For those who have an interest in private equity I would recommend taking a look at the U.S. BDCs (business development companies) - think 'publicly traded private equity'.
No issues with money being tied up for years as they are publicly traded. No need to be an accredited investor.
A couple of suggested names to take a look at - ARCC, GSBD, MAIN.

For most BDCs the majority of their investments comprise debt of private companies with some equity. They are more yield plays than vehicles that will provide potential significant capital appreciation.

I've held the three stocks mentioned and several others for years.