Morning all, Irien Joseph here with the Europe edition of the Wire from the London newsroom.
Let’s kick things off in the video gaming world, where cloud gaming, mobile access and booming esports ecosystems are drawing in users, and private equity is following close behind, ramping up investments to capture this growth. That brings us to a listicle by PE Hub’s Sophie Rose, who rounded up five deals in the video gaming sector spanning both the US and the UK.
We then hear from law firms BonelliErede and Perkins Coie onthe newly released final draft of the EU AI Act code of practice, unpacking its potential impact on dealmaking.
Next on our radar: a report from law firm Browne Jacobson that points to rising inward investment in the UK and Ireland, even with geopolitical uncertainty lingering. We’ve also got insights from the firm’s Declan Cushley on where things are headed.
To finish, we’ll jet over to India. Our affiliate title Private Equity International has compiled a list of Indian GPs to watch, as the country continues to shine in private equity. We’ll also loop back to PE Hub’s own deepdives into emerging trends steering the market forward.
In the game
Drake Star expects a new wave of video gaming M&A activity throughout the remainder of 2025 and 2026, with IPO activity “likely to pick up,” according to the technology investment bank’s latest Global Gaming Report.
Subscribe to the premium version of the Wire to find the latest deal announced in the sector and insights from Drake Star on M&A activity in the sector.
Read the full story to find out the other four deals announced in the sector.
Compliant AI
Turning to AI that isn’t fighting against you in a level of a video game. The final EU AI Act and similar rules will likely have a “significant” impact on M&A, particularly for tech, data and AI-heavy targets, Franco Agopyan, partner at BonelliErede and co-leader of its private equity focus team, told PE Hub.
Find out how the EU AI Act is making compliant AI a must-have and why it could be the deciding factor in your next deal in the premium version of the Wire.
Check out this story to learn what Covington’s Lyndsey Laverack and Moritz Hüsch say about how dealmakers should consider the new EU AI Act regulations in their decisions.
Inward investments
In the UK and Ireland, there’s optimism in the air. Sixty percent of business leaders expect more inbound M&A over the next year, with the figure jumping to 82 percent in Ireland, Browne Jacobson’s latest report reveals.
Read the premium version of the Wire to uncover key takeaways from Browne Jacobson’s latest report and why there will be surge in M&A in the UK and Ireland.
India in focus
Over to India, where the private equity market is maturing fast, drawing interest from both GPs and LPs. Affiliate title Private Equity International has compiled a list of Indian GPs to watch – starting with homegrown, domestic funds. The qualifying criteria included having at least three funds and PE AUM of at least $1 billion, with at least one fund totaling $400 million or more.
For more on private equity firms investing in India, see PE Hub’s previous stories:
That’s all from me for now. John R Fischer will bring you the US edition of the Wire in the New York morning and Nina Lindholm will be back with the Europe edition on Monday.
Warmly,
Irien
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