News (w/e 1/9/26)
Eir Partners Closes $1 Billion Fund Focused on Healthcare Technology
Miami-based Eir Partners closed its third fund at $1 billion, blowing past its $800 million target in just a few months. The raise reinforces a clear LP preference: specialist healthcare investors with repeatable playbooks still get paid attention, even as generalist fundraising drags. The capital will target middle-market healthcare tech and tech-enabled services, where efficiency gains still feel real. Link
Public Markets Rebound, Putting Pressure on Private Equity Fundraising
U.S. equity funds posted consecutive weeks of inflows as earnings stabilized and risk appetite crept back into public markets. For private equity, this matters more than most GPs admit: when publics start behaving, LP urgency fades. The denominator effect cuts both ways, and right now it’s telling allocators they don’t need illiquidity to get returns. That makes fundraising a persuasion exercise again, not a scarcity one. Link
Exit Activity Shows Early Signs of Thaw, but Liquidity Remains Uneven
Industry data suggests U.S. PE exits are improving modestly year-over-year, driven by selective IPOs, GP-led secondaries, and asset sales in defensive sectors. It’s progress, but not relief. Liquidity is flowing to the largest, cleanest assets first, leaving much of the middle market still waiting. The backlog hasn’t cleared—it’s just started to move. Link
Private Equity Talent Burnout Accelerates as Exits Stall
Roughly 17% of PE professionals say they’re likely to leave the industry next year, more than double the signal from two years ago. Slower exits, fewer realizations, and compensation compression are doing what long hours alone never could. The middle market feels this first: lean teams, fewer layers, and less room to absorb attrition. When execution is the only remaining edge, people quietly walking out the door is not a soft problem. Link
