Buyer landscape

Likely buyers · Aerospace & Defence in United Kingdom.

Prepared 2026-08-28 with GP Intel · deterministic scoring, published weights: gp-intel.com/methodology/league-tables

How companies like this sold · 198 verified exits: 22% to sponsors, 74% to corporates and platforms, 3% via IPO, 2% other routes. Route shift since 2020: sponsors 21% (was 25%), corporates and platforms 75% (was 71%), IPO 2% (was 3%).

The list: 25 Tier 1 · 0 Tier 2 of 120 matched buyers, including 25 geographic expansion candidates without a local platform yet. A first round of the Tier 1 names plus the expansion buyers covers the demonstrated demand.

Financial buyers · 25

Tier 1 · Very High · score 70+

1. PAI Partners SponsorVery High88

33 platform investments in Industrials · 15 in United Kingdom · 26 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Bought Mecaer Aviation Group from Fondo Italiano d'Investimento SGR, 2026 · Aerospace & Defence, Italy

2. Waterland Private Equity SponsorVery High85

38 platform investments in Industrials · 16 in United Kingdom · 39 deals 2024–26

Waterland Private Equity Fund IX (WPEF IX) · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €70-525M

48 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 19 per fund.

Backed Celestia, 2021 · Aerospace & Defence, Netherlands

3. Bpifrance Investissement SponsorVery High85

27 platform investments in Industrials · 35 deals 2024–26

AUM €57.3B · Bpifrance Amorçage Industriel · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €1-8M

Accelerating: 30 deals in the last 2 years vs 4.5/yr before.

Backed Novakamp, 2026 · Aerospace & Defence, France

4. Omnes Capital SponsorVery High83

20 platform investments in Industrials · 8 in United Kingdom · 11 deals 2024–26

AUM €6.7B · Capenergie 5 · 2024 vintage · deploying · check €41-308M

11 platform investments since the 2024 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed ARX Robotics, 2025 · Aerospace & Defence, Germany

5. PAI Partners (Fund VIII) SponsorVery High83

28 platform investments in Industrials · 14 in United Kingdom · 17 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Mecaer Aviation Group, 2026 · Aerospace & Defence, Italy

6. PAI Partners (Mid-Market Fund) SponsorVery High83

28 platform investments in Industrials · 15 in United Kingdom · 16 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Mecaer Aviation Group, 2026 · Aerospace & Defence, Italy

7. PAI Partners (Mid-Market) SponsorVery High83

28 platform investments in Industrials · 14 in United Kingdom · 16 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Mecaer Aviation Group, 2026 · Aerospace & Defence, Italy

8. PAI Partners / ADIA SponsorVery High83

29 platform investments in Industrials · 14 in United Kingdom · 17 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Mecaer Aviation Group, 2026 · Aerospace & Defence, Italy

9. PAI Partners and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan SponsorVery High83

28 platform investments in Industrials · 14 in United Kingdom · 16 deals 2024–26

AUM €33.0B · PAI Mid-Market Fund II · 2025 vintage · deploying

12 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 10 per fund.

Backed Mecaer Aviation Group, 2026 · Aerospace & Defence, Italy

10. Inflexion (Partnership Capital III) SponsorVery High83

9 platform investments in Industrials · 52 in United Kingdom · 25 deals 2024–26

AUM €11.0B · Inflexion Buyout Fund VII · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €90-675M

Accelerating: 15 deals in the last 2 years vs 5.0/yr before.

Bought Salto Systems from Peninsula Capital, 2026 · Industrials, Spain

11. IK Partners SponsorVery High81

75 platform investments in Industrials · 19 in United Kingdom · 52 deals 2024–26

AUM €13.8B · IK Partnership Fund III · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €10-75M

18 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 13 per fund.

Bought SELATEK from Amplio, 2026 · Industrials, Sweden

12. DUBAG Group SponsorVery High81

14 platform investments in Industrials · 8 deals 2024–26

Lenbach Equity Opportunities III · 2024 vintage · deploying · check €2-12M

Accelerating: 7 deals in the last 2 years vs 1.8/yr before.

Backed HTSP (Holcim Technical Solutions and Products), 2026 · Aerospace & Defence, Germany

13. EQT SponsorVery High80

51 platform investments in Industrials · 16 in United Kingdom · 51 deals 2024–26

AUM €291.0B · EQT X · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €440M-3.3B

53 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 11 per fund.

Bought Ocea Group from ICG, 2024 · Aerospace & Defence, France

14. Apax Partners SponsorVery High80

7 platform investments in Industrials · 15 in United Kingdom · 21 deals 2024–26

AUM €70.8B · Apax XI · 2024 vintage · deploying · check €221M-1.7B

19 platform investments since the 2024 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 12 per fund.

Backed Centor, 2026 · Industrials, US

15. Inflexion SponsorVery High80

9 platform investments in Industrials · 55 in United Kingdom · 27 deals 2024–26

AUM €11.0B · Inflexion Buyout Fund VII · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €90-675M

4 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 6 per fund.

Backed Aspen Pumps, 2025 · Industrials, UK

16. Bridgepoint SponsorVery High79

32 platform investments in Industrials · 87 in United Kingdom · 43 deals 2024–26