More exits for UK founders and private equity: why 2026 could be a breakout year — and how to be in the room when it happens

By Paul Watts-Barnes, Founder, No.20 Berkeley Square

If you’re a UK founder, a management team, or a private equity house looking at 2026 with cautious optimism, you’re not alone. The early signals coming out of the investment banking market point to a meaningful shift: confidence is rising, financing is more available, and the long-delayed exit pipeline is starting to move again.

In plain English? More deals are likely to get done — and more exits are likely to happen.

The ingredients for a stronger exit market are lining up

After a period where valuations didn’t match expectations and higher interest rates cooled activity, the market is showing the kind of alignment M&A needs to accelerate. Banks are talking openly about a “bumper” year ahead, driven by three practical forces:

• Easing rate pressure that helps buyers underwrite acquisitions with more confidence

• Stable credit and tighter spreads, making funding less painful and more predictable

• Dry powder that still needs deploying, plus a backlog of postponed transactions that didn’t clear in 2025

That combination tends to do one thing very well: narrow the valuation gap between buyers and sellers. And when that gap closes, exits happen.

Why this is especially positive for UK founders and sponsors

When M&A picks up across Europe, the UK is rarely a bystander. In fact, we often sit right at the centre of the flow.

• UK mid-caps become highly tradable: not always the mega deals, but where the volume and velocity of transactions really builds momentum.

• Inbound interest increases: US and European buyers looking for quality UK assets in tech, fintech, infrastructure, energy transition, and services.

• Exit routes broaden: trade sale, secondary buyout, minority investment, growth capital — more options means better outcomes.

For founders, this can mean liquidity, optionality, and leverage at the negotiating table. For private equity, it can mean clearing portfolios, recycling capital, and reloading for the next cycle.

Where No.20 Berkeley Square fits into this moment

This is exactly the kind of market environment where proximity matters.

At No.20 Berkeley Square, we’ve built a home for the people who make deals happen — the advisers, operators, investors, and founders who understand that timing and relationships are often the difference between a deal and the right deal.

Here’s how being part of No.20 puts you at the forefront:

1) If you provide M&A services: be visible when demand rises

When activity accelerates, buyers and sellers don’t just need capital — they need execution:

• Corporate finance and M&A advisory

• Legal, tax, and transaction structuring

• Due diligence, modelling, and valuation

• Commercial, operational, and integration support

• Debt advisory and financing partners

Being a member gives you a platform to build relationships before mandates are issued — not after they’re already spoken for.

2) If you’re a buyer: see opportunities earlier

In a heating market, the best opportunities are rarely the loudest. They’re the ones that move through trusted networks first — quietly, quickly, and with clarity.

No.20 is a place to:

• Build a pipeline of credible targets

• Meet the advisers who originate quality deal flow

• Understand what’s coming to market before it hits a broad process

3) If you’re a seller or founder: create optionality and competition

Selling well is about more than price — it’s about terms, speed, certainty, and fit.

At No.20, you can:

• Connect with buyers who are actively deploying capital

• Meet specialist advisers who can position and run a process properly

• Sense-check value, timing, and structure in a trusted environment

That creates what every seller wants: options.

The opportunity is real — but it won’t be evenly distributed

If 2026 does shape up to be a stronger year for M&A and exits, the upside won’t automatically flow to everyone. It will flow to the people who are:

• Properly positioned

• Well connected

• Close to decision-makers

• Ready to move when the window opens

That’s what No.20 is built for.

If you’re an M&A adviser wanting to win more mandates, an investor looking for deal flow, or a founder considering your next move — No.20 Berkeley Square is where those conversations start.

Come and be part of the network that helps opportunities surface early, move faster, and land better.

Join No.20 Berkeley Square — and put yourself at the forefront of the UK’s next exit cycle.

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