3. Private equity news

Neil's Morning Brief, Wed Oct 21, 2026

Pantheon closed its Global Secondaries Fund VIII at $6B, 71% above its $3.5B target. The fund focuses on the mid-market, with significant commitments from new investors in Asia and the Middle East (GlobeNewswire).

Ara Partners closed Ara Energy Fund I at its $2.5B hard cap, including $700M+ of co-investment. The fund invests in power, ethanol and fuel retail (PR Newswire).

Morgan Stanley Capital Partners bought The Rapid Group, a Northeast pump, motor and water-infrastructure repair business with 1,800+ customers (Morgan Stanley / Eaton Vance).

Atlanta exit: Trive Capital sold Atlanta-based EarthLink to a family-office group made up of WaveDivision, Pritzker and Stephens. Trive had owned it since a 2018 carve-out (PR Newswire).