Bridgepoint Capital, the mid-market private equity firm, will this week secure new commitments from investors taking it beyond its €4bn (£3.1bn, $6.2bn) fundraising target.

The news suggests small is becoming beautiful again in private equity as investors shift away from “mega buy-out” firms, which are hamstrung by the crisis in debt markets, towards mid-market firms less reliant on abundant supplies of cheap credit.