H1 2026 European Private Equity Activity (Invest Europe)
Summary
- Preliminary fundraising figures for European PE/VC funds in H1 2026 reached €67.6bn, representing a 6% increase from the revised H1 2025 figure of €63.8bn.p.8
- Buyout fundraising reached €53.6bn, increasing by 29% compared with H1 2025 and accounting for approximately 79% of all capital raised.p.8
- Growth fundraising fell to €4.2bn in H1 2026, approximately 58% below the amount raised in H1 2025.p.8
- European companies received €43.1bn in equity investment during the first half of 2026, representing a 35% decrease from the revised H1 2025 figure of €66.6bn.p.8
- Venture capital investment increased by 11% to a record half-year total of €11.5bn in H1 2026.p.8
- Divestments at cost reached €13.2bn in the first half of 2026, representing a 40% decrease from the revised H1 2025 figure of €22.0bn.p.8
Key insights
- Buyout investment fell to €24.5bn, a decrease of 42% compared with the revised H1 2025 figure.p.8
- Growth investment decreased to €6.8bn, 48% below the amount invested in H1 2025.p.8
- Divestments through sales to another private equity firm fell to 35% of all exits in H1 2026.p.8
- Divestments by public offering reached double digits for the first time since H2 2021, representing 13% of all exits.p.8
- Venture capital fundraising remained broadly stable at €7.9bn, down 3% from €8.1bn in the same period last year.p.8
- Trade sales represented 29% of all European private equity exits divested at cost in H1 2026.p.35
Topics and entities
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