Bain's Private Equity Midyear Report 2026: Executive Summary

We ask the Co-President of Ares what’s really happening in the private credit market, the advantages of being a scale player, and where he sees performance dispersion among managers.

We asked six leading investors at Vista, Hg, Advent, CVC, KKR, and Apollo where AI is creating value today—and what it will take to unlock the next wave of transformations.

In part two of our interview with Advent’s Managing Partner, we explore how the firm is navigating longer holding periods, harder exits, and rapid technological change — while staying true to its core.

We ask Advent’s Managing Partner and Co-Head of North America how they’ve combined deep sector expertise with true global scale.

In part two of our interview series with the CEO of CVC, we explore how they’re navigating one of the toughest fundraising markets in decades, their firm-wide embrace of AI and why he considers Europe one of the world’s most compelling markets for generating alpha.

CVC CEO Rob Lucas explains how climbing the world's highest mountains—from the Seven Summits to K2—has helped shape the leadership philosophy behind one of the world's leading private equity firms.

In part two of our interview series, Pete Stavros shares how KKR has scaled employee ownership to 85 companies and 200,000 frontline workers — and why it can be a powerful performance lever when done right.

KKR's Co-Head of Global Private Equity and Partner reveals the rigorous, long-term discipline required to drive real operational improvements.

Private equity is not in a crisis — rather, it’s stuck. The issue isn’t capital; it’s confidence. Read Bain’s 2026 Midyear Private Equity Report here. Register for our live webinar here.

The CEO of Vista Equity Partners explains what it will take to win the “agentic revolution.”