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The definitive source of private markets intelligence.


European VC Valuations Hit Multi-Year Highs Amid Mixed Signals, PitchBook Analysis Shows
According to PitchBook's Q2 2025 European VC Valuations Report, median venture capital valuations across Europe continued climbing in the first half of 2025, with Series E+ companies reaching €1.2 billion for the first time since 2022. The value-over-volume dynamic persisted as deal counts remained flat while median deal sizes and valuations grew across most funding series, though volatility in financial markets and geopolitical tensions created uncertainty for the second hal
Aug 25, 20252 min read


PE Secondary Market Hits Record $160B as Liquidity Drought Persists, StepStone Says
The private equity secondary market shattered records in 2024, reaching $160 billion in transaction volume as limited partners and general partners turned to alternative liquidity solutions amid a prolonged distribution drought. According to StepStone Group's August 2025 report, the first half of 2025 has already seen $102 billion in transactions, putting the market on track to break last year's record again.
Aug 23, 20252 min read


Morningstar CEO Warns on Private Markets Complexity
Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor, speaking at the 2025 Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago, outlined how his firm is responding to this fundamental shift by extending its analytical framework to cover private investments.
Aug 23, 20253 min read


Alaska Permanent Fund CIO Warns Private Markets Have Lost Their Edge
Alaska's $85B fund CIO warns private market premiums have vanished as valuations soar beyond historical norms.
Aug 22, 20253 min read


Private Markets Face AI Revolution While Stuck in Spreadsheets
Private markets' spreadsheet-based infrastructure will be fully automated by AI within years, not decades.
Aug 22, 20253 min read


Energy Transition Hits Sweet Spot for Private Equity Returns
The energy transition sector has evolved from a high-risk merchant market to a predictable fee-generating opportunity, creating what could be a decade-long investment window before large infrastructure players drive down returns to uninvestable levels. Chris Rozzell, managing partner at Cresta Fund Management, brings a rare founder-operator perspective to middle-market private equity, having grown Regency Energy Partners from $100 million to multi-billion dollar enterprise va
Aug 22, 20253 min read


Why Smart LPs Back Early-Stage Venture
Jamie Rhode, Partner at Screendoor, a venture fund-of-funds that exclusively backs institutional-grade emerging managers, joined Balentic CEO Kasper Wichmann on Balentic Edge to discuss why traditional LP thinking about early-stage venture is fundamentally flawed.
Aug 19, 20253 min read


Private Equity Must Evolve Beyond Financial Engineering, THL Partners CEO Says
Todd Abbrecht, Co-CEO of THL Partners, argues that the industry's future success depends on deep domain expertise and integrated operational capabilities rather than deal-making prowess alone.
Aug 19, 20253 min read


Venture Capital Outsider Built Billion-Dollar Seed Fund
Ramtin Naimi, founder of Abstract Ventures, argues that traditional seed funds are largely delusional about their deal flow advantages and that multi-stage tier-one firms consistently outperform at seed investing.
Aug 19, 20253 min read


Ares CEO: Private Markets Thrive Despite Subdued M&A Volumes
Michael Arougheti, CEO of Ares Management, which oversees $570 billion in assets, appeared on Bloomberg Surveillance following the firm's Q2 2025 earnings call to discuss how alternative asset managers are navigating this environment. His firm deployed $27 billion in the quarter despite subdued deal activity, highlighting how the industry has evolved beyond traditional M&A dependency to encompass digital infrastructure, real estate, private credit, and asset-based finance acr
Aug 19, 20253 min read


Private Markets See Q3 Rebound Amid Policy Shifts, Partners Group Says
Private markets are experiencing a "quarter of adjustment" with higher tariffs, lower interest rates, and increased policy clarity driving renewed activity. According to Partners Group's Q3 2025 Private Markets Chartbook, deal volumes are rebounding from 2024 lows as trade negotiations provide greater economic certainty and Federal Reserve rate cuts support portfolio company financing costs.
Aug 17, 20252 min read


