Deal Desk
M&A deals, 11 October 2026
· 4 deals
Our view: strategic buyers, family capital and consolidators are paying meaningful prices for focused, well-run businesses, so private founders in Singapore and Southeast Asia should consider every type of buyer, not only financial investors, and be ready for sector consolidation.
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Southeast Asia · Consumer retail, intimate apparel
BrilliA completes acquisition of Malaysian lingerie retailer Neubodi
Intimate apparel company BrilliA has completed the acquisition of Neubodi, a Malaysian lingerie retailer established in 2008. Neubodi operates 11 retail stores across the Klang Valley, Penang and Johor, and its chief executive will continue in the role following the acquisition.
The Growth Alliance Capital view
a listed supplier buying a founder-built consumer brand to sell directly to consumers is a familiar way to grow in the region. Founders of niche consumer brands with loyal customers and their own shops should expect manufacturers and suppliers, not only financial investors, among their buyers, and often the founder is kept on to run the business.
Source: Global Textile Times
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Global · B2B events and exhibitions · £2.24bn
Informa agrees to buy events organiser Clarion from Blackstone
Informa agreed to buy event and exhibition organiser Clarion from private equity firm Blackstone for £2.24bn, valuing Clarion at 11.1x 2027 expected EBITDA, and plans an equity issue of about £940m to part-fund the deal. Clarion owns and operates over 100 specialist B2B brands, and the deal is expected to complete towards the end of the fourth quarter.
The Growth Alliance Capital view
a double-digit EBITDA multiple for a set of specialist trade events shows how much strategic buyers will pay for niche B2B franchises with recurring revenue. Founders of specialist events, media or community businesses in Southeast Asia should note that leading a narrow niche is what consolidators pay a premium for.
Source: Hargreaves Lansdown
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Global · Healthcare retail, pharmacy · $8.9bn (£6.7bn)
Weston family holding company agrees to buy Boots
Wittington, the Weston family's holding company, agreed to buy Boots from majority owner Sycamore Partners and the Pessina family for $8.9bn (£6.7bn). The deal covers Boots' retail and pharmacy operations in the UK and Ireland, Boots Opticians, the No7 Beauty Company and the Thailand and franchise businesses.
The Growth Alliance Capital view
a family holding company buying a business from a private equity owner shows that patient family capital is competing hard with funds for mature consumer businesses. Founders thinking about a sale should not assume private equity is the only or highest-paying buyer, because family offices and conglomerates often put a different value on control and the long term.
Source: Irish Examiner
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Global · Media and entertainment
Paramount completes acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount closed its deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, putting David Ellison in control of the combined company, now called Skydance. Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive David Zaslav opted to leave in the transaction.
The Growth Alliance Capital view
when the largest media groups merge, they tend to sell off businesses they no longer need and create new demand for specialist content and services. Regional founders in production, post-production and content services should watch for both businesses coming up for sale and changes in who their largest customers are.
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer
Deal Desk summarises publicly announced transactions from the sources linked. "The Growth Alliance Capital view" is our opinion, not investment advice, and implies no involvement in any transaction mentioned.