Morning all, Irien Joseph here with the Europe edition of the Wire from the London newsroom. We begin with wealth management, as Bridgepoint’s Bertrand Demesse tells PE Hub why the sector is increasingly ripe for investment. It follows Bridgepoint entering talks in May to invest in France’s Finzzle Group. Sticking with the theme of financial services, we have a new exit to report. Lone Star is handing over Portugal’s Novo Banco. Next, we pivot to technology. AI has moved beyond the buzzword phase and is becoming a cornerstone strategy in private equity. From shaping investment strategies to optimizing operations, AI is leaving an imprint across the sector. Rudy Saad, global head of private equity and private capital at Intapp, spoke with PE Hub about AI’s evolving presence in the industry. To close, I’ll take you through this week’s highlights from the tech deal segment, with PE Hub reporting eight transactions across the US and Europe. Wealth on the rise The wealth management sector is highly attractive, supported by strong fundamentals. It is large – worth €2.8 trillion in France alone – and structurally growing at over 4 percent. This growth is underpinned by positive demographics, increasing average household wealth and growing demand for advice to manage savings, Bertrand Demesse, partner at Bridgepoint, told PE Hub. Bridgepoint entered exclusive talks in May to buy a majority stake in Finzzle Groupe in May, underscoring its interest in the sector. Subscribe to the premium version of the Wire to find out why Bridgepoint’s Bertrand Demesse thinks wealth management is becoming a magnet for private equity and how the firm's move to acquire Finzzle Group fits into that. (Note: Bridgepoint owns PEI Group, the publisher of PE Hub.) For a deeper look into recent activity in this sector, see PE Hub’s roundup of 10 wealth management deals reported since the start of 2025. Banking deal Lone Star has signed a memorandum of understanding to sell Novo Banco to a French banking group. Read the premium version of the Wire to find out how Lone Star’s ownership transformed Novo Banco into one of Europe’s most profitable banks and to find out the buyer. AI in action AI is becoming deeply embedded in private equity operations, Rudy Saad, global head of private equity and private capital markets at Intapp, told PE Hub. Intapp, based in Palo Alto, California, provides cloud-based and AI-powered software for the professional and financial services industry. Discover how AI is reshaping private equity, from dealmaking and boosting portfolio performance to streamlining firm operations in the premium version of the Wire. For more on this topic, check out this interview to learn how some Goldman Sachs portfolio companies are using AI. Tech roundup Wrapping up with this week’s tech dealflow. Here’s a rundown of eight deals we covered across the US and Europe. SRM Equity Partners snaps up security tech biz RF Technologies Ridgemont Equity Partners invests in Unosquare Keensight-backed Ram-IT snaps up Interoperability Group EAM forms govtech biz Auctivo after acquiring Advanced GRC, Elation Systems and Rhoads Genstar-backed PlayMetrics and Stack Sports merge Serent Capital invests in govtech biz GovWorx Bain Capital makes growth investment in Arcos Aquiline-backed ClearCourse snaps up Avon Data Systems That’s it from me. John R Fischer will bring you the US edition in the New York morning and Nina Lindholm will be back with the Europe edition on Monday. Warmly, Irien Read the full Wire commentary on PE Hub ... | 