Carlyle vs Investcorp

Very Group sale collapses as bids fall short of £2bn

The planned sale of British online retailer The Very Group is on the verge of collapsing, as owner Carlyle fails to find a buyer willing to meet its minimum valuation of around £2 billion. According to Sky News, the sales process is likely to be abandoned. Carlyle took control in November 2025 as part of a financial restructuring, paying a nominal £1. Although a sales process was initiated, it was not a binding commitment. Potential bidders, including Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com and US investor Elliott Advisors, showed preliminary interest but did not submit offers at the desired level. The company has shown operational stability, with adjusted EBITDA up 15.9% to £307.1 million in FY2024/25, despite flat revenue. Carlyle is expected to retain ownership and focus on improving profitability and growth before potentially attempting another sale.

• The Very Group's sale process is likely to be scrapped as bidders failed to meet the £2bn asking price.
• Carlyle acquired The Very Group in November 2025 for a nominal £1 as part of a debt restructuring.
• JD.com and Elliott Advisors were potential bidders but did not meet the valuation.

Carlyle AlpInvest Closes AlpInvest Atom Fund II at $1.7 Billion Hard Cap, Bringing Single-Asset Continuation Vehicle Investment Capacity to $7 Billion Across Its Secondaries Platform

Carlyle's AlpInvest platform closed its Atom Fund II at $1.7 billion hard cap, expanding its single-asset continuation vehicle capacity to $7 billion.

Investcorp Announces September 2026 Ordinary General Meeting

A new shareholder information item has been added: 'September 2026 Ordinary General Meeting' dated Sep 2026. Additionally, Investcorp's London office address has changed from Investcorp House, 48 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 3HW to 25 Baker Street, 2nd Floor, London W1U 8EQ.