In finance, private equity is an asset class consisting of equity investments in companies that are not traded on a public stock exchange. Investments typically involve a transformational, value-added, active management strategy.

Private equity firms generally receive a return on their investments through one of three ways: an IPO, a sale or merger of the company they control, or a recapitalization. Unlisted securities may be sold directly to investors by the company (called a private offering) or to a private equity fund, which pools contributions from smaller investors to create a capital pool.

Some examples of organizations owned by private equity firms are The Automobile Association, Jimmy Choo Ltd and Boots the Chemist.