Europe edition, free version

View this email online 

 
 

The Wire

Private equity deal news and insights from the London newsroom

Feb 12, 2025

 

Armen: European GP stakes market needs more players; BC Partners’ United Group sells telco assets

Morning all, Craig McGlashan here with the Europe Wire from the London newsroom.

 

GP stakes specialist Armen this morning released a white paper on the European GP stakes market, of which PE Hub got a sneak preview. We spoke to the firm’s Renaud Tourmente and Catherine Haumesseron what the sector needs to grow, how it differs from the US and what makes it attractive for investors.

 

Next, BC Partners portfolio company United Group has agreed to divest some more telco assets.

 

Finally, with the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association Conclave 2025 taking place in Mumbai, we take another look at reporter Irien Joseph’s feature on why private equity is excited about the country’s dealmaking prospects.

 

Raising the stakes

The European GP stakes market needs more competition and intermediaries to reach maturity, Renaud Tourmente, deputy CEO and COO of Armen, told me. Tourmente spoke as Armen launched a white paper on the growing sector.

 

Read why Armen believes there are so many opportunities in the European GP stakes market, why it differs from the US and why domestic European GP stakers are best placed to take advantage of those differences, in the premium version of the Wire.

 

Exit flurry

BC Partners portfolio company United Group has announced another sale of assets.

 

Find out the details in the premium version of the Wire.

 

India push

Indian private equity firms have hopes that the sector will have more deals than last year, particularly in financial services, IT and healthcare, Reuters reported executives at the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association Conclave 2025 in Mumbai as saying this week. 

 

Of course, PE Hub readers already knew that private equity is bullish on the country. Reporter Irien Joseph took an in-depth look at Indian private equity in this feature from November, which includes comment from Akshay Tanna, partner and head of India private equity at KKR, Hari Gopalakrishnan, head of private capital India and global co-head of services at EQT, and Amit Dixit, a senior managing director and Asia head for Blackstone Private Equity.

 

Right, that’s it from me today. Rafael Canton is on US duty later today and Nina Lindholm will be in the Europe chair tomorrow.

 

Cheers,

Craig

 

Read the full Wire commentary on PE Hub ...

Today's must reads

> Carlyle portfolio well-insulated from tariffs threat – Schwartz More...
> Armen’s Renaud Tourmente: ‘You do not develop a market alone’ More...
> The Riverside Company invests in online financial training provider Wall Street Prep More...
> M&A activity in the RIA industry surging to new heights More...
> Archimed to buy another European diagnostics company following Diesse exit More...

Also of note (may require subscriptions)

 

Carlyle portfolio well-insulated from tariffs threat – Schwartz. The alternatives giant anticipates limited impact from Trump's trade levies given its investments are predominantly US-focused, according to CEO Harvey Schwartz. (Private Equity International)

 

Strategic Value Partners targets $6.5bn for latest distressed fund: If the target is met, the new fund will be the biggest yet raised by Strategic Value Partners. It will be 30% larger than Fund V, closed in 2021 at $5bn. (Buyouts)

 

Big names exit Nuveen in client team shake-up: Former global client chief Mike Perry and alternatives products head Keith Jones have left the $1.3trn firm, which is targeting $2trn in assets by 2030. (Infrastructure Investor)

 

The expanding role of private debt in upstream energy: There is a major opportunity for investors prepared to take the time to understand the industry, says Steve Hendrickson of Ralph E Davis Associates. (Private Debt Investor)

 

AML due diligence practices not perfect: SEC charges private fund adviser's AML due diligence practices were 'materially inconsistent' with its representations to prospective and existing investors. (Private Funds CFO)

Deals

> BC-backed United Group to sell non-EU telco assets at combined EV of €1.5bn More...
> Riverside Company acquires South Sound Fire & Safety as add-on for PSI More...
> KKR to sell manufacturer Kito Crosby to Columbus McKinnon for $2.7bn More...
> Fortress Investment completes £354m acquisition of Loungers More...
> OceanSound-backed SMX snaps up professional services cBeyondata More...
> Onex-backed Wyse snaps up Evstart and Rate Switch program More...
People
> Arsenal Capital-backed OncoHealth appoints Maack as CEO More...
> Bluestone-backed CTI taps Kropac as CTO More...
> Apax Partners-backed Thoughtworks names Reznik as chief strategy officer More...

They said it

“There’s clearly a benefit to have first-mover advantage. But at the same time, you do not develop a market alone. You need some kind of competition. That’s a sign of a market that is growing to maturity. Not that we wish for competition, but it will happen.”

— Renaud Tourmente, deputy CEO and COO of Armen, on what the European GP stakes market needs next

 

Today's letter was prepared by Craig McGlashan

Subscribe now to get full, unlimited access to all PE Hub content, including every PE Hub Wire article.

FIND OUT MORE
 

London | New York | Hong Kong | Tokyo | Sydney

PEI Group Ltd is registered in England no.6135779

Registered office: 5th Floor, 100 Wood Street, EC2V 7AN

LinkedInTwitter
 

To update your PE Hub email preferences, or to unsubscribe, click here.