Retail, financial technology and healthcare will remain the top three areas in China attracting private equity investment, according to the latest report by global consultancy McKinsey & Co.

The upscale and healthy food and beverage sector, which use digital technology for operations and marketing, are becoming the new darlings for investors, McKinsey said in a study with the theme of global private equity investment.

Meanwhile, retail entities built on the concept of New Retail, which combines online and offline shopping with the aid of big data and cloud computing to allocate resources, also are gaining traction, such as Alibaba's Hema Fresh Market and cashierless chain Bingo Box.

Also in the pipeline is the booming pet service sector, from food to grooming and medical care. This sector has attracted financial titans like Goldman Sachs to industry players like Ringpu to cash in on the trend.

China is shaping up to be an emerging force in the global private equity scene. The country was home to 14,309 private equity and venture capital firms by the end of June.

According to McKinsey's managing partner, Qu Xiangjun, Chinese institutional investors are gradually moving from banking on networks and resources to locate investorsto identifying lucrative projects through research on companies' financial healthiness.

He also pointed to the growing emphasis on post-investment management as the industry matures in China, which is 'in many ways, when the real work begins', he said.