Buyer landscape

Likely buyers · Telecom 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 · 145 verified exits: 26% to sponsors, 70% to corporates and platforms, 3% via IPO, 2% other routes. Route shift since 2020: sponsors 26% (was 25%), corporates and platforms 67% (was 74%), IPO 4% (was 2%).

The list: 25 Tier 1 · 0 Tier 2 of 120 matched buyers, including 2 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. Bridgepoint SponsorVery High83

53 platform investments in TMT & Media · 87 in United Kingdom · 43 deals 2024–26

AUM €86.6B · Europe VIII (BE VIII) · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €120-900M

4 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · early in deployment vs its usual 20 per fund.

Backed PDSVISION, 2026 · TMT, Sweden

2. Bridgepoint Development Capital SponsorVery High83

46 platform investments in TMT & Media · 81 in United Kingdom · 36 deals 2024–26

AUM €86.6B · Europe VIII (BE VIII) · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €120-900M

4 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · early in deployment vs its usual 20 per fund.

Backed PDSVISION, 2026 · TMT, Sweden

3. Bridgepoint (52.5% majority stake) SponsorVery High83

45 platform investments in TMT & Media · 80 in United Kingdom · 36 deals 2024–26

AUM €86.6B · Europe VIII (BE VIII) · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €120-900M

4 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · early in deployment vs its usual 20 per fund.

Backed PDSVISION, 2026 · TMT, Sweden

4. Bridgepoint BE VII + General Atlantic SponsorVery High83

46 platform investments in TMT & Media · 80 in United Kingdom · 37 deals 2024–26

AUM €86.6B · Europe VIII (BE VIII) · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €120-900M

4 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · early in deployment vs its usual 20 per fund.

Backed PDSVISION, 2026 · TMT, Sweden

5. Bridgepoint Capital SponsorVery High83

45 platform investments in TMT & Media · 81 in United Kingdom · 36 deals 2024–26

AUM €86.6B · Europe VIII (BE VIII) · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €120-900M

4 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · early in deployment vs its usual 20 per fund.

Backed PDSVISION, 2026 · TMT, Sweden

6. Bridgepoint Capital Developpement SponsorVery High83

45 platform investments in TMT & Media · 80 in United Kingdom · 36 deals 2024–26

AUM €86.6B · Europe VIII (BE VIII) · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €120-900M

4 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · early in deployment vs its usual 20 per fund.

Backed PDSVISION, 2026 · TMT, Sweden

7. Bridgepoint Development Capital (with Paluel-Marmont Capital & LT Capital) SponsorVery High83

45 platform investments in TMT & Media · 80 in United Kingdom · 36 deals 2024–26

AUM €86.6B · Europe VIII (BE VIII) · 2026 vintage · deploying · check €120-900M

4 platform investments since the 2026 vintage · early in deployment vs its usual 20 per fund.

Backed PDSVISION, 2026 · TMT, Sweden

8. Revaia SponsorVery High80

14 platform investments in TMT & Media · 3 in United Kingdom · 10 deals 2024–26

AUM €600M · Revaia Growth II SLP · 2024 vintage · deploying · check €5-38M

10 platform investments since the 2024 vintage · mid-deployment vs its usual 12 per fund.

Backed Intersec, 2025 · Telecom, France

9. EQT SponsorVery High79

25 platform investments in TMT & Media · 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.

Backed Arium Networks, 2026 · Telecom, US

10. YFM Equity Partners SponsorVery High78

4 platform investments in TMT & Media · 61 in United Kingdom · 23 deals 2024–26

AUM €878M · YFM Buyout Fund III · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €2-17M

32 platform investments since the 2023 vintage · largely deployed vs its usual 20 per fund.

Backed Digital Five, 2024 · Telecom, UK

11. ECI Partners SponsorVery High77

11 platform investments in TMT & Media · 46 in United Kingdom · 10 deals 2024–26

AUM €2.8B · ECI 12 · 2023 vintage · deploying · check €23-176M

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

Bought XLN from Palatine Private Equity, 2019 · Telecom, UK

12. IK Partners SponsorVery High76

31 platform investments in TMT & Media · 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.

Backed Ascora, 2025 · TMT, Germany

13. IK Partners (IK Small Cap III) SponsorVery High76

30 platform investments in TMT & Media · 16 in United Kingdom · 39 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.

Backed Ascora, 2025 · TMT, Germany

14. IK Partners / GIC / Keensight / Parquest / management SponsorVery High76

30 platform investments in TMT & Media · 16 in United Kingdom · 38 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.

Backed Ascora, 2025 · TMT, Germany

15. Waterland Private Equity SponsorVery High76

8 platform investments in TMT & Media · 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.

Bought Lebara from Alchemy Partners, 2024 · Telecom, UK

16. Foresight Group SponsorVery High76

3 platform investments in TMT & Media · 20 in United Kingdom · 7 deals 2024–26

AUM €15.4B · AIB Foresight SME Impact Fund · 2022 vintage · partially deployed · check €1-8M

Accelerating: 6 deals in the last 2 years vs 1.0/yr before.

Backed Connective3, 2026 · TMT, UK

17. Ardian SponsorVery High75

70 platform investments in TMT & Media · 11 in United Kingdom · 51 deals 2024–26