Private Equity Market Report 2026

The private equity market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $530.31 billion in 2025 to $583.94 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.1%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to availability of low interest rate financing, expansion of institutional capital allocations, growth in corporate carve-out opportunities, increasing acceptance of private market investments, maturation of global private equity ecosystems.

The private equity market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $855.25 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing fundraising for alternative assets, rising focus on technology-enabled portfolio companies, expansion of infrastructure and renewable energy funds, growing interest in long-term value investments, increasing use of AI in deal sourcing and due diligence. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing focus on value creation through active ownership, rising adoption of data-driven investment decision-making, growing allocation to esg and impact investments, expansion of sector-specific buyout strategies, enhanced emphasis on operational efficiency improvements.

The increase in the number of startups is expected to propel the growth of the private equity market going forward. A startup is a young company or organization in the early stages of its development and is typically focused on bringing a unique product, service, or technology to market. The increase in startup numbers is due to increased access to funding and a growing desire for innovative and flexible work environments. Private equity firms start proliferating, achieve financial stability, and improve their chances of long-term success. For instance, in February 2024, according to Startups.co.uk, a UK-based business advice website, in 2023, the number of new businesses in the UK was 39,966, an increase of 6.5% compared to 2022. Therefore, the growing number of startups is driving the growth of the private equity market.

Major companies operating in the private equity market are focusing on developing innovative products such as private equity secondary products to provide investors with enhanced liquidity options, diversify investment portfolios, and capitalize on attractive opportunities in the private equity funds and companies. Private equity secondaries, also known as the secondary market for private equity, refer to the buying and selling of pre-existing investor commitments to private equity funds. This secondary market allows investors to sell their stakes in private equity funds before the end of the fund's term, providing liquidity in an otherwise illiquid asset class. For instance, in February 2024, Collar Capital, a Brazil-based financial services firm, launched Coller Secondaries Private Equity Opportunities Fund ('C-SPEF'), a tender offer fund designed explicitly for accredited high-net-worth investors. This private equity secondaries-only offering opens a new pathway for individuals to invest in private markets, providing easy access to the asset class through a diversified, institutional-quality portfolio. C-SPEF aims to deliver a compelling combination of attractive absolute and risk-adjusted returns, diversification, and enhanced liquidity compared to traditional private equity funds. As an incentive for early investors, c-SPEF does not charge a performance fee and has waived its management fee for the first year.

In September 2023, Société Générale, a France-based financial services company, partnered with Brookfield Corporation to launch a new private debt fund targeting $10.38 billion(€10 billion) over the next four years. The partnership would leverage both companies' origination capabilities, operating expertise, real asset knowledge, and solid institutional relationships to bring additional value to their respective clients and shareholders. Brookfield Corporation is a Canada-based investment management company that deals with private equity.

Major companies operating in the private equity market are Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Brookfield Corporation, Blackstone Inc., Clayton Dubilier& Rice Information(CDR) LLC, EQT AB, KKR & Co. Inc., The Carlyle Group Inc., Hellman & Friedman LLC, Warburg Pincus LLC, TPG Capital (TPG) Inc., General Atlantic Service Company L.P, Silver Lake Technology Management L.L.C., Vista Equity Partners, Advent International Corporation, Permira, Bain Capital LP, Francisco Partners Management L.P, L Catterton, CVC Capital Partners, Insight Partners.

North America was the largest region in the private equity market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the private equity market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the private equity market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The private equity market includes revenues earned by entities through growth capital, operational improvement, management support, corporate governance, financial engineering, related equity investments, debt financing, venture capital, growth capital, and restructuring solutions. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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