Healthcare PE Hits Record $191B in 2025 Deal Value | Bain Outlook
- Editor
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
What's New
Bain & Company's Global Healthcare Private Equity Report 2026 reveals that global healthcare private equity delivered a record-breaking performance in 2025, with disclosed deal value exceeding an estimated $191 billion—surpassing the previous high set in 2021—while deal volume hit 445 buyouts, marking the second-highest annual total on record despite a second-quarter tariff-related pause.
Why It Matters
The record performance signals sustained investor confidence in healthcare fundamentals and sets the stage for continued momentum in 2026, as high levels of dry powder combine with a growing cohort of sponsor-owned assets reaching the end of their fund lives, creating tailwinds for both dealmaking and exits.
Big Picture Drivers
Exit pressure: Maturing PE portfolios and investor demand for distributions are pushing dealmakers to act
Sponsor activity: Sponsor-to-sponsor transactions surged to record highs, accounting for 76% of exit value
Regional resilience: Europe delivered sustained activity throughout the year while North America and Asia-Pacific rebounded strongly after Q2
Sector evolution: Healthcare IT and medtech gained momentum as new growth engines alongside traditional biopharma and provider segments
Large-cap return: Deals exceeding $1 billion drove record value, with 26 such transactions in North America alone
By The Numbers
$191 billion: Record deal value for healthcare PE in 2025, surpassing 2021's previous high
$156 billion: Exit value reached second-highest year ever, up from $54 billion in 2024
445 deals: Buyout count marked the second-highest annual total on record
2.3x median MOIC: Healthcare IT outperformed all other healthcare subsectors since 2017
76%: Sponsor-to-sponsor transactions as share of total exit value
Key Trends to Watch
Healthcare IT valuations are pushing toward a "Rule of 60" standard (revenue growth + EBITDA margin exceeding 60%), raising the performance bar for top-tier assets.
Medtech momentum is accelerating as investors deploy proven value-creation playbooks on large-scale assets from public markets via take-privates and carve-outs.
Physician group models are shifting from traditional buy-and-build strategies toward integrated, clinician-centric platforms with AI-enabled operations.
Pharma services investors are targeting premium assets with large pharma exposure and strong revenue visibility while avoiding early-stage biotech volatility.
The Wrap Healthcare PE's 2025 performance demonstrates the sector's fundamental durability, but winning in 2026 will require sharper value-creation playbooks—particularly around generative AI, pricing strategy, and platform M&A—as valuation multiples remain elevated and competition for quality assets intensifies.
Read Full Report: Bain Global Healthcare Private Equity Report 2026