manik Bambha, Co-Founder & President, ViewLift
Manik Bambha, co‑founder and president of ViewLift, discussed the company’s rapid expansion in the OTT market, highlighting its partnership with sports‑streaming giant DAZN and the rollout of a new ad‑supported tier for publishers. ViewLift now powers over 300 streaming apps,...
As Funding Dollars Dwindle, Newsroom Tech Companies Are Heeding the Call for Consolidation
Funding for newsroom technology startups has dried up, prompting a wave of consolidation. Indiegraf, known for its content management system, announced its third acquisition in three months, buying News Revenue Hub’s donation‑management platform RevEngine. The deal, part of a broader...
General Atlantic Invests in PowerGEM
General Atlantic has entered a financing round for PowerGEM, a developer of high‑pressure hydrogen storage systems. The firm joins existing investor TA Associates, which has supported PowerGEM since 2024. The new capital is earmarked for scaling production capacity and expanding...
James Wise on Why the Sovereign AI Unit Criticism Is Wrong – and the One Company He Wishes He’d Backed
James Wise, partner at Balderton Capital, joins the Sifted Podcast to discuss his latest venture as chair of the UK government’s Sovereign AI Unit, a £500 million (~$635 million) fund aimed at accelerating artificial‑intelligence research. He explains the fund’s early investments in...
Byron Allen Bought BuzzFeed. He Wants Starz Next
Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group purchased a majority stake in BuzzFeed for $20 million in cash with a $100 million earn‑out, adding the BuzzFeed and HuffPost brands to his portfolio of free‑ad streaming assets like Local Now. The deal complements his existing holdings,...
MOBX to Acquire U.S. Defense Rare Earth, Critical Minerals Company
Mobix Labs (Nasdaq: MOBX) announced a non‑binding Letter of Intent to acquire Special Project Delivery LLC, a U.S. firm that builds sovereign supply chains for rare earth elements, critical minerals and energy‑storage materials. The deal would extend Mobix’s existing national‑security...
Bloomberg: Leveraged Lending Insights – 5/11/2026
U.S. leveraged loan issuances surged to $34.75 billion through April 13, marking the first week since February that launches topped $30 billion. The market, which had stalled amid Iran‑related geopolitical tension and AI‑driven volatility, saw weekly volumes spike to nearly $57 billion in mid‑January...
Akamai to Acquire AI and Browser Security Firm LayerX for $205 Million
Akamai announced an all‑cash acquisition of LayerX for roughly $205 million. LayerX, a startup focused on AI‑driven browser security, brings a platform that monitors user and agentic activity across browsers, apps, and IDEs. The deal, expected to close in Q3 2026, adds...
Tate & Lyle Gets Up to £2.7 Billion Offer From Ingredion
Tate & Lyle Plc has received a conditional takeover offer from US‑based Ingredion Inc. valued at up to £2.7 billion (approximately $3.5 billion) and 615 pence per share (about $7.85). The proposal would likely take the historic British ingredients maker private and remove...
Skechers Raises Settlement Proposal in Delaware Buyout Dispute with Hedge Funds
Skechers USA has raised its settlement offer to $65 per share, two dollars above the original $63 price paid in the $9.4 bn take‑private deal with 3G Capital. The increase follows a failed $64‑per‑share proposal and aims to resolve an appraisal‑arbitrage...
Mott MacDonald to Buy Leed
Mott MacDonald announced the acquisition of Leed, a 350‑person Australian engineering and construction firm specializing in water‑related infrastructure. The deal creates a fully integrated design‑and‑build team that combines Mott’s global engineering expertise with Leed’s local project delivery capabilities. Leed’s portfolio includes...
Leveraged Loan Insight & Analysis – 5/11/2026
Technology‑focused leveraged loans have risen in price over the past year, yet they continue to trade at a discount relative to the broader secondary loan market. Investors are reassessing exposure to software firms amid growing concerns that artificial‑intelligence breakthroughs could...
NEC Finalizes CSG Buy
NEC Corporation completed its $2.9 billion acquisition of telecom‑software provider CSG on Thursday, finalizing a deal first announced in October. The merger creates a global software entity with expanded capabilities in customer engagement, monetization, operations, AI‑driven automation and cloud‑native platforms. NEC...