Venture Capital Evolves Beyond Traditional Stage Boundaries
The venture capital industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation as firms abandon traditional stage-focused investing in favor of comprehensive software investment platforms that can deploy capital from Series A through full buyouts. Deven Parekh, Managing Director at Insight Partners, argues this "stage agnostic" approach provides superior market intelligence and better outcomes for both entrepreneurs and investors.
Aug 14, 20253 min read


Private Equity Fundraising Slumps to 5-Year Low in 2025
Global private equity fundraising is on track for its weakest year since 2020 — and lowest fund count in over a decade — with just $224.9B raised across 248 vehicles by midyear, according to KPMG’s Pulse of Private Equity Q2’25. The slowdown reflects muted exit activity in recent years, as GPs struggle to return capital to LPs and face tougher fundraising conditions.
Aug 14, 20252 min read


AI Infrastructure Becomes Private Equity’s New Power Play in 2025
What’s New Private equity is making billion-dollar bets on the backbone of artificial intelligence — from hyperscale data centers to...
Aug 14, 20252 min read


Continuation Vehicles Surge Amid Stalled Private Equity Exits in 2025
Private equity firms are leaning heavily on continuation vehicles (CVs) in 2025 to hold onto high-quality assets longer, according to KPMG’s Pulse of Private Equity Q2’25. With exit markets weak — particularly for IPOs and secondary buyouts — GPs are opting to roll prized portfolio companies into new funds rather than sell at a discount. LPs, however, are pushing back over valuation transparency and the risk of “stranded” assets.
Aug 14, 20252 min read


Private Equity Slows Sharply in Q2 2025 as Tariff Uncertainty Bites
Global private equity dealmaking plunged in Q2 2025, with total announced investment dropping to $363.7B across 3,769 deals, the lowest volume since Q3 2020, according to KPMG’s Pulse of Private Equity Q2’25. The slowdown was most pronounced in Asia and the Americas, as investors delayed deals pending clarity on U.S. tariff policies — despite blockbuster U.S. transactions like Blackstone’s $11.5B TXNM Energy buyout.
Aug 13, 20252 min read


Enterprise Software Investing at an AI Inflection Point
Nic Humphries, Senior Partner and Executive Chairman of HG Capital, one of the world's top 10 largest private equity firms with over $100 billion in assets under management, warns that companies must aggressively adopt AI technologies or face being disrupted by startups.
Aug 10, 20253 min read


Carnegie Mellon's $4B Investment Chief Warns of Venture Capital Crisis
The venture capital industry faces a fundamental crisis where 90% of limited partners shouldn't be investing in the asset class, according to analysis showing median returns barely exceed 8% while top-quartile funds struggle to beat public market equivalents. Miles Dieffenbach, Managing Director of Investments at Carnegie Mellon University, shared this stark assessment on Harry Stebbings' 20VC podcast, drawing from his experience overseeing a $4 billion endowment.
Aug 10, 20253 min read


TPG Declares Record Dividend as Credit Platform Reaches Inflection Point, Posting 26% Earnings Growth
TPG delivered outstanding Q2 2025 results with after-tax distributable earnings of $268 million ($0.69 per share), up 26% year-over-year, driven by record-breaking fundraising of $11.3 billion—the second highest quarter in company history.
Aug 10, 20254 min read


Carlyle Group Posts Record Q2 Earnings, Raises Guidance on Diversification Strategy
The Carlyle Group delivered record Q2 2025 Fee-Related Earnings of $323 million (up 18% YoY) and Assets Under Management of $465 billion, while announcing a leadership restructure naming three Co-Presidents. The private equity giant raised full-year FRE growth guidance to 10% from 6% as its diversification into credit and solutions businesses now generates 55% of firm-wide FRE, up from less than 30% two years ago. CEO Harvey Schwartz highlighted the firm's industry-leading ca
Aug 7, 20254 min read
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