PE Weekly: AI Takes Center Stage with Dealmakers

Platform Investments

THL to Acquire Headlands Research from KKR. Middle-market private equity firm THL Partners has reached an agreement to acquire Headlands Research from its previous sponsor, KKR, according to a press release. Headlands is a multinational network of clinical trial sites. Backing from THL will support the company’s continued expansion and investment in centralized infrastructure.

Genstar Acquires Majority Stake in First Eagle. Investment management firm First Eagle Investments has announced that it received a majority investment from private equity firm Genstar Capital. First Eagle has approximately $161 billion in assets under management.

Platinum Equity to Acquire Anuvu. Entertainment and high-speed connectivity solutions provider Anuvu, which services airlines and cruise lines, will be acquired by Platinum Equity, a recent press release said. Anuvu’s two main divisions include its media technology services as well as its connectivity solutions.

CORE Acquires IMMEC. Facility maintenance and renovation services provider IMMEC has received an investment from CORE Industrial Partners, a private equity firm focused on manufacturing, industrial technology, and industrial services. IMMEC and IMMEC Machine & Welding service critical infrastructure across the transportation, food and beverage, pulp and paper, and other industrial sectors.

Closed Loop Acquires Agri-Cycle. Closed Loop Partners has announced that its private equity group acquired organics collection company Agri-Cycle. The company services commercial and industrial industries in the U.S.

GEF Capital Takes Majority Stake in Metals Recycling Platform. A consortium of private equity investors has launched a critical metals recycling platform, with GEF Capital taking a majority stake in the business. EverMetal is the world’s first critical metals recycling platform, according to its backers, and has completed its first add-on acquisition of CAI Custom Alloys.

Add-Ons

Rainier’s Wilmar Acquires EZRED. Rainier Partners-backed Wilmar, a specialty tools and equipment supplier, has acquired EZRED, according to a recent announcement. EZRED designs and manufactures lighting and tools for the automotive aftermarket.

Liberty Hall’s Comply365 Acquires Beams. Comply365, a safety and training management solutions provider for the aviation, rail, and defense and space sectors, has acquired Beams Technology, an AI safety risk management solutions provider servicing the aviation sector. Comply365 is a portfolio company of Liberty Hall Capital Partners.

New Mountain Capital-Backed Grant Thornton Acquires Stax. Grant Thornton Advisors, an accounting and advisory firm, has acquired Stax, a strategy consulting firm specializing in commercial due diligence, value creation, and exit planning for private equity firms and their portfolios. Grant Thornton’s platform, formed in January 2025, is acquiring the business with backing from New Mountain Capital.

O2 Investment’s 4M Acquires Miracle Clean, FKI Cleaning. Commercial cleaning and janitorial services platform 4M Building Services, backed by O2 Investment Partners, announced its acquisitions of Miracle Clean Services and FKI Cleaning Services. Both companies offer various commercial cleaning and janitorial services.

L Squared-Backed BTX Acquires High Tech Solutions. L Squared Capital Partners announced this week its portfolio company BTX Precision has acquired High Tech Solutions. The company is a precision manufacturer of aerospace components servicing commercial and business jet, as well as space end markets. The investment marks BTX’s tenth add-on acquisition.

Genstar’s Sonny’s Enterprises Acquires WashMetrix. Genstar Capital-backed Sonny’s Enterprises has acquired WashMetrix, a recent press release said. Sonny’s manufactures car wash equipment and parts. WashMetrix is a business insight and performance management platform. Its acquisition accelerates Sonny’s Quivio integrated business management ecosystem.

Strategics

Indoor Farming Companies 80 Acres Farms and Soli Organic Merge. Two indoor farming businesses, 80 Acres Farms and Soli Organic, have announced their strategic merger. The combined business will have projected first-year revenues nearing $200 million and will operate under the 80 Acres Farm name.

Farsight Acquires Presentable AI. VC-backed Farsight, an AI-powered financial workflow automation platform, has acquired Presentable AI, an agentic AI-powered workflow automation solution provider. The acquisition follows Farsight’s $16 million Series A funding round in June.

Exits

Audax Exits Trexon. Audax Private Equity announced the exit of Trexon, a designer and manufacturer of interconnect solutions for mission critical applications in the aerospace and defense sector, as well as other end markets. Publicly listed Amphenol Corporation acquired the company. The deal is expected to close in the year’s fourth quarter.

Thompson Street Exits DDC to Daikin. Private equity firm Thompson Street Capital Partners announced the sale of DDC Solutions to Daikin Industries subsidiary Daikin Applied. DDC provides GPU cooling solutions and software to data centers.

Middle Market Growth is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.