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Buyer landscape

Likely buyers · AI/ML in Spain.

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

How companies like this sold · 98 verified exits: 17% to sponsors, 81% to corporates and platforms, 1% via IPO, 1% other routes. Route shift since 2020: sponsors 21% (was 21%), corporates and platforms 75% (was 73%), IPO 3% (was 6%) (sector-wide).

The list: 25 Tier 1 · 0 Tier 2 of 120 matched buyers, including 10 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. Swanlaab Venture Factory SponsorVery High91

12 platform investments in Software & IT · 24 in Spain · 18 deals 2024–26

Swanlaab Innvierte Agrifood Tech · 2024 vintage · deploying

Accelerating: 15 deals in the last 2 years vs 1.3/yr before.

Backed Dolfin, 2026 · AI/ML, Spain

2. EQT SponsorVery High83

40 platform investments in Software & IT · 13 in Spain · 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.

Backed Lovable, 2025 · AI/ML, Sweden

3. TeamSystem PE-backedVery High80

86 acquisitions in Software & IT · 10 in Spain · 28 deals 2024–26

Active in Spain since 2020.

Added on Normo.ai, 2025 · AI/ML, Italy

4. Oakley Capital SponsorVery High80

15 platform investments in Software & IT · 7 in Spain · 20 deals 2024–26

AUM €12.7B · Oakley Capital Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €90-675M

10 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 6 per fund.

Bought Senef from Isatis Capital, 2026 · SaaS, France

5. Oakley Capital, Eurazeo, Sagard NewGen (I-Tracing platform) SponsorVery High79

15 platform investments in Software & IT · 6 in Spain · 19 deals 2024–26

AUM €12.7B · Oakley Capital Fund VI · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €90-675M

10 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 6 per fund.

Backed Senef, 2026 · Software, France

6. Queka Real Partners SponsorVery High79

8 platform investments in Software & IT · 14 in Spain · 8 deals 2024–26

AUM €350M · Queka Real Partners II · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €4-29M

Accelerating: 7 deals in the last 2 years vs 1.5/yr before.

Backed B2group, 2025 · IT Services, Spain

7. Apax Partners SponsorVery High78

35 platform investments in Software & IT · 2 in Spain · 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 RapidSOS, 2025 · AI/ML, US

8. Hg SponsorVery High78

48 platform investments in Software & IT · 2 in Spain · 22 deals 2024–26

AUM €69.0B · Hg Mercury 4 · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €48-360M

24 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 8 per fund.

Bought CUBE from Bregal Milestone, 2024 · AI/ML, UK

9. BU Bregal Unternehmerkapital Multi-Asset Continuation Fund SponsorVery High78

18 platform investments in Software & IT · 15 deals 2024–26

AUM €7.0B · BU Bregal Unternehmerkapital Multi-Asset Continuation Fund · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €16-122M

4 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · early in deployment vs its usual 9 per fund.

Bought Safety21 from BU Bregal Unternehmerkapital, 2026 · Software, Italy

10. Alkemia SGR SponsorVery High78

8 platform investments in Software & IT · 1 in Spain · 8 deals 2024–26

AUM €270M · Food Excellence I · 2025 vintage · deploying

6 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 4 per fund.

Backed Contents, 2021 · AI/ML, Italy

11. Apax Partners (with NewAlpha) SponsorVery High77

30 platform investments in Software & IT · 2 in Spain · 19 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 RapidSOS, 2025 · AI/ML, US

12. Apax Partners and Inova Capital SponsorVery High77

29 platform investments in Software & IT · 3 in Spain · 19 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 RapidSOS, 2025 · AI/ML, US

13. Apax Partners and JMI Equity SponsorVery High77

29 platform investments in Software & IT · 2 in Spain · 19 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 RapidSOS, 2025 · AI/ML, US

14. Apax Partners SAS SponsorVery High77

29 platform investments in Software & IT · 2 in Spain · 19 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 RapidSOS, 2025 · AI/ML, US

15. River Capital SponsorVery High77

6 platform investments in Software & IT · 9 deals 2024–26

AUM €153M · North West Private Equity Fund · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €0-2M

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

Backed Deltabase, 2026 · AI/ML, UK

16. Axcel SponsorVery High76

20 platform investments in Software & IT · 14 deals 2024–26

Axcel VII · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €26-194M

15 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 9 per fund.

Backed Bekk, 2026 · IT Services, Norway

17. Capmont SponsorVery High76

16 platform investments in Software & IT · 1 in Spain · 16 deals 2024–26

Capmont Technology Fund · 2024 vintage · deploying · check €2-15M

16 platform investments since the 2024 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 15 per fund.

Backed Manex AI, 2025 · AI/ML, Germany

18. Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners SponsorVery High76

34 platform investments in Software & IT · 9 deals 2024–26

DTCP Growth Equity III · 2022 vintage · partially deployed

15 platform investments since the 2022 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 14 per fund.

Backed SPREAD AI, 2026 · AI/ML, Germany

19. Bregal Milestone SponsorVery High76

16 platform investments in Software & IT · 2 in Spain · 7 deals 2024–26

AUM €1.3B · Bregal Milestone Fund III · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €18-137M

2 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · early in deployment vs its usual 8 per fund.

Backed MeteoViva, 2026 · AI/ML, Germany

20. Deutsche Beteiligungs SponsorVery High75

13 platform investments in Software & IT · 10 deals 2024–26

AUM €2.7B · DBAG Solvares Continuation Fund · 2024 vintage · deploying · check €3-20M

9 platform investments since the 2024 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 8 per fund.

Backed Bug Bounty Switzerland, 2026 · Cybersecurity, Switzerland

21. Maguar Capital SponsorVery High75

5 platform investments in Software & IT · 1 in Spain · 7 deals 2024–26

AUM €595M · Maguar Continuation Fund I · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €5-35M

7 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 4 per fund.

Backed GlobalSuite Solutions, 2026 · Cybersecurity, Spain

22. Maguar Capital Partners SponsorVery High75

4 platform investments in Software & IT · 1 in Spain · 6 deals 2024–26

AUM €595M · Maguar Continuation Fund I · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €5-35M

7 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 4 per fund.

Backed GlobalSuite Solutions, 2026 · Cybersecurity, Spain

23. Waterland Private Equity SponsorVery High74

18 platform investments in Software & IT · 3 in Spain · 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 Netconomy, 2025 · IT Services, Austria

24. Isai Gestion SponsorVery High74

61 platform investments in Software & IT · 30 deals 2024–26

AUM €458M · ISAI Expansion III · 2025 vintage · deploying · check €6-45M

23 platform investments since the 2025 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 20 per fund.

Backed Tinyclues, 2017 · AI/ML, France

25. Deutsche Beteiligungs AG SponsorVery High74

12 platform investments in Software & IT · 9 deals 2024–26

AUM €2.7B · DBAG Solvares Continuation Fund · 2024 vintage · deploying · check €3-20M

9 platform investments since the 2024 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 8 per fund.

Backed Bug Bounty Switzerland, 2026 · Cybersecurity, Switzerland

Scores and facts derive from verified deal records only; sample floors and thresholds are published on the methodology page. Figures marked with a tilde are bands, not disclosures.