Top private equity news of the week

Nestlé has formally launched the sale of a stake in its water business, setting in motion one of the largest consumer carve-outs to hit the European private equity market, Bloomberg reports.

The Swiss food group is seeking first-round bids this month for the unit, which houses brands including Perrier and S.Pellegrino. The business is valued at about €5bn, according to people familiar with the matter, and Nestlé is working with Rothschild on the process.

EQT has agreed to acquire Coller Capital in a transaction valued at $3.2bn, marking a decisive move into private markets secondaries and significantly expanding the firm’s global investment platform.

The acquisition brings EQT into one of the fastest-growing segments of private markets. Coller Capital is one of the world’s largest dedicated secondaries investors, managing nearly $50bn across private equity and private credit strategies, with a 35-year track record focused exclusively on secondary transactions.

Arcano Partners has closed its fifth private equity secondaries vehicle after raising $1bn, underscoring sustained investor appetite for liquidity solutions in private markets.

Arcano Secondary Fund V surpassed its initial $600m target, drawing commitments from a diversified base of institutional and private investors across Europe and the Americas. The fund was launched in 2024 and follows its predecessor, which closed in 2023 at $540m.