| Morning all, Craig McGlashan here on Europe Wire duty from the London newsroom. Is the optimism we’ve heard from a lot of dealmakers about 2025 starting to turn into a reality? It’s too early to say for sure, but this morning at least augers well – we’ve got a string of deals to report: two exits and a trio of firms making add-ons. First though, PAI Partners’ Frédéric Stévenin gives us his outlook on dealmaking for 2025, with carve-outs and the real economy at the heart of the firm’s strategy. Get real PAI Partners expects to see global carve-out activity rebound in 2025, Paris-based managing partner Frédéric Stévenin told PE Hub’s Sophie Rose in the latest of our 2025 Outlook pieces. PAI also sees plenty of opportunities to invest in the real economy this year, despite an uncertain geopolitical environment. Find out more in the premium version of the Wire. Check out the full interview to find out how PAI plans to manage geopolitical risks in 2025 and Stévenin’s views on the exit market. Make for the exit A sluggish exit market has been one of the pain points for private equity of late, but we’ve got a couple of sales to report this morning, involving IK Partners and Gordon Brothers. Find out more in the premium version of the Wire. Add-on and on A trio of private equity firms announced add-ons this morning. Bridgepoint portfolio company Achilles Information has acquired the assets of Global Risk Management Solutions, a provider of supplier risk management programs based in Irvine, California. Growing Abingdon, UK-based Achilles’ international presence is in keeping with Bridgepoint’s playbook – a factor the firm’s chief investment officer Xavier Robert touched on in a recent interview with PE Hub. (Note: Bridgepointowns PEI Group, the publisher of PE Hub). Elsewhere in add-ons, Equistone Partners Europe has made its first for QuestGates since investing in the independent complex loss adjusting and claims services provider in September, tapping into what it believes is a highly fragmented market. Find out more in the premium version of the Wire. Finally, Main Capital Partners portfolio company WoodWing Group has acquired Qonqord, a provider of tech-driven consulting services and software components focused on orchestrating content management and workflow processes. OK that’s all from me today. Obey Martin Manayiti will be on US Wire later today and I’ll be back on Europe duty tomorrow. Cheers, Craig Read the full Wire commentary on PE Hub ... | 