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The Wire

Private equity deal news and insights from the London newsroom

Jun 16, 2025

 

Opportunity in lower mid-market despite subdued M&A, says Weight Partners Capital; Tikehau in defense deal

Good morning, Nina Lindholm here with the Europe Wire from the London newsroom.

 

We start in the lower mid-market this morning, as Weight Partners Capital investment director David Jolly shares his outlook for his firm’s target market: UK healthcare services.

 

Next, we switch over to one of the most talked about segments: defense. Tikehau Capital has entered exclusive discussions to acquire a Belgian provider of visualization systems for the aviation, air traffic control and defense markets.

 

To finish, we return to healthcare, as Bridgepoint has agreed to take a controlling stake in an automated external defibrillators distributor.

 

Bucking the trend

Weight Partners Capital (WPC) expects lower mid-market dealflow to fare better despite an otherwise subdued second half of the year, David Jolly, investment director, told PE Hub.

 

Jolly told us about his expectations for the rest of the year, sectors he finds attractive and the exit markets.

 

To learn why WPC trusts in the lower mid-market and UK healthcare services, check out the premium Wire coverage.

 

Check out the full story for Jolly’s thoughts on the exit markets and more.

 

In defense

Defense-related assets are attracting greater attention due to Europe’s commitment to increasing its spending in the sector, Guillaume Suizdak, co-head of European industrials at Lincoln International, told PE Hub in a recent interview.

 

We have a fresh deal from Tikehau Capital in the segment, as the firm has entered exclusive discussions to acquire ScioTeq, a visualization systems provider for avionics, defense and air traffic control markets.

 

For more on the deal and Tikehau's strategy, take a look at the full Wire coverage.

 

For more on European defense, check out my feature exploring private equity’s role in modernizing the segment.

 

Health and safety

I recently renewed my first aid qualification, and one key part of the training is familiarizing yourself with operating defibrillators. While the device is designed to be easy to use even without prior training, I still highly recommend looking up how to use them and figuring out where the nearest one to you is.

 

I’m not here just for a health and safety PSA. Bridgepoint has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Safe Life, an automated external defibrillators (AED) distributor. 

 

To learn the valuation and more about Safe Life, take a look at the premium Wire coverage.

 

(Note: Bridgepoint owns PEI Group, the publisher of PE Hub.)

 

That’s all from me. MK Flynn will write to you later with the US edition, while Craig McGlashan is on Europe duty tomorrow morning.

 

Cheers,

Nina

 

Read the full Wire commentary on PE Hub ...

Today's must reads

> Weight Partners Capital: Lower mid-market to buck slow dealmaking trend More...
> Lab equipment pulls in PE interest: 5 deals More...
> American Securities’ Natasha Kingshott eyes ‘large pipeline’ of add-ons for Hexion More...
> Blackstone’s Assant: The time to do interesting deals may be now More...
> YouTube, Europe and AI offer opportunities for PE investors in content More...

Also of note (may require subscriptions)

 

Europe’s fragmentation was always a challenge for US investors. Now it’s an opportunity: For many US investors, Europe's complexities were a reason not to invest. Large market shifts underway are changing that. (Buyouts)

 

Japan Science and Technology Agency makes first direct infra fund commitments – exclusive. Having invested in its first two infrastructure funds directly, JST’s biggest challenge may now be scheduling meetings with all the GPs interested in doing business with the university endowment. (Infrastructure Investor)  

 

Over half of LPs seek to buy and sell LP-led positions on the secondaries market – Coller. Over a third of LPs plan to increase their commitments to secondaries over the next 12 months, according to Coller Capital's latest Global Private Capital Barometer. (Secondaries Investor) 

 

BNP Paribas urges clients to ignore noise, increase private markets exposure: The wealth manager is currently seeing an average low-single-digit allocation towards private markets among clients, Martin Leung, head of alternative investments Hong Kong, tells Private Equity International. 

 

PDI Europe Summit: GPs doubling down on trusted sectors. As managers assess tariff impacts, sectors such as healthcare and business services are seen as safe bets. Meanwhile, domestically focused businesses may stand to benefit from the decline of globalization. (Private Debt Investor)

Deals

> Tikehau Capital in talks to buy OpenGate-backed ScioTeq More...
> Bridgepoint to take controlling stake in Safe Life for €500m EV More...
> Allegion to buy Summit Partners-backed Elatec for €330m More...
> Sidereal Capital-backed Ewaste+ acquires Take 2 Recycling More...
> Savory Fund backs Asian street food chain Hawkers More...
> Workforce platform Beeline scoops up Emerald Lake Capital-backed MBO Partners More...
People
> West Lane Partners recruits Sheon Karol as senior advisor More...
> Maple Park Capital names Jacob Cohen as VP More...
> Fort Point Capital-backed AMS Fulfillment taps Greg Morello as CEO More...

They said it

“At the small end of the market, a large proportion of dealflow has always been driven by the changing personal circumstances of private individual business owners, as opposed to institutional fund dynamics.

As a result, the opportunity set continues to be large relative to the buyer pool and so investors with capital can readily invest. ”

— David Jolly, investment director, Weight Partners Capital

 

Today's letter was prepared by Nina Lindholm

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