Market Intelligence
Research from our capital intelligence platform. These articles draw on 100+ fundraising and deal origination programs across 55+ verticals. PE deal sourcing strategy, institutional investor behavior, outreach infrastructure, and the systems behind proprietary capital formation. Written for practitioners, not observers.
Capital Formation
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12 Is the New 5: Why Operational Value Creation Replaced Financial Engineering in Private Equity
Bain's 2026 outlook calls it 12 is the new 5: GPs now need 12x operational improvement to offset lost debt capacity. How KKR, Blackstone, Apollo, and Bain Capital are rebuilding the playbook around AI, data, and day-one operating teams.
Jeff Baehr · May 2026
May 2026FundraisingThe Last PE Vintage With Median DPI Above 1x Was 2016: What the Distribution Drought Means for Fund Managers
May 2026Capital FormationMultiple Expansion Is Dead: How PE Returns Inverted Between 2022 and 2026
May 2026FundraisingWhy Most Fund I Managers Lose the LP Meeting in the First 20 Minutes
May 2026Capital FormationAI Vendors Stopped Competing on Models. They're Competing for the PE Portfolio.
May 2026FundraisingKKR's $23 Billion Close Is a Warning Sign, Not a Victory Lap
May 2026Capital FormationBlackstone N1 Isn't a Venture Arm. It's an Operating System for the Portfolio.
May 2026Deal Origination195 Targets in the Time One Analyst Surfaces One Name: AI Is Breaking the PE Deal Team Model
May 2026Capital FormationThoma Bravo, Medallia, and What a $6.4 Billion Markdown Says About the 2020-21 Software Vintage
May 2026Fundraising$39 Billion Into Secondaries in Q1 2026: Why Mid-Market GPs Need Different LP Infrastructure
May 2026FundraisingThe Top 25 Managers Now Capture 40% of PE Commitments. The Other 6,000 Are Fighting Over the Rest.
May 2026Capital Formation33% of AI Capital Went to Four Companies. What That Does to PE Valuation Discipline.
May 2026Capital FormationThe Mid-Market's Real Competitor Isn't Another Mid-Market Fund. It's a Sleeve Inside a $20B Platform.
May 2026Capital FormationWhy 2026 Could Be a Banner PE Vintage (And Why Most LPs Will Miss It)
May 2026Capital FormationAnthropic Is Building Vertical Industry Products Behind Closed Doors. Investors Are Looking the Wrong Way.
May 2026Capital FormationQ1 2026 Capital Markets Look Like a Recovery. Strip Out Four AI Rounds and They Aren't.
May 2026FundraisingThe Blind-Pool Fund Is Becoming a Risky Asset. LPs Want the Thesis on the Table First.
May 2026FundraisingLPs Are Chasing Co-Investments to Dodge Fees. They're Locking Themselves Into Mega-Fund Ecosystems Instead.
May 2026FundraisingFund I Managers Outperform Mega-Funds. They Get 80% Less Capital. The Gap Isn't a Market Inefficiency.
May 2026FundraisingHow Emerging GPs Actually Close Capital in 2026: A Practical Playbook
May 2026Capital FormationOpenAI's 17.5% Return Floor for PE Isn't an Investment Product. It's Customer Acquisition Cost.
Apr 2026FundraisingPrivate Equity in 401(k) Plans: What the DOL Rule Means for Fund Managers
Mar 2026FundraisingWhat Is a Placement Agent? Fees, Process, and When to Hire One
Mar 2026Deal OriginationBuy-Side M&A Advisory Explained: Process, Fees, and When You Need One
Mar 2026Deal OriginationAI Deal Origination in Private Equity: How It Works in 2026
Mar 2026Sell-Side AdvisoryBusiness Sale Advisor Guide: How to Choose, What They Cost, and the Sale Process
Mar 2026FundraisingLP Database Guide: Choosing the Right Investor Intelligence for PE Fundraising
Mar 2026FundraisingPE Fundraising: The Complete Guide to Raising a Private Equity Fund
Mar 2026Sell-Side AdvisorySell-Side M&A Advisory Fees: What You'll Actually Pay in 2026
Mar 2026Sell-Side AdvisoryHow to Sell a Business Quickly Without Destroying Value
Mar 2026Deal OriginationDeal Origination Services for Private Equity Firms
Mar 2026Deal OriginationM&A Deal Origination: How PE Firms Find Deals
Mar 2026Sell-Side AdvisoryThe Sell-Side M&A Process: 5 Phases Explained
Mar 2026Sell-Side AdvisoryHow to Sell Your Business to a Competitor
Mar 2026Deal OriginationPitchBook Alternatives for Deal Sourcing in 2026
Mar 2026FundraisingPrivate Equity Marketing: How PE Firms Win LPs
Mar 2026FundraisingFund Marketing: The Operational Playbook
Mar 2026FundraisingCapital Introduction: What It Is and When It Works
Mar 2026FundraisingFund Formation: Structure, Timeline, and Costs
Mar 2026Sell-Side AdvisoryHow to Sell a Business: The Complete Process
Mar 2026Deal OriginationIndependent Sponsors: The Complete Guide
Mar 2026Sell-Side AdvisoryEBITDA Multiples by Industry (2026 Data)
Mar 2026FundraisingInvestor Relations in Private Equity: What IR Does
Mar 2026Deal OriginationTop 100 Private Equity Firms: 2026 Rankings by AUM
Mar 2026FundraisingTop Placement Agents for PE Fundraising
Mar 2026Capital FormationCo-Investment and SPV Fundraising Strategy for 2026
Mar 2026FundraisingHow Family Offices Allocate to Private Markets in 2026
Feb 2026FundraisingWhat LPs Actually Want in 2026: DPI, Transparency, and the Death of Paper Returns
Feb 2026FundraisingPlacement Agents vs. Systematic Fundraising Advisory
Feb 2026FundraisingHow Long Does It Actually Take to Raise a Fund in 2026?
Jan 2026Outreach InfrastructureThe Complete Outreach Stack for PE Deal Sourcing and LP Outreach
Jan 2026Outreach InfrastructureResidential IP Sending vs. Datacenter Sending: What Actually Matters?
Dec 2025Outreach InfrastructureWhy Your Outreach Lands in Spam: Gmail and Microsoft Filtering in 2026
Dec 2025Outreach InfrastructureHow to Build Email Outreach Infrastructure That Actually Reaches Decision-Makers
Dec 2025Leadership & CommunicationsAI As A Teammate: The New Collaboration Code
Dec 2025Deal OriginationWhat Data Sources Actually Matter for Off-Market Deal Flow?
Nov 2025Deal OriginationAI-Driven Deal Origination vs. Traditional Buyside Advisory
Nov 2025Leadership & CommunicationsWhy Leaders Cannot Outsource Communication
Nov 2025Deal OriginationHow Should Independent Sponsors Source Deals in 2026?
Oct 2025Deal OriginationWhy Every PE Firm Is Looking at the Same Deals
Oct 2025Deal OriginationDon't Rebrand That Acquisition Yet: The 'Powered By' Strategy That Turns Founder Pride Into Platform Performance
Sep 2025FundraisingFractional Investor Relations: The Next Operating Lever in Private Equity
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