“SEA seems firmly back in deal-making mode,” says Luke Pais, EY-Parthenon’s Asean private equity leader. “Despite macroeconomic headwinds, investment momentum is strong, with capital flowing across sectors. Crucially, exits are gaining traction, restoring confidence and liquidity to the system.”
Southeast Asia’s private equity activity was up 4.5 times y-o-y in 1Q2026, with deal value surging to US$9.2 billion ($11.7 billion) from US$2 billion in 1Q2025, says global strategy firm EY-Parthenon in their quarterly EY-Parthenon Southeast Asia Private Equity Pulse report.
According to EY’s report, the region saw a total of 19 private equity-backed investments in this recent quarter, a 36% increase in deal volume from the 14 deals that happened in 1Q2025. The total deal value of US$9.2 billion is the highest quarter ever recorded over the last five years, the firm adds.
