The sale marks the end of a decade-long investment for KKR, which first acquired Goodpack in 2014 through a privatisation of the then Singapore-listed group. The Lam family is understood to have retained a minority stake following that transaction. KKR had explored options to exit Goodpack since 2020 and formally put the business up for sale in October 2024. Infrastructure investor I Squared Capital was previously reported as a frontrunner, with Brookfield Asset Management and Apollo Global Management also said to have shown interest. Founded in 1980, Goodpack operates a global leasing model for reusable pallet-sized intermediate bulk containers used to transport high-value payloads by road, rail, and sea. The business serves multinational clients across industrial and logistics supply chains. A source said the buyback reflects the family's belief that Goodpack is entering a new phase of growth as global customers redesign supply chains to improve resilience, efficiency, and sustainability....

The Milan-based firm said the fund targets mid-market borrowers whose products and services are driven by environmental sustainability rather than regulatory incentives. Around '300m has already been deployed across 13 companies operating in areas such as energy infrastructure, water, and food ingredients. Ran Landmann, partner and chief investment officer of Ambienta's credit arm, said the strategy around ESG remains a focus for the company. 'Our goal remains unchanged, deliver credit solutions that are both financially robust and environmentally impactful. By focusing on rigorous credit selection and supporting companies advancing sustainability, we can create long-term value for our investors and the communities they serve,' he said. Founded in 2007, Ambienta manages more than '4bn in assets. The fund launch comes as private credit managers increasingly carve out specialist strategies to differentiate themselves in a crowded European lending market. Subscribe to our Newsletter to increase your edge. Don't worry about the news anymore, through our newsletter you'll receive weekly access to what is happening. Join 120,000 other PE professionals today....

Hera said the deal, which includes debt, will strengthen its position in the treatment of industrial and civil water. Once fully integrated, Sostelia is expected to contribute more than '20m to Hera's consolidated EBITDA, excluding additional synergies. Sostelia is currently 65% owned by Xenon through its Xenon Fidec fund, with the remaining 35% held by entrepreneurs linked to the operating companies within the group. Rothschild acted as financial adviser to Xenon on the sale. The acquisition forms part of Hera's strategy to expand regulated and infrastructure-like businesses that offer stable cash flows and long-term growth potential, particularly in sustainability-linked services. For Xenon, the transaction represents another realisation from its Italian portfolio, as strategic buyers continue to target specialist environmental and infrastructure assets amid tightening regulation and rising investment requirements. The deal highlights ongoing private equity interest in water and environmental services, even as utilities increasingly look to acquire scale through bolt-on acquisitions rather than organic expansion alone....

OpenAI raised $40 billion at a $300 billion valuation. Safe Superintelligence and Thinking Machine Labs raised individual $2 billion seed rounds before shipping a single product. Even first-time founders were raising at a scale that once belonged only to Big Tech. Such astronomical investments were followed by equally incredible spends. Meta shelled out nearly $15 billion to lock up Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang and spent countless more millions to poach talent from other AI labs. Meanwhile, AI's biggest players promised close to $1.3 trillion in future infrastructure spending. The first half of 2025 matched the fervor, and investor interest, of the prior year. That mood has shifted in recent months to deliver a vibe check of sorts. Extreme optimism for AI, and the accompanying wild valuations, is still intact. But that rosy view is now being tempered with concerns over an AI bubble bursting, user safety, and the sustainability of technological progress at its current pace. The era of unabashed acceptance and celebration of AI is fading just a skosh at the edges. And with it, more scrutiny and questions. Can AI companies sustain their own velocity' Does scaling in the post-DeepSeek era require billions' Is there a business model that returns a sliver of the multi-billions of investment'...