Tech as a percentage of total PE deal value was 28.3% in the third quarter, up from 18.7% in the second, as buyers and sellers had an easier time agreeing on prices. Capital was cheaper, and PE buyers could pay a little more, and looking forward, private-equity buyers may broaden their interests beyond the highest-quality targets that were evident in the third quarter.
“And now we’re going into 2025 and they’re saying, ‘We hope the window will be open in the next year,’ ” said billionaire Bess. He previously was president and CEO of Palo Alto Networks and chief operating officer of Zscaler.