IVCA Feature: The 2026 Fourth Quarter for Venture Capital & Private Equity
Time flies in the deal-making process. Autumn is arriving in three weeks, but the fourth quarter for 2026 is here, and will be indicative based on what has happened in the previous three quarters of the year. The online financial press has predictions, observations and advocation regarding Venture Capital and Private Equity for the Fourth Quarter of 2026, as year counts down.
JTCGroup.com, ‘Venture Capital Market 2026: Flexibility is Key in Uncertain Times’
Venture capital market 2026 predictions were all over the map after a tumultuous 2025, with geopolitical instability and economic volatility contributing to extended hold times and drawn-out venture capital fundraising periods.
READ MORE: https://www.jtcgroup.com/insights/venture-capital-market-2026/
SouthSummit.io, ‘What Venture Capital Investors Look for in Startups in 2026’
Raising Venture Capital (VC) has never been easy, but in 2026 the bar is even higher. Investors are still actively backing startups, yet they are deploying capital more selectively and demanding stronger evidence that a company can become a category leader.
Bain.com, ‘Control the Controllable, Weather the Rest: Private Equity Report 2026’
Call it the “Groundhog Day” dynamic. Recovery deferred … again.
A year ago at this time, the Private Equity industry was poised for an upturn that never really took hold. Early-year optimism was dashed by tariff turmoil—just the latest in a long line of market dislocations dating back to the Covid-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: https://www.bain.com/insights/private-equity-midyear-report-2026/
NYTimes.com, ‘Private Equity Is Stuck With 33,575 Unsold Businesses’
Even amid a booming deal-making environment, Private Equity firms are unable to exit a growing number of investments at values their investors require.
READ MORE (gift link): https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/business/private-equity-unsold-businesses.html?unlocked_article_code=1.4VA.beeV.b7xTvWdlzt6V&smid=url-share&trk=public_post_comment-text
Bloomberg Podcasts, ‘Rerouting Trade, Private Equity Test | Wall Street Week’
This week, inflation may be edging lower, but as markets push rates higher, the Fed’s 2% inflation target might be a long way off. And, Mexico is building a land-based trade corridor that could give shipping companies more options when traditional channels are disrupted. Plus, as exits slow and borrowing costs rise, the ability of private equity investments to generate returns that beat public markets is less certain.
LISTEN (48 MINUTES): https://youtu.be/jNvqXFss30M?si=1Ti9f7-icZwtxnb3
How I Invest Podcast, ‘How VCs Find the Next $1 Trillion Company’
Most investors assume that once a venture firm reaches $43 billion in assets under management, the real opportunities shift toward writing larger checks. Yuri Sagilov believes the opposite.
LISTEN (28 MINUTES): https://youtu.be/QYCBdiUXTwY?si=_2R2LJmgo2Gj4Ggt
Resident.com, ‘5 Luxury Travel Trends Reshaping 2026: Spontaneous, Private, and Closer to Home’
(IF YOU’RE FEELING SPONTANEOUS) “The luxury trip is changing shape. For most of the past decade, a high-end vacation meant a marquee hotel, a planned itinerary, and a flight to somewhere far from home. In 2026, the American travelers are rewriting all three assumptions at once. They are booking later, often within weeks of departure.”
The 2026 IVCA CFO Summit is now open for registration and is FREE to all finance professionals of IVCA member firms; $795 for all finance professionals of non-member firms, and will take place on October 22nd, 2026. Click on CFO for more information and instructions to register.