Private Equity Research Library
Practical guides for sell-side advisers, founders and corporate-development teams mapping PE firm strategies, portfolio relationships and data sources.
How private equity firms state their investment strategies, how buyers build sponsor and buyer longlists, what regulatory sources can verify, and what the data cannot support — written for practitioners who need evidence rather than estimation. Explore coverage or pricing to understand the underlying database.
Choosing a data source?
Start with the evidence and access you need.
Use the buyer guide to test firm identity, field provenance and blank fields. Then check research scope and plan access for your workflow.
Choose a PE firm database
Test record identity, field evidence, missing data and access before you subscribe.
Oct 22, 2026
What blank fund size, dry powder and contact fields mean in a PE database
Decide whether missing PE fund and contact fields block your research. Check the right source, record what remains unknown and choose the next step.
ReadOct 19, 2026
How to evaluate a private equity firm database before you buy it
Test PE database coverage, source evidence, missing fields and plan access against a real sponsor-research task before subscribing.
ReadOct 14, 2026
What a private equity firm directory can tell you
Learn which firm, strategy, portfolio and contact fields a PE directory can substantiate, and what still needs checking before a sponsor shortlist.
ReadSep 26, 2026
How private equity firm data is sourced — fields, verification, and what accurate means
PE database fields vary in source, cadence and what public evidence can establish. Here is what 'verified' means field by field, and where to treat data with caution.
ReadSep 8, 2026
How to read sector, geography and deal-size filters in a private equity database
A database match is a filter result, not an investment signal. How to read sector, geography, control and deal-size criteria without overinterpreting what a match means.
ReadBuild a sponsor shortlist
Move from a research longlist to a defensible approach, with current interest checked separately.
Oct 18, 2026
Private equity investment criteria versus current deployment
Use dated strategy, fund and transaction evidence to screen a PE sponsor list without mistaking a firm's stated criteria or past deals for current investment appetite.
ReadOct 15, 2026
How to build a private equity buyer list from public evidence
Build a PE sponsor longlist by checking firm identity, stated criteria and dated portfolio evidence, then flag what still needs direct confirmation.
ReadOct 6, 2026
How founders and owners research private equity sponsors
Build a sourced sponsor shortlist by checking control preference, stated criteria and dated portfolio evidence, then mark what still needs direct confirmation.
ReadSep 23, 2026
How to approach private equity investors as a founder or owner
A practical guide to the channels, preparation and realistic expectations for founders and owners looking to connect with PE firms after identifying relevant candidates.
ReadSep 18, 2026
What is a PE sponsor — and what the term means for a sell-side process
A PE sponsor is the private equity firm that acquires control of a company. Understanding the term shapes how sell-side advisers build target lists and approach the right buyers.
ReadSep 13, 2026
Private equity market research: mapping the landscape before a deal process
How sell-side advisers map the private equity landscape before building a buyer list: PE segments, reliable public sources and what research cannot tell you.
ReadInterpret strategy and portfolio evidence
Separate a firm’s stated criteria, fund strategy and historical portfolio from present appetite.
Oct 20, 2026
How to tell whether a company is owned by private equity
Check whether a company has a PE sponsor, which firm or fund is named, and whether dated public evidence supports current ownership or leaves it unresolved.
ReadOct 17, 2026
Control versus minority private equity: how to screen a sponsor list
Compare control and minority PE investments by ownership, governance and capital use, then check a fund's dated criteria before adding it to a sponsor shortlist.
ReadOct 5, 2026
What is a buyout fund? Buyout, growth equity and venture compared
Compare buyout, growth equity and venture by company stage, control and use of capital, then check the specific fund's stated mandate before adding it to a sponsor list.
ReadSep 25, 2026
Types of buyouts in private equity — and what each structure means for sponsor selection
LBO, MBO, carve-out and secondary buyout involve different sellers and PE mandates. The transaction structure determines which firms to approach before strategy or geography.
ReadSep 24, 2026
What is a secondary fund in private equity — and when it belongs on a buyer list
Secondary funds buy LP interests or portfolios from other investors, not companies. Understanding the difference removes a category that cannot complete a traditional equity sale.
ReadSep 22, 2026
What is private credit in private equity — and why it changes a buyer list
Private credit firms lend rather than own equity. Understanding the difference filters a buyer list before sector, geography or deal size are considered.
ReadSep 21, 2026
Growth equity vs buyout: what the difference means for a sell-side sponsor list
Growth equity funds take a minority stake; buyout funds acquire control. The structural difference decides which PE firms belong on a sell-side sponsor list.
ReadSep 17, 2026
What is a growth buyout — and how it differs from a leveraged buyout and growth equity
Growth buyout funds take a controlling stake in a growing company, unlike an LBO which requires stable cashflows. The category changes which names belong on a target list.
ReadSep 10, 2026
What a private equity portfolio page can and cannot tell you
A portfolio page is historical evidence of activity, not a signal of current interest. What it establishes about sector experience and strategy, and where it stops.
ReadCheck regional and AI research questions
Use geography, entity identity and provenance without treating retrieval as proof of a current mandate.
Oct 2, 2026
How to research private equity firms with Middle East mandates
How to verify GCC and MENA PE firm mandates using the DFSA register, ADGM FSRA and Saudi CMA — and what each source establishes about geographic investment scope.
ReadOct 1, 2026
How to research private equity firms with European mandates
How to verify European PE firm mandates using the FCA Register, Luxembourg CSSF and ESMA sources — and what each tells you about geographic investment scope.
ReadSep 30, 2026
How to research private equity firms with North American mandates
How to verify North American PE firm mandates using SEC Form ADV, IAPD and Canadian provincial registers — and what each source establishes.
ReadSep 28, 2026
How to research private equity firms with Asia-Pacific mandates
How to identify private equity firms with an Asia-Pacific mandate using SFC, MAS, ASIC and SEC regulatory sources — and what each tells you about geographic investment scope.
ReadSep 19, 2026
Why finance AI needs verified private equity data
AI can accelerate sponsor research only when firm, fund, strategy and portfolio evidence stay separate. Here is the data model behind a defensible PE buyer list.
ReadSep 19, 2026
Private equity firm vs fund — the data model AI research needs
A PE firm, adviser, fund, strategy and portfolio company are related but different records. Learn how to keep them separate in AI-assisted sponsor research.
Read