News & Analysis

driven by the PitchBook Platform
Europe

European financial services see surge in PE investment

Asset managers accounted for four of the ten largest financial services PE deals this year.

European PE Breakdown

EQT expects slow exits amid tariff uncertainty

Geopolitical risks, a slowdown of global economic activity and inflationary pressure are the firm’s main concerns as the US applies a new tariff regime.

Europe’s VC market defies headwinds with strong start to the year

Funding for European startups is on track to surpass last year’s annual total.

Bain Capital cashes out of Esure in €1.5B sale to Ageas

Bain Capital is exiting investment in British insurance firm Esure through a €1.5 billion sale to Ageas

Economic uncertainties shake up European PE dealmaking

After a strong 2024, European PE faced a stark slowdown in Q1 2025 as geopolitical tensions and macro uncertainty reshaped investor behavior.

The future of VC may have more borders

Trade wars signal a shift away from the globalization that has underpinned many VC strategies.

UK looks to ease regulation for smaller PE firms

The UK’s financial regulator and finance ministry have launched a consultation to lighten regulation for a significant portion of the UK’s PE market.

The Benchmark




2021 Vintage European PE Funds

Median IRR

9.89%

Top Quartile IRR

23.55%

0.00x

Median DPI

Select top performers

Next Wave Partners IV

H.I.G. Europe Capital Partners III

Endless Fund V

Check out the latest PitchBook Benchmarks

Keep up with data-driven insights on the private markets through PitchBook’s family of newsletters.

Data & Tools

Global league tables: Q1 2024

Which venture investors, acquirers, and law firms made the most deals last quarter? Click to see the full data in interactive tables.

European VC female founders dashboard

How are female-founded startups in Europe faring in 2024? Click to see the full data.

PitchBook VC Dealmaking Indicator

Last year’s shift toward a more investor-friendly environment may have reversed slightly in 2024. Click to see the full data.

More Europe news

Trump’s tariffs are a wake-up call for European VCs

European VCs brace for the impact of US tariffs while calling for increased tech sovereignty.

Dealmakers grapple with fresh uncertainty following Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs

Private market dealmakers expect fewer IPOs and must reset projections for interest rates and recession risks.

Cambridge and Oxford lead UK cities for VC funding outside London

Over 40% of the UK’s VC deal value has been raised by startups outside of London.

World’s most valuable surgical robot startup pulls in another $200M

CMR Surgical will use the funds to launch its surgical robot in the US
IPO

Is US volatility Europe’s tech IPO opportunity?

European VC-backed companies are increasingly migrating toward the US for their listings, but current market conditions could push more to stay local.

IK Partners closes its largest fund yet on €3.3B

IK Partners is one of four European mid-market PE funds firms to close a fund over the past two weeks.

Money, money, money: ABBA star-backed firm secures €1.2B in debut fundraise

PE deals in the entertainment industry was second-highest ever in Europe last year

EQT raises record $23B+ for European infrastructure fund

The new vehicle is the largest-ever infrastructure fund in Europe

Bain Capital acquires Italian software provider for €1.1B

Bain has picked up Italian software provider Namirial as demand for digital trust and identity verification grows due to new EU regulations.