Artificial intelligence is accelerating the pace of value creation in private equity, while mergers and acquisitions have re-emerged as the industry’s most important growth driver, according to a new global survey by FTI Consulting of senior industry leaders.
The 2026 Private Equity Value Creation Index, based on responses from more than 550 senior executives across 14 countries, found that firms are increasingly generating measurable value more quickly, with 63% of respondents reporting results within 12 months, up from 41% a year earlier.
The improvement is attributed to more disciplined execution during due diligence, greater use of standardised value-creation playbooks, and wider adoption of technology-enabled operating models.
AI was identified as a key contributor to faster outcomes, with 66% of respondents reporting tangible benefits within a year, compared with 34% in the prior period. However, the survey also highlighted ongoing challenges in execution, with only around a third of firms describing their AI implementation as efficient, suggesting uneven maturity across the industry.
Despite AI’s growing influence, M&A has returned to the top position among value creation levers, rising sharply in importance as firms face a more challenging organic growth environment. More than half of respondents said their acquisitions exceeded initial business case expectations, though deal execution remains the slowest area for value realisation, with only a quarter achieving results within 12 months.
The report also identified a cohort of “high-performing” firms, representing around 40% of respondents, which consistently outperformed peers across both AI and M&A strategies. These firms were more likely to execute acquisitions effectively from deal thesis through integration and were significantly more successful in translating AI adoption into measurable returns.
Overall, the findings suggest that while private equity firms are increasingly leveraging AI to accelerate operational improvements, long-term value creation continues to depend heavily on disciplined deal execution and post-acquisition integration capabilities.