Private Equity Took a Big Bite Out of Grant Thornton UK Profits
Grant Thornton UK’s first year under Cinven’s private‑equity ownership saw pre‑tax profit plunge 78% to £32 million ($43 million), even as revenue rose 4% to £787.1 million ($1.06 billion). The decline was driven by £156.4 million ($211 million) in one‑off bonuses and £26.2 million ($35 million) in deal‑related...
Warner Bros. Discovery Ad Presidents Downplay Paramount Merger Impact on Upfronts: ‘Been Through Change and Challenges Before’
Warner Bros. Discovery’s co‑ad presidents Ryan Gould and Robert Voltaggio used Wednesday’s upfront to reassure advertisers that the pending $110 billion merger with Paramount will not disrupt ad inventory or pricing. They emphasized the company’s history of navigating industry change and...
BYD Looks to Acquire Third EU Plant, Stellantis on Shortlist
Chinese EV maker BYD is negotiating to acquire one or more under‑utilised European factories, with Italy’s Stellantis sites topping its shortlist. The move would complement BYD’s newly announced plants in Hungary and Turkey, both slated for mass production in late...
Brown-Forman Rejects $15bn Buyout Offer From Rival Sazerac, Source Says
Brown‑Forman turned down Sazerac’s $15 bn cash offer (≈$13.9 bn in euros) of $32 per share, after earlier talks with Pernod Ricard collapsed. The Brown family favored Pernod Ricard’s stock‑centric merger, which would let them retain influence, whereas Sazerac’s proposal required full cash payment...
An Immediate Step up on Long-Term Growth Plans: Behind the Lazard CL Tie-Up
Investment bank Lazard has agreed to acquire private‑markets advisory firm Campbell Lutyens, creating a larger platform for secondary‑market transactions. The deal, valued at roughly $1.5 billion, will be financed with cash and Lazard stock and is expected to close later this...
India’s Pharma Industry Is Going Global. But Can It Catch up to China?
Sun Pharma’s $11.75 billion purchase of Organon is designed to lift the Indian giant into the global top‑25 drugmakers, targeting combined revenues of about $12.5 billion and a footprint in 150 countries by early 2027. The deal underscores India’s broader push to...
Argosy Exits Aerospace MRO Specialist InTech Aerospace
Argosy Private Equity has completed its exit from InTech Aerospace, a Houston‑based FAA Part 145 repair station that focuses on aircraft interior refurbishment for commercial and military fleets. During Argosy’s ownership, alongside co‑investor Azalea Capital, the firm bolstered operational capabilities...
Lab Testing Group Intertek to Back £10.6bn Takeover by Swedish Firm EQT
Intertek, the FTSE 100 laboratory testing group, announced it is "minded to recommend" a £60‑a‑share ($77) takeover bid from Swedish private‑equity firm EQT, valuing the company at £10.6 bn ($13.6 bn) including debt. The offer follows three earlier proposals and sparked a 7%...
Peltz’s Trian Explores Funding for Potential Wendy’s Take-Private Deal
Activist firm Trian Fund Management, led by Nelson Peltz, is courting external financiers to mount a potential take‑private of Wendy’s Company, valued at roughly $1.3 billion. The search includes Middle‑East co‑investors as Trian explores financing structures for the deal. Wendy’s has...
Blackstone Preps for Third Core Buyout Fund
Blackstone is preparing a third vintage of its long‑duration core private equity fund, with investor discussions already underway ahead of a formal capital raise later this year. The new vehicle will likely target eight to ten portfolio companies, committing roughly...
EQT Lines up Qatari Backing Ahead of VW Marine Engines Business Binding Bid
Private equity firm EQT is forming a consortium with Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Porsche Automobil Holding to submit a binding offer for Volkswagen’s marine‑engine unit Everllence. The deal could value the business at more than €8 billion (about $8.7 billion), positioning...
Mubadala’s Zouhir Regragui: Supply-Demand Imbalances Driving Capital Allocation; Breakthrough for EQT on Intertek Take-Private
Private equity firm EQT is pursuing a take‑private transaction for Intertek, the London‑listed provider of testing, inspection and certification services. The deal, valued at roughly $10 billion, would take Intertek private and expand EQT’s footprint in high‑growth, recurring‑revenue businesses. Mubadala’s chief...
BrandAlley Explores Potential Sale of Business
British off‑price e‑tailer BrandAlley is exploring strategic options that may involve a partial or full sale of the business. The company has engaged restructuring firm Interpath after initially considering a debt raise, and is seeking a new investment partner to...
Carlyle, Yum China Among Bidders for Jardines’ Asian KFC, Pizza Hut Business
Jardine Matheson’s restaurant arm, which runs about 1,000 KFC and Pizza Hut outlets in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Myanmar, and Vietnam, is up for sale. Carlyle Group, Yum China, and Taiwan’s Uni‑President have submitted non‑binding bids, with the transaction expected...
Salem Media Going Private in Acquisition by WaterStone
Salem Media, the Texas‑based owner of 62 radio stations and a network reaching about 2,400 affiliates, agreed to be taken private by the WaterStone foundation. The deal values the 31.8 million outstanding shares at $1.00 each, a roughly 250% premium to...
Jack Daniel’s Maker Brown-Forman Rejects $15 Billion Takeover Offer From Sazerac
Brown-Forman, the parent of Jack Daniel’s, turned down Sazerac’s $15 billion cash offer, equivalent to $32 per share. The bid, made by the New Orleans‑based spirits group, would have merged two of the largest U.S. whiskey producers. Brown‑Forman’s board, dominated by...
EBay Rejects GameStop's $56 Billion Takeover As 'Neither Credible Nor Attractive'
eBay rejected GameStop’s $56 billion takeover bid, calling it neither credible nor attractive. The board highlighted financing doubts, potential disruption to eBay’s long‑term growth and leadership concerns. eBay’s market value is roughly four times GameStop’s, and its stock has risen 201%...
Lufthansa Group Acquires Majority (90%) Stake In Italy’s ITA Airways
Lufthansa Group is exercising its option to raise its ownership of Italy’s ITA Airways from 41% to 90%, paying €325 million (about $350 million) in a deal slated for June 2026. The transaction, subject to EU and US antitrust clearance, should close...
Lido Advisors Acquires $1B Jackson Hole Capital
Lido Advisors, a Los Angeles‑based RIA with more than $42 billion in assets under management, has acquired Jackson Hole Capital Partners, a Tulsa wealth‑management firm holding over $1 billion in assets. The six‑person Jackson Hole team will join Lido as partners, bolstering its alternative‑investment capabilities....
Austria’s Norbert Marcher Strikes Deal for EG Südbayern Slaughterhouses
Austria’s family‑owned processor Norbert Marcher has purchased a 51% stake in two EG Südbayern slaughterhouses in Bavaria, assuming sole operational and industrial control. The acquisition positions Marcher as a new entrant in the competitive German meat market while keeping existing supply...
Ebay Rejects $56bn GameStop Bid as ‘neither Credible nor Attractive’
GameStop offered to acquire eBay for roughly $56 billion, but eBay’s board rejected the proposal, calling it neither credible nor attractive. The bid, which would have been the largest merger in the e‑commerce sector, was dismissed despite GameStop’s push to diversify...
EBay Rejects GameStop’s $55 Billion Takeover Bid
eBay rejected GameStop’s proposal to merge in a cash‑and‑stock transaction valued at roughly $55 billion, describing the offer as neither credible nor attractive. GameStop, a retailer four times smaller than eBay, unveiled the bid last week, sparking confusion over its financing...
Rovio Set for Restructure After Sega Acquisition Disappoints
Sega’s $775 million acquisition of Rovio has underperformed, with the Japanese firm reporting no economic value created. Rovio’s FY2026 sales fell to €181 million (≈$213 million) and are forecast to dip further to €158 million (≈$186 million) in FY2027. The companies are restructuring, scaling back...
Heytesbury Acquires Livestock Express Fleet in Major Live Export Deal
Heytesbury has acquired the Netherlands‑owned Livestock Express, taking control of its 11 purpose‑built livestock vessels, Singapore office and third‑party technical management services. The fleet transports 600,000‑750,000 head of cattle annually, underpinning northern Australia’s live‑export supply chain. Financing was provided by...
Buzzfeed Sold to Late Night Host and Media Mogul Byron Allen
Byron Allen, the CBS late‑night host and owner of Allen Media Group, has purchased a 52% majority stake in Buzzfeed for $120 million, becoming its chairman and CEO. The transaction, funded by $20 million in cash and a $100 million promissory note due...