In the latest Global Private Markets Report 2025 by McKinsey & Company, the narrative is clear: the private markets have weathered a stormy 2024, emerging with resilience and new strategies. Throughout the year, the private markets faced a challenging environment characterized by tepid dealmaking and a significant drop in fundraising, marking the lowest level since 2016. Yet, capital deployment surged across asset classes, a testament to the adaptive strategies of market leaders.

The report, authored by Alexander Edlich, Christopher Croke, Fredrik Dahlqvist, and Warren Teichner, delves into the intricacies of private markets navigating geopolitical uncertainties and the rapid advancement of generative AI. These factors have necessitated the development of new capabilities among stakeholders, who have shown remarkable resilience in adapting to higher structural interest rates.

Key Highlights

• Dealmaking was subdued, and fundraising experienced a drastic decline. Despite this, capital deployment increased significantly.
• Geopolitical instability and changes in trade policy emerged as critical challenges for private market leaders.
• Technological innovations, particularly in generative AI, have driven leaders to adopt new capabilities.
• The resilience of private markets is notable, with stakeholders exploring new vehicles such as evergreen funds and focusing on operational transformation rather than just financial engineering.

Private Equity: Emerging from the Fog

Private equity (PE) showed signs of recovery in 2024, benefiting from a benign financing environment and increased distributions. This marked a shift from previous years, with PE starting to emerge from murky conditions. The long-awaited uptick in distributions finally arrived, marking the first time since 2015 that sponsors’ distributions to limited partners (LPs) exceeded capital contributions.

For more detailed insights, the full report is available for download.

Infrastructure: Poised for Growth

Infrastructure is another bright spot, with increased investor interest due to global trade, energy transitions, and demographic developments. Deal values in infrastructure rose significantly, driven by sectors such as telecommunications. This underscores robust activity and potential resilience moving forward.

As the private markets brace for ongoing challenges, the report underscores the strategic shifts and adaptations paving the way for a future built on resilience and innovation.