Rystad Energy gets PE Money and new CEO

Marlin Equity Partners has invested in Rystad enabling it to lean into data, technology and AI. Founder Jarand Rystad (who has led the company since 2004) will step away as CEO - with Deputy CEO Lars Erik Nicolaisen rising to the CEO spot on 12 October 2026. Rystad launched Spektra in August, which is a tech ecosystem replete with MCP connectors and and API gateway. 

Portable Alpha

Many funds now offer portable alpha.

One such is Man Group.

Gunvor's New Clothes

Gunvor is rebranding - distancing itself from past Russia links. It will become Centalion Group (following a management buyout) and position itself in Singapore from its previous jurisdiction of Cyprus. Gary Pedersen is Chairman and CEO. Gary started his career at Koch Industries.

Silver Lake Locks In on AI

Silver Lake is merging two of its software firms in a 10bn euro ($11.6bn) gunshot wedding. 

French business management software firm Cegid, and payroll and HR platform, Silae, will join forces. Is this a new trend to help companies manage AI spend?

The idea is to bring all the functionality into a single platform for entrepreneurs and companies of a certain size. Scaling investment in R&D has been touted as a benefit.

Christian Lucas will serve as Chairman of the combined business. Both firms started in France before expanding to Spain, Portugal, with Cegid also having a foothold in Germany.

Blackstone Homes In on Lloyds Income

Blackstone has been in talks with Aon to create a Lloyd's syndicate that would earn income for the asset manager (as much as $2bn in premiums a year). 

Aon would effectively direct a certain amount of reinsurance business Blackstone's way - and Blackstone would act as a substitute for a "regular" insurer's balance sheet.  It would back this provision with private equity funds such as Blackstone Private Equity Strategies, or BXPE.

Reinsurers have warned that alternative capital providers (a la Blackstone) could be less durable after large losses. Blackstone already backs policies at Lloyds, but this move would be a broader and more visible shift into the market with Brookfield and Oaktree also looking at expansion into this sector.

Will private capital irrevocably reshape the insurance market? And what impact to financial resilience?

Jane Street Becomes a Dealer on Leveraged ETF Swaps

Jane Street joins other dealers as a market maker on risky leveraged ETF swaps.

An ETF swap, also known as a synthetic ETF, is where the provider enters into a swap contract with a counterparty, typically a large financial institution, to replicate the performance of an index, asset or asset class, without owning the underlying securities.

The counterparty pays the ETF the total return of the index (or other asset) including dividends while the ETF pays a fee and the return of collateral to the counterparty.

SpaceX May Bring Asteroid Mining Closer to Reality

Asteroid mining is being explored by several companies like Astroforge. These developments create new opportunities for SpaceX in the future.